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DollywoodPigeon Forge, TennesseeDescriptionLocation: Dollywood is located southeast of Knoxville, Tennessee and just north of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You can get driving directions by clicking the Dollywood link on Theme Park Insider's Google map of U.S. theme parks. History: The theme park currently known as Dollywood started out in 1961 as a small Civil War-themed tourist attraction called "Rebel Railroad". Rebel Railroad's main component was the steam train, but there were also other interesting things on the property such as an old time saloon and general store. In the late 1960s, the name was changed to "Goldrush Junction", and the Civil War theme gave way to a Wild West theme. The Cleveland Browns football team purchased Goldrush Junction in 1970 and expanded the park with a log flume and several other small rides. In 1976, Jack and Pete Herschend of Branson, Missouri bought the park from the Cleveland Browns and the following season changed the name from Goldrush Junction to "Silver Dollar City Tennessee", as a sister park to the Herschends' original Silver Dollar City in Branson. Dolly Parton joined the Herschend brothers in 1986 when she bought into the theme park and redeveloped it as Dollywood. Since then, it has grown to become Tennessee's number one tourist attraction. Hours: http://www.dollywood.com. Tickets: Buy online. Always try to buy your tickets in advance, to save time when you get to the park. If you enter the park after 3pm, you can return on the next day for free. (*valid March - October) Reservations: Dollywood offers a Q-bot ride reservation system, for an additional per-person charge. Strategy: For those traveling with smaller children, make sure to save yourself some time during your visit, and stop by Q2Q and get your child's height measured and a wristband (free). The hosts at Q2Q will inform you of what ride limitations (if any) your child will have in the park, and this will also save them from having to be measured at each ride by park hosts. Q2Q is located next to the new Imagination Cinema. When you pass through the park's turnstiles, head to your right around the bakery and right again across the brick bridge. NEW for 2008: Imagination Cinema - Back by popular demand, Thunder Road has returned to the Adventures in Imagination's remodeled Imagination Cinema, replacing the Smokey Mountain Wilderness Adventure attraction. Onsite Eagle Facility - Located next to the "Wings of America" stage in Craftsman's valley, a new facility has been made available to the public to view the care of the Eagles in the park. Chasing Rainbows - As of her homecoming this year, Dolly's Tour Bus is now on display outside of Chaising Rainbows & Imagination Cinema. Along with the addition of Dolly's bus, there is now an exhibit dedicated to Porter Wagner, (a huge influence on Dolly). -- Last edited by M Holtsclaw [Update this description | Read previous versions] Photos
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