KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Crews are working to build a new area in Dollywood exploring Dolly Parton's career and her inspirations.
In the former area of Adventures in Imagination, construction is underway on the "The Dolly Parton Experience." The area will be spread across several buildings with exhibits highlighting major moments throughout Dolly Parton's career. It will also explore the inspirations behind her biggest dreams, the importance of her family and a curated exhibit showcasing her signature style.
"We have so much going on in 2024," said Pete Owens, the Vice President of Marketing for Dollywood. "[The Dolly Parton Experience] is three times larger than anything we've done before to honor Dolly."
The different buildings feature different exhibits, including one designed similarly to the immersive "Van Gogh Experience" features in different venues across the world. That exhibit is named "The Songteller Experience" and celebrates Dolly Parton's music.
"Also in the area is behind-the-scenes, which is a favorite of our guests. It's an opportunity to see a lot of Dolly's costumes, and things she's worn here or worn on stage," said Owens. "We try to look at different areas of the park, and we listen to our guests. This is something that folks really wanted, and something Dolly wanted."
Among the changes at Dollywood is a new high-speed chairlift making the Lightning Rod Roller Coaster more efficient, increasing the uptime of the roller coaster.
The Dollywood Experience is expected to open in May.