After a season of rest, Dolly Parton steps back into the spotlight as Dollywood opens for its 41st season The walk might have been a little slower than in years past. Certainly, the steadying hand of Dollywood Parks and Resorts President Eugene Naughton might have been a little bit firmer. But when the spotlight came on, and the crowd started cheering, it
Dolly Parton provides an update on Dollywood’s most ambitious project ever Allen & Burns. Martin & Lewis. Hope & Crosby. Naughton & Parton. When Dolly Parton hits the stage with Dollywood Parks and Resorts President Eugene Naughton, it’s like watching a classic comedy act. Naughton – usually playing the straight man – works his way diligently through the script. Meanwhile, Parton
Titanic welcomes 2026 season with new artifacts, updated displays At a certain point, you’d think they would run out of new Titanic artifacts to put on display. After all, it’s been 114 years since the RMS Titanic was torn asunder in the icy waters of the North Atlantic. Jack, Rose, and the drunk baker were left to fend for themselves. And
Ranking the properties owned in the Smokies owned by Dolly Parton and her partners You might have thought that Dollywood and the Stampede would have been enough. But Dolly Parton’s footprint in Pigeon Forge continues to grow. By my count, including Dollywood, Splash Country, and the two resorts as separate entities, Dolly and her various partners have a total of
Sky Pirates of Mermaid Bay: An honest review For years, the quality of mini-golf courses in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg – to a lesser extent, Sevierville – were on the decline. Other than the Ripley courses, most of your options were afterthoughts, mediocre destinations that existed only to give a little “added value” to the arcade ticket bunder. Others were
Great Smoky Mountain Murder Mystery Dinner Theater: An honest review “When I drink whiskey, I drink whiskey. And when I drink water, I drink water,” Barry Fitzgerald’s Michaleen Oge Flynn in John Ford’s classic “The Quiet Man.” “When I eat dinner, I eat dinner. And when I watch theater, I watch theater,” John Gullion in the Smoky Mountains every time
Is a Nashville comedian ready to challenge Dolly for celebrity theme park dominance? The announcement seemed like a bit. Comedian Nate Bargatze – generally considered one of the best touring comedians in the country – is working to build a theme park near his hometown of Nashville. If you know Bargatze’s work – a mostly dry with filled with self-deprecation
Planning your 2026 trip to the Smokies? Here are the dates you need to know The leaves are mostly on the ground. The ones that are left in the tree are dead and barely hanging on. Except when the snow falls, the mountains themselves are varying shades of brown. Here we are, staring the winter doldrums in the face. What
Artist’s unique creatures to make U.S. debut at The North Carolina Arboretum There are a lot of strange creatures in the Smoky Mountains. Some of them are real – we’re looking at you Hellbender salamander – and others are rumored – we’d look at you feral people if we could see you. But a Danish artist is bringing something no
The Dollywood theme park attendance in numbers Consistently ranked among the best park in America by the Golden Ticket Awards, Dollywood has over the course of its 40 seasons risen to be a player on the national scene. Dollywood has made the transition from a chintzy regional theme park to one of the best amusement/theme parks in the United States.