Photos from the 1970s remind us of the park that came before Dollywood: Pigeon Forge’s Silver Dollar City
Six Flags, Disney, Cedar Point and, yes, Dollywood, are managed with a statistical mastery of people’s behaviors.
They are run with precise technologies that track wait times, dining and character interactions. On good days, the best modern amusement parks, of which Dollywood certainly is, encounter relatively few surprises.
Things are run if not quite like clockwork, then with an efficiency that was simply not possible decades ago.
They know visitors’ expectations before they walk through a turnstile. Each new shop, ride and new section are built with a better understanding of the needs and necessities of their patrons than Walt Disney could have ever imagined.
It is largely forgotten in the world outside of the fervent faithful of the Smoky Mountains that there was a park in the days before Dollywood.
It was called Silver Dollar City. A doomed relic of a previous age that was saved by Dolly’s arrival. And park management’s deft transition from a simple mountain theme park to one of the premier amusement parks in the country.
While the Dollywood of today is certainly superior to its ancestor, it does a disservice to forget Silver Dollar City’s many charms.
In fact, the park was a lot more than a simple placeholder until Dolly came home.
Before Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee became the theme park we know and love today, it went by a few different names.
Most notably, the park was known as Silver Dollar City before Dolly Parton came on board. The photos below show a glimpse of what the park looked like in the 70s and 80s.
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A brief Dollywood history
The first theme park on the spot was Rebel Railroad which opened in 1961. It lasted until Art Modell – owner of the Cleveland Browns football team – bought the property and rechristened it Goldrush Junction.
Modell’s ownership lasted until 1976 when the Herschend family bought the park.
It was renamed Goldrush for a single season. The Herschends had bigger plans. They already owned a park named Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo., one that is still in operation today.
They wanted the co-branding power of familiarity. Therefore, they made the Pigeon Forge a sister park to the Missouri facility, calling both Silver Dollar City.
The Herschends invested more than $1 million in Silver Dollar City added several attractions to what they had inherited.
Silver Dollar City officially changed its name to Dollywood in 1986 when Dolly Parton came on board.
Today, Dollywood is jointly owned by entertainer Dolly and Herschend Family Entertainment.
What’s left of Silver Dollar City at Dollywood today?
The truth is, much of the structure of what was once Silver Dollar City remains today. Blazing Fury, the Robert F. Thomas Chapel, the Grist Mill, the Dollywood Express, and Craftsman’s Valley all remain in some form or fashion in the current Dollywood park.
Many of the crafts, like glass blowing, also remain largely unchanged. Some Silver Dollar City favorites have been lost to time.
The Log Flume and the Cloud Grabber are long gone as is the Flooded Mine. The latter is still running at the Branson, Missouri Silver Dollar City park today.
What was Silver Dollar City like?
What Silver Dollar City was and what Dollywood has become is the difference between theme parks and amusement parks.
Though the line has been blurred significantly in modern time, back in Silver Dollar City’s heyday, there was a clear distinction.
There was a very different purpose between the two. For instance, at Silver Dollar City, the rides were something of an ancillary experience and thrills were hard to come by.
You came to Silver Dollar City not simply to ride but to experience the shows, visit the craftsmen and wander the bizarre mountain community. You came to Silver Dollar City and you (gasp) learned something.
It’s hard to describe the nuanced differences. Painting in broad strokes, it was easier for the kids to be bored at a theme park like Silver Dollar City.
That said, there were more opportunities for the adults to actually get to sit down and relax. To me, Silver Dollar City was split firmly in half.
Nearly everything above the railroad track, Craftsman’s Valley, the shops, restaurants and shows were for the more adult in your traveling party.
Everything below the rail, the Fun Country rides and games and the railroad station were for kids.
Honestly, if we could have moved Blazing Fury, Flooded Mine and the magic show to the southern bit of the park, you could have gone all day without parents or kids having to interact at all.
Silver Dollar City’s special events
Like Dollywood, Silver Dollar City had a series of “Special Events” some of which are sorely missed. The first festival of the year would be the Ramp & Clogging Festival in April.
A ramp festival at a theme park? Sign me up. For those of you who don’t know, the ramp is a garlicky wild onion that grows wild in the mountains.
Nearby Cocke County hosts a ramp festival that used to be annual but has been hit or miss in recent years. The ramps, it seems, have become over-harvested.
Other popular events included Student Festival Days, Young Christians Day, Older Americans Days and an Indian Ceremonial Rendezvous each August.
I especially like the idea of Older Americans Days. “Oh, you’re Canadian? I’m sorry this day is NOT for you.” One thing that hasn’t changed is the park’s commitment to mountain music and comedy.
During Silver Dollar City’s best years, they used to boast that more people saw shows in the park than at Broadway. I don’t know whether that’s true or not.
However, I do know many local musicians have worked their way through school while playing summers at Dollywood or Silver Dollar City.
Remembering Silver Dollar City
But if you want to know what the park was like before Dolly, you just have to look around.
Stroll the shady length of Craftsmen’s Valley. Take in a show. Grab some down-home cookin’ (I couldn’t bring myself to type the word vittles).
Ride Blazing Fury four or five times. Ride the train twice and pretend the open spaces are filled with a train robbery or better yet stage a train robbery yourself. (Disclaimer: This will get you thrown out of the park and arrested.)
Play the games in the County Fair and lose a lot – they’ve made it easier to win over the years, you know.
Ride the bumper cars and the Ferris Wheel. Look longingly at the spot where the rickety old Log Flume used to be. That, my friends, is Silver Dollar City.
