Dollywood, formerly operated by and named
Silver Dollar City, is a theme park at least partially based upon the heritage and former home life of the famous country music legend,
Dolly Parton.
The first version of the park opened in the 1960's as Rebel Railroad and was shortly thereafter changed to Goldrush Junction. The park retained much of its former Silver Dollar City character when Dolly acquired it in the mid 1980's, with
expansion, instead of
replacement, being the key strategy.
The park is located in
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee not very far from another Dolly Parton attraction, Dixie Stampede. Nearby is a wide selection of
hotels,
Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and the
Great Smoky Mountains.
Article Updates-June 14, 2003-
Another recently added local Dolly attraction is Dolly's Splash Country, a theme waterpark. Its entrance is across the road from Dollywood's parking lot "F".
Current rumor regarding Dollywood is that the once-popular Slidewinder halfpipe water ride will be removed soon. The sources of that information cannot be confirmed.
Probably the most popular thrill ride in Dollywood would be the Tennessee Tornado rollercoaster, which boasts a 110-foot loop immediately after the initial diving drop as well as a feature they call the 'Iron Butterfly', which is essentially a half-loop with a twist out (they claim it is the first/only of its kind).