The little-known story of how the Smoky Mountains nearly had two theme parks, instead of one
There are many great figures who shaped the path of the Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge over the years. Some are well-known and some mostly forgotten. From Dolly Parton, to the first Ogles who set foot in White Oaks Flats, later known as Gatlinburg, the history of the mountains in the last couple of hundred years has been shaped by names big and small.
But there is one person who made a profound impact on the collective destiny of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge that would shock even the most avid Sevier County historians. A massive name in American Culture of the last 50 years. That person? News magazine journalist and creator of “The View” Barbara Walters.
IN THIS ARTICLE
Dolly Parton’s original vision
“I used to think if I make it big if I get rich like I was dreaming I might, that I’d love to do something special, to come back home and build a park of my own.” – Dolly Parton
The year was 1982. Dolly Parton had been out of the public eye for months following a mysterious health issue. She was under doctors orders to rest. Parton, already a country music legend, was also launching her acting career. She’d shined in “9 to 5” but her movie with Burt Reynolds “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” had been a difficult shoot. It underperformed at the box office. However, Parton did receive a Golden Globes nomination for her performance. Therefore, stress and some underlying health issues forced Parton to take a sabbatical.
The Barbara Walters interview
In comes Walters, who sat down with Dolly in a December 1982 interview. They discussed her health, career and the desire to become more of a businesswoman, showing the brains under her blonde wig as she put it. One of the ideas she shared was for “mountain Disneyland… a Smoky Mountain fairyland” theme park to be built in … Gatlinburg.
Insert record scratch here. Gatlinburg? Yep. Gatlinburg.
“I have a big dream of building a center, or a city or being involved in a place in East Tennessee, my hometown up in Gatlinburg which, is one of the most wonderful places in the world, called Dollywood USA,” she told Walters who to her credit didn’t bat an eye.“(It would) be like a fantasy city, sort of like Disney, like a mountain Disneyland, like a Smoky Mountain Fairyland.”
If Walters thought the idea was outlandish or wild – trust me a lot of people thought the idea was outlandish or wild when they first heard the name Dollywood – she never showed it. The conversation moved on as Dolly talked about branching out into cosmetics and a line of clothing.
Dolly was formulating a plan
If you didn’t know Dolly, you might have thought it was just idle musing on Parton’s part. A little scrap of an idea based solely on replacing the H in the famous Hollywood sign with a D. But Parton, who was candid, charming and witty in the interview, was deadly serious.
Speaking with the Hollers & Hills Podcast 40 years later, Pete Owens – Dollywood Vice president of marketing – revealed just how serious Dolly was. Owens said she’d lined up investors, located a property on Highway 321 in Gatlinburg and was gearing up to make her Smoky Mountain Disneyland a reality.
Luckily for all involved, at least one ABC viewer tuned into the broadcast and took Parton’s off-handed comment seriously. Ted Miller, general manager of Silver Dollar City in Tennessee, heard the comments. He quickly decided that partnering with Dolly would be preferable to battling her.
How the Herschends stepped in
The history of Dollywood goes back to 1961. Rebel Railroad, a Civil War-themed railroad attraction ran along the same track the Dollywood Express runs today. It was built for the 100th anniversary of the Civil War. And was modeled after its sister attraction, the Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Rebel Railroad featured a little village with blacksmithing, a saloon and a general store. Riders would be protected on the train ride by Confederate soldiers as the train was attacked by Union Soldiers, robbers and Native Americans.
That lasted three seasons before the park was rethemed Goldrush Junction, focusing more on an Old West theme. In 1970, another unlikely name in Pigeon Forge history appears. Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell stepped in and bought the park. Modell kept the park until 1976 when he sold to Pete and Jack Herschend, aka Herschend Family Entertainment.
In 1951, Pete and Jack’s dad Hugo bought the rights to an Ozark Mountain attraction in Branson called Marvel Cave – an underground cavern for tourists to visit. Over the years, the family added a small frontier town to the attraction which became known as Silver Dollar City. The attraction grew into a successful theme park. So when HFE looked to expand its empire, Goldrush Junction in Pigeon Forge was an acceptable addition.
The family bought Goldrush Junction in 1976. It was transitioned to Silver Dollar City, Tennessee in 1977. The whole thing was trucking along just fine until GM Ted Miller turned on ABC and learned of an impending tidal wave of competition coming from one Dolly Parton.
The meeting with Dolly Parton
According to Owens, Miller recognized the area wouldn’t hold two theme parks. So Miller suggested the brothers try to meet with Dolly and form a partnership. So, they flew out to Denver to meet Parton – who was on tour with Kenny Rogers. And the seeds of a fruitful partnership were born. They reached an agreement – one still in place today – that would allow Parton to invest, claim 50% ownership and create her vision of Dollywood without having to start from the ground up.
How successful was it? Very. In the first year, attendance was up 75% from 1985 to 1986, per a Yahoo! Entertainment article from 2023 though I have seen it said attendance was up more than 50% other places. The Herschends remained in charge of the operations, making sure – quite literally – the trains ran on time. Dolly served as the marketing end of the business. The partnership worked so well that many are of the belief that Parton created the park from the ground up and know nothing of the relatively silent partners.
How much was the Silver Dollar City past retconned?
What if I were to tell you that the famous Dollywood cinnamon bread has been a staple of Silver Dollar City predating Dollywood? It isn’t a Parton Family recipe at all. While minor variations exist, the cinnamon bread – like the Blazing Fury Ride – is a holdover from the Silver Dollar City days. I’m told the recipes are slightly different but I haven’t had the Branson version.
Dollywood Today
While it’s fun to speculate about what would have happened had Dolly moved forward with her Highway 321 site, we should all be glad things worked out the way they did. With the combined power of the Hershcend operations and Dolly’s marketing savvy, Dollywood is today considered among the best amusement parks in the world.
With Dollywood’s 40th anniversary approaching, the park has seen a steady plan of upgrades and expansion including the widely successful Wildwood Groove expansion. It’s thriving. The larger campus includes a water park and two excellent hotels with plans for more. Dolly and the Herschends own three dinner theaters in Pigeon Forge, Dolly’s Stampede, Pirates Voyage and the Hatfields and McCoys.
Located at 2700 Dollywood Parks Blvd, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863, Dollywood is preparing to open for the 2025 season, its 40th as Dollywood. The official opening day will be Saturday, March 15. The season will kick off with the I Will Always Love You Music Festival and several seasonal festivals all year long.
Are you planning a trip to the Smoky Mountains soon? Make sure to check out our coupons page before your trip!
Have a question or comment about something in this article? Contact our staff here. You may also contact our editorial team at info@thesmokies.com.