Before the days of Dollywood as we know it, in 1976, Herschend Family Entertainment purchased what was then Goldrush Junction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The Herschends quickly set about recreating their successful Missouri park in the Smokies. Soon, the Pigeon Forge theme park was rebranded as Silver Dollar City and built some of the other park’s most popular elements. This
Out here in the world of the tourism business, where everybody is competing for your vacation dollars, mom-and-pops and giant conglomerates are all competing for the same dollars in your wallet. Or more accurately in your bank account. So if you spend $100 at the Salt and Pepper Museum, that’s money that’s not going to go to Paula Deen or Jimmy Buffet. And
The future of this abandoned theme park looks bleak as the project continues to hit roadblocks Ghost Town in the Sky, aka Ghost Town Village, is a long-shuttered Wild West-themed amusement park that sat atop a mountain in Maggie Valley, NC. It opened in the early 60s. However, it began stumbling in the 90s as revenue couldn’t support maintenance needs
I don’t play the lottery often. However, if the prize gets up to enough money to start getting reported on the news, I’ll give it a chance. There are stories of people who win life-changing amounts of money only to fritter and waste it away. I would like to tell you that I’d be better than that. However, that would
I was thinking about summer vacations and the best waterparks we’ve visited, which of course, includes Dollywood’s Splash Country. There’s a powerful combination of the summer sun and water attractions that can end a day of family fun early out of simple exhaustion. For example, when John Paul was a toddler and we were at Disney, he was overwhelmed after
One of the true delights of going to a theme park is treating yourself to the local, popular dishes. Of course, theme park food is usually not healthy. However, it can make for a delicious treat while on vacation. For example, Disney offers the famous Dole Whip. Universal Studios Wizarding World of Harry Potter has Butterbeer. And in Pigeon Forge, it is
Anakeesta vs. Ober Mountain: Which is better? This is one of the most common questions we receive. But as with most things in life, the answer is subjective, so it is not always simple. Let’s take a look at the differences between Anakeesta and Ober Mountain in Tennessee. Anakeesta vs. Ober: The similarities Let’s start with the basics. Why are
Let’s start with a caveat: The 70s were a simpler time. “Star Wars” was huge. The world loved disco and the Pittsburgh Pirates and “Grease” and “YMCA” – it was arguably a very silly time. Herschend Family Entertainment had purchased Gold Rush Junction in Pigeon Forge from Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell in 1976. And that began the process of
Worrying about weight limits and ride restrictions can be a bit of a buzzkill when it comes to vacation planning. For instance, it’s never a great feeling to spend your hard-earned cash on an attraction only to find out you can’t participate when you get there. Therefore, having a plan is key. And that brings us to Anakeesta – the mountaintop
Theme park ride restrictions can be a stressful topic for the plus-size community. It’s never a great feeling to be told that you’re too big to ride. Since we often get the question, “Is Dollywood fat friendly?”, we decided to create this handy dandy guide to give you an idea of what to expect before you arrive at the Dollywood theme park.