Remembering an attraction that used to be the centerpiece of the park, now permanently erased It’s appropriate that in a theme park dedicated to mountain life, the remnants of a mostly forgotten relic are fading back into the scenery. Or at least, they were fading. Now, it’s nearly all but erased. This is Dollywood. It is never long until lost
Efforts to revive Ghost Town in the Sky left in limbo after tragic death of co-owner In the more than 60 years since it opened, the Western North Carolina theme park known as Ghost Town in the Sky has seen more than its fair share of hardships, challenges and difficulties. There were long-term ramifications of building a theme park atop
The No. 1 missed attraction won in a landslide, while the others were a close race In his treatise on faith, the power of the past and perception, the great Long Island philosopher William Martin Joel said, “The good old days weren’t always good and tomorrow ain’t as bad as it seems.” It’s a sentiment that rings true in the
Remembering attractions that no longer exist in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Maggie Valley The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the country, with an estimated 12.5 million visitors annually. So it’s no surprise that entrepreneurs come to the area with high hopes of building the next big attraction to entice visitors on their way
Roots to Dolly Parton’s early career can still be found throughout the Smokies When you have lived around East Tennessee as long as I have, you start to play a little game I like to call “Six Degrees of Separation, Dolly Parton Edition”. For instance, if you live in Morristown, maybe you’ve met Dr. Gregg Perry. He graduated from the
Take a look at this little-known hidden cave located in the Cades Cove area of the Smoky Mountains As someone who grew up in the region, I’ve been in caves that cut under the mountains on several occasions. Places like the Forbidden or Tuckaleechee caverns offer a safe place for visitors to see the wonders of the Smokies’ cave system.
A Dollywood fanatic remembers rides and attractions that have been removed over the years Dollywood’s master plan is a thing of wonder. The 36-year journey from niche theme park to being named the No. 11 theme park in the world, according to TripAdvisor, is a remarkable testament to strategic planning and execution. But with remarkable progress, there is some element
Local theorizes what happened to Fun Mountain in Gatlinburg TN In 1993, Dollywood was still in its first decade of growing out of its Silver Dollar City phase. Other Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge attractions were morphing with the dawn of the internet age. And Fun Mountain, located at the entrance to the strip in Gatlinburg, tried to lay its claim
While short-lived in Pigeon Forge, Tommy Bartlett’s Water Circus is fondly remembered by those few who attended It took ten years to find the perfect land for Tommy Bartlett’s Water Circus in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. In 1976, 110 acres of farmland were finally purchased with 450 feet of US Highway 441 frontage. A 20-foot-tall dam was built to hold 8.5
A local shares memories of Magic World – a defunct theme park in the Smoky Mountains Imagine reaching into a child’s toy box in the late 70s, past the Star Wars figures and the Godzillas and Bat-people, and pulling out the little bits of molded plastic that didn’t get played with as much as the other toys. Then sprinkle them