By Page Six | Created at 2026-09-02 20:57:56 | Updated at 2026-09-02 21:37:19
44 minutes ago
Dollywood executives unveiled their plans to honor Dolly Parton’s legacy on Tuesday, revealing they’ll be adding a new waterfall and other attractions at the Tennessee-based theme park.
“Many of us had extensive conversations with Dolly through the years about how she would want us to carry her vision forward,” Eugene Naughton, Dollