When people think of Dollywood, they often just believe it was opened by Dolly Parton at some point in the past, straight out of her imagination. But… that’s actually not true. And did you know that Dollywood has a sister theme park somewhere in North America?
Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, and Dollywood Resort in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, are two theme parks that have become popular tourist destinations in the United States. Both of these parks have a shared history, as they were both inspired and founded by the same individual, Dolly Parton. However, despite their similarities, these parks have taken different paths, reflecting the unique characteristics of their respective locations and cultures.
Silver Dollar City, located in Branson, Missouri, was opened in 1960 by the Herschend family. The Herschends were interested in preserving the Ozarks’ heritage and culture and began building the park around the idea of celebrating the region’s history. In 1986, Dolly Parton became a part-owner of the park, and it was renamed “Silver Dollar City, Tennessee” before being renamed back to its original name a year later.
Dollywood, on the other hand, was opened in 1986 by Dolly Parton herself. Dolly wanted to create a theme park that celebrated the culture of the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, where she grew up. She partnered with the Herschend family to develop the park, and it quickly became one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region. But that’s not quite the full story on Dollywood, and here are where real connections can be seen:
Dollywood was originally known as “Rebel Railroad,” a Wild West-themed amusement park that opened in 1961. The park was located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a popular tourist destination. The park was owned by a local businessman named Art Modell, who later sold it to the Herschend family in 1977. The Herschends had a vision to create a park that celebrated the culture of the Smoky Mountains, and they saw an opportunity to do so with Rebel Railroad. They purchased the park and began making changes to reflect their vision. They renamed the park “Goldrush Junction” and began adding new attractions and shows. Thus, both Dollywood and Silver Dollar City are heavily influenced by the Herschends and the flavor of their shared ownership can be felt in many ways.
In the mid-1980s, Dolly Parton approached the Herschends with an idea to collaborate on a theme park that would showcase the culture of the Smoky Mountains and celebrate her roots in the region. The Herschends agreed, and in 1986, Dollywood was born.
Dolly Parton became a part-owner of the park, and her influence can be seen throughout the park’s attractions and shows. The park features a number of musical shows, including a daily concert by Dolly Parton herself. It also has a number of roller coasters and other rides, but these are designed to fit within the overall theme of the park.
In addition to her ownership of the park, Dolly Parton has been involved in numerous philanthropic efforts in the region. She established the Dollywood Foundation, which provides free books to children in the area. She has also been involved in disaster relief efforts, most notably after the wildfires that devastated the region in 2016.
Despite their shared heritage, the two parks have taken different paths in terms of their attractions and overall themes. Silver Dollar City still celebrates the Ozarks’ history, featuring a variety of crafts and trades that were common in the region during the 19th century. The park also features a number of rides, including roller coasters, water rides, and a swinging pirate ship.
Dollywood, meanwhile, celebrates the culture of the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. The park features a number of musical shows, including an annual concert from Dolly Parton herself (usually). It also has a number of roller coasters and other rides, but these are designed to fit within the overall theme of the park.
Both parks have also taken different approaches to their food offerings. Silver Dollar City features a number of traditional Ozarks dishes, such as fried chicken, barbecue, and homestyle casseroles. Dollywood, meanwhile, offers a variety of Southern dishes, including fried green tomatoes, pulled pork, and banana pudding.
Despite these differences, both Silver Dollar City and Dollywood have remained popular tourist destinations, drawing millions of visitors each year. The parks have each developed a unique identity that reflects the culture and history of their respective regions, while still offering a fun and exciting experience for visitors of all ages.
So there you go — two parks with two very different approaches, but both having a common and unifying history.
Did you know the story behind Dollywood and Silver Dollar City? Let us know in the comments below. And, as always, keep reading That Park Place for all the latest news that should be fun!
Umm… your history of Dollywood is largely wrong. Voldemort was not a local businessman. He was from New York and the owner of the Cleveland Browns, who fired Paul Brown, cut Bernie Kosar, and went so far in debt he moved the team to B******.
He bought Rebel Railroad, changed the name, and eventually sold it.
This article is horribly in error. Inacurate would be an understatement. After reading this I decided you had to spit out a last min article and just made this up AND you have probably never been to either park. SDC has not changed its name ever and Dolly bought in to a park called SDC TN and it was then changed to DW. This is all so wrong that I would be embarassed to put my name to it. Chat GPT would be a good replacement for a writer of your talents.
I didn’t write this article, but I can look into these alleged errors. I don’t see that there’s an error about Dollywood having had its name changed (I believe in 1988). I’ll look into the others.