Many thanks to Richard Melton and Patricia Reaves for contributing the fun photos to TheSmokies.com (circa mid-1970s) seen throughout this article.
A further Look at Dollywood History, the Park Before the Dollywood Era
It’s taken nearly 60 years of growth for Dollywood in Pigeon Forge to become the elite, award-winning example of theme park excellence it is today.
Looking back to 1961, it’s certainly hard to comprehend the evolution.
So, let’s take a look at the Dollywood theme park before it became Dollywood.
What is the history of Dollywood?
Dollywood began as a park called Rebel Railroad in 1961. Dolly Parton was just 15 years old when a pair of enterprising Robbins brothers from Blowing Rock, North Carolina, expanded their railroad-related mountain tourism business to Tennessee.
The Pigeon Forge theme park was modeled after Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock. The main attraction was a coal-fired steam engine.
That locomotive is still in operation at Dollywood today as Klondike Katie. Rebel Railroad’s entertainment also included a working blacksmith shop, a saloon and a general store.
The park continued to operate through the mid-1960s when it would undergo what would be the first of many transformations to come.
Rebel Railroad becomes Goldrush Junction
There is inconsistent reporting on when Rebel Railroad changed its name to Goldrush Junction. Some reports indicate it was in the mid-60s.
However, the Dollywood website says it was 1970. That’s when the park was purchased by Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell.
It makes sense for Modell, who was seen as a progressive NFL owner, to be the one to change the name. Under Modell’s ownership, the park added a log flume ride, an outdoor theater and the Robert F. Thomas Church.
Goldrush Junction becomes Silver Dollar City
Modell’s tenure wasn’t long. The park sold again in 1976. At that time, it was rechristened Silver Dollar City.
This made it a sister park to the new owners’ park in Branson, Missouri. Under the 10-year solo ownership of Jack and Pete Herschend, the park grew substantially.
When did Dolly Parton buy Dollywood?
In 1986, Dolly Parton got on board. Queue the harps and angel choir. According to the Dollywood website, the change was because of an interview between Dolly and Barbara Walters.
Dolly talked about her dreams of building a theme park in the Smoky Mountains. Reportedly, the Herschend brothers offered a partnership, not wanting to compete with the local legend.
This new partnership gave the park an immediate boost from humble beginnings to national recognition.
It’s quite hard to overstate just how omnipotent Dolly Parton was to the culture in the early 1980s. Yet, nobody thought of her as the next Walt Disney. The Hubris. The Gall. Dollywood?
Is she for real? Friends, she was. She is driven by the desire to help the location of her childhood home grow. Over the next 30 years, Dolly’s imprint on the park itself – as well as the amusement park industry – is undeniable.
Dollywood is now a household name.
How much does Dolly have to do with Dollywood?
A lot. Her presence serves as a giant umbrella, looming over park management and her continued partnership with the Herschends.
Her presence is so ubiquitous that many, including my wife, operate as if Dolly herself is leading boardroom meetings.
Some folks picture Dolly hand-selecting rides and approving day-to-day operations. I swear my wife thinks of Dolly as if she’s Santa Claus. Hard-working amusement park elves operate the rest of Dollywood.
To this day, Dolly makes appearances at the park, most often for big announcements, expansions and season openings.
Make no mistake, Dollywood’s success is driven by the people who work mostly behind the scenes. However, it was Dolly’s arrival, name recognition and continued cachet that allowed the park to thrive.
What was Dollywood like in its early days?
During my first visit to Dollywood in the mid-80s, I was a young Hoosier. East Tennesseans vacation at Myrtle Beach. Hoosiers vacation in the Great Smoky Mountains.
At the time, I had no idea I’d be moving to East Tennessee in a couple of years. My memories of that trip are vague.
At the time, I thought the park was a tad boring. Still a northerner at heart, I decried Dollywood as inferior to Six Flags, King’s Island, Cedar Point and other tourist attractions.
But over the years, I matured and embraced my East Tennessee home. Dollywood grew more charming. It grew and expanded.
And eventually, a trip to the theme park became less of a chore.
Does Dolly Parton still own Dollywood?
Today, Dolly Parton has a continued partnership with Herschend Family Entertainment. So, she owns part of Dollywood.
And her presence is still ubiquitous throughout the park. Dollywood is where you can find a replica of her childhood home, see her former tour bus and more.
Her company also expanded with Dollywood’s Splash Country water park, massive resort hotels and hints of expansion all over the horizon.
The theme park company continues to grow to this day, as evidenced by the new Heartsong Lodge and Resort and new rides like Big Bear Mountain.
Dollywood still has a strong impact on Sevier County
Overall, Dolly’s powerful presence led to success. Those successes led to more money.
More money led to more investment in the park, and without it being immediately obvious, Dollywood became a titan.
Today, Dollywood welcomes around 3 million visitors each year. The park has both children’s rides and thrill rides that rival some of the biggest parks in America.
The park is even home to the country’s largest presentation of non-releasable bald eagles.
And yes, you can still a coal-fired steam train, the Dollywood Express. It’s actually operated by two steam engines, Cinderella and Klondike Katie.
With rides, thrills, music, mountain crafts, cinnamon bread, annual festivals and events, if you go to Dollywood and don’t have a good time, it’s your fault.
Or possibly the fault of your hot and whiny kids.
Today, Dollywood collects Golden Ticket awards like Charlie Bucket and Uncle Joe. Dolly looks like the bright, blonde and brilliant successor to Walt Disney. Dollywood, like its namesake, is an amazing American success story.
Do you remember Dollywood before it became Dollywood? Let us know in the comments.
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