The Enchanting History of Dollywood

Dollywood is Tennessee's most-visited ticketed attraction — but it didn't start as Dolly's park, and it didn't start in 1986. The theme park at 2700 Dollywood Parks Boulevard in Pigeon Forge has been welcoming visitors under one name or another since 1961, evolving through four distinct identities before becoming the park millions know today.

Rebel Railroad (1961)

The story begins in 1961, when the Robbins Brothers — tourism operators from Blowing Rock, North Carolina — expanded their railroad-themed business into Tennessee, modeling the new attraction on their Tweetsie Railroad back home. They called it Rebel Railroad. The centerpiece was a coal-fired steam train that wound through the Smoky foothills past staged Civil War–era skirmishes, alongside a general store, a blacksmith shop, and a saloon. It wasn't flashy, but it captured the romance of the railroad and the charm of the mountains — and it worked. That original steam train still runs at the park today as the Dollywood Express, and the general store and blacksmith shop remain part of the park more than six decades later.

Goldrush Junction (1970)

In 1970, Art Modell — the businessman who then owned the NFL's Cleveland Browns — purchased the property and renamed it Goldrush Junction, shifting the theme from Civil War to Old West mining town. Families panned for gold, watched saloon shows, and rode the same train, now through mock train robberies. Modell's era added lasting pieces: a log flume ride, an outdoor theater, and the Robert F. Thomas Chapel, which began the tradition of weekly church services held in the park — a tradition Dollywood still honors today.

Silver Dollar City Tennessee (1977)

In 1977, brothers Jack and Pete Herschend — whose Branson, Missouri–based Herschend Enterprises had run the original Silver Dollar City since 1960 — bought the park and rebranded it Silver Dollar City Tennessee, making it a sister park to their Missouri operation. They invested roughly a million dollars in upgrades and leaned hard into authentic Appalachian crafts and traditions. The Grist Mill, built during this era, was the first fully operating grist mill constructed in Tennessee in more than a century; its stone-ground cinnamon bread became legendary and is still sold at the park. Craftsman's Valley, where artisans work at blacksmithing, glassblowing, and hat-making, also traces its roots to the Silver Dollar City years.

Dollywood (1986)

In 1983, Dolly Parton — a native of the area, born and raised in nearby Locust Ridge — publicly announced her plans to open a "fantasy mountain park," and days later revealed the name: Dollywood. The Herschend brothers, already operating Silver Dollar City Tennessee, recognized that Dolly's vision aligned with their own celebration of Appalachian culture, and rather than compete, they partnered. Parton entered the partnership in 1985 and bought an interest in the park, which reopened for the 1986 season as Dollywood.

Dolly's motivation was rooted in home. As she later put it, she'd always thought that if she became successful, she wanted to come back to her part of the country and do something great — something that would bring jobs to the area. Dollywood did exactly that, growing into the largest employer in Sevier County and Tennessee's most-visited ticketed attraction. The park has expanded steadily ever since, adding award-winning roller coasters, the DreamMore Resort, the Dolly Parton's Stampede dinner show, and themed areas like Wildwood Grove — while keeping the steam train, the grist mill, the chapel, and the craftsmen that connect it directly back to 1961.

Frequently asked questions

How old is Dollywood?

The theme park has operated since 1961, when it opened as Rebel Railroad — so the site itself is well over 60 years old. It became Dollywood specifically in 1986, when Dolly Parton partnered with the Herschend family and the park reopened under her name. So depending on how you count, Dollywood is either 60-plus years old (as a theme park) or opened as "Dollywood" in 1986.

Did Dolly Parton start Dollywood from scratch?

No — Dolly Parton partnered with the existing Silver Dollar City Tennessee park, owned by the Herschend family, rather than building a new park from the ground up. The site had already been a theme park for 25 years under three previous names (Rebel Railroad, Goldrush Junction, and Silver Dollar City Tennessee) when Dolly joined in the mid-1980s and it was rebranded as Dollywood for the 1986 season.

What is the oldest ride at Dollywood?

The Dollywood Express steam train is the park's oldest attraction, dating back to the original 1961 Rebel Railroad. The coal-fired steam locomotives still carry passengers on a loop through the foothills, making it a genuine piece of living history — the one ride that has run continuously through all four eras of the park.