How It's Built: Dollywood
Regarded as “America’s Most Beautiful Park” by the Golden Ticket Award in 2021, Dollywood is the perfect destination for families in the Great Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. There’s music, rides, food, spas, and plenty of laughter - day and night, in every beautiful season.
Where is Dollywood?
Dollywood is located about 45 minutes east of Knoxville, Tennesse in the Smoky Mountains metroplex in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. If you're looking to make the trip from Chatanooga or Nashville, it might be more of a weekend trip as the drive will take you about two and a half hours and three and a half hours, respectively.
What is Dollywood?
Due to the fame and relevance of the local legend Dolly Parton, Dollywood is the biggest ticketed tourist attraction in Tennessee, hosting nearly 3 million guests in a typical season from mid-March to the Christmas holiday season. On top of the more than 40 world-class rides, the park is essentially known as an all-in-one resort for the family.
Not to mention, the park is huge! The core of this 150-acre amusement destination is the theme park and the 35-acre water park (Dollywood Splash Country), the 20-acre Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, and the 5-acre Dolly Parton’s Stampede Dinner Attraction. From water parks to hotels and resorts to festivals and events to dinner and a show, there aren't many activities that Dollywood can't provide for the entire family. It even has children-focused activities like crafting events and playgrounds!
One of the best parts of Dollywood is that it promotes music that is authentic to the Smoky Mountains and greater Tennessee history. There are numerous concerts and musical events hosted each year, which include appearances from Dolly Parton herself as well as her family and other national and local musical acts.
The Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame can also be found on site.
History Behind Dollywood
The park first opened in 1961, and at that time was known as Rebel Railroad, a small tourist attraction owned by the Robbins brothers. The theme park was much smaller than the current Dollywood theme park and only included a steam train, general store, blacksmith shop, and saloon - so obviously it had a much more focused lens than what Dollywood is today.
In 1970, Art Modell bought Rebel Railroad and renamed it Goldrush Junction, adding an outdoor theatre and a log flume ride, making it more entertaining. In 1976, Jack and Pete Hecherchend bought Goldrush Junction and simplified the name to just “Goldrush”. The following year in 1977 it was renamed “Silver Dollar City Tennessee” making it a sister park to their original Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. The Herschends invested approximately $1 million into the park upon purchase to make some upgrades, including adding two new steam locomotives, as well as continued to make improvements over the years.
In 1986, Dolly Parton, who grew up in the area, bought an interest in Silver Dollar City, and that same year the park reopened as “Dollywood”. Parton, a performer and entertainer herself, brought some of her vision, passion, and experience for entertainment to the ownership group of the newly named theme park.
Parton had always said that if she became successful she wanted to come back to where she grew up and do something great, so in 2010 Parton became very involved in the park. From 1986 to 2010, Dollywood had over 110 million dollars worth of investment leading to expansion and additions that continue to offer guests great experiences. During that time, the park doubled in size and had approximately 4000 people on its payroll.
In 2010, the park was recognized for the Liseberg Applause Award, an award aimed to recognize excellence and inspiration in the amusement and theme park industry.
Does Dolly Parton own Dollywood in Tennessee?
Dolly Parton jointly owns Dollywood alongside Herschend Family Entertainment, which also owns SeaWorld and more than 20 other theme parks in the United States. Dollywood employees often refer to Parton as their “Dreamer in Chief” because she offers insight when they make changes or additions to the park.
How to Build A Roller Coaster
Since heights are one of the most common fears in the world, it's no wonder that tons of people also have the fear of roller coasters. As such, it is not only important that roller coasters have good support systems, but that the public knows they have good support systems.
Building from the bottom up, roller coasters, like most structures, are nothing without a solid foundation. While they used to primarily be built on wood, the most common materials today are wood and steel. However, steel is used more due to its ability to provide smoother rides. If you've even been on a wooden roller coaster you've probably found yourself leaving with a headache because of all the shaking and moving, which isn't great for business.
Connector plates are then attached to the foundation to connect to the support beams. If you are building a wooden roller coaster, the lumber is shipped to the job site where it is then cut and installed. If you are building a steel roller coaster, the parts are made in a factory to specification and are then shipped to the site to be assembled.
Next, the main portions of the support structure are lowered onto the connector plates using cranes, which are attached to the support structures. Finally, after the main structure is in place, the tracks are installed on top.
For wooden roller coasters, tie beams are installed across the length of the ride. For steel roller coasters, the sections of the track are shipped in pieces to the job site, which is connected and bolded/welded on top of the support structure. The roller coaster cars/seats are also shipped separately to the job site for final installation.
How much does it cost to get into Dollywood?
There are several different purchase options for tickets & passes to visit Dollywood. For a one-day visit, an adult pass is $84 and only costs an extra $10 to add a ticket for the water park. To visit the park for a second day costs an extra $20 and for a third an extra $10 on top of that. Not to mention the special offers you and your family can check out and pick the one that fits best for you!
