40 years in, Dollywood stands as tourism powerhouse
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WJHL) — Dollywood is well into its 40th anniversary season, and on Friday, Dolly Parton will be in the park for a special celebration. News Channel 11 is participating in the celebration and exploring how the park attracts over 4 million visitors each year.
News Channel 11's Anslee Daniel spoke with Leon Downey, Pigeon Forge's executive director of tourism, and Eugene Naughton, president of the Dollywood Company, to discuss how Silver Dollar City became Dollywood.
'The city saw the opportunity to partner with the Herschend family and with Dolly in 1986, and that was a major, first major attraction that the city had,' Downey said. 'And so it's grown every year since Dollywood became Dollywood.'
Dollywood is the largest employer in Pigeon Forge and generates the highest tourism revenue in the area. TripAdvisor has awarded it the title of the number one theme park in the United States, and the park has also received the Golden Ticket Award for being the best theme park in the world.
Downey stated that the park continues to thrive because 'the people just can't get enough of Dolly.' The Dreamer in Chief has plans to further enhance the park, including a new outdoor resort where guests can experience camping 'Dolly style.'
Naughton stated that the ten-year master plan is a half-billion-dollar project that includes Dollywood's largest attraction yet: Take Flight. The upcoming attraction is set to open next season.
'Our largest attraction in our history that we've ever done,' he said. 'And I can promise it's nothing that the industry's ever seen and it'll carry Dolly's big dreams for sure.'
Parton, a dedicated advocate for education, also prioritizes the educational needs of her employees. The Herschend Grow U program is a fully funded college tuition initiative available to all employees from their first day.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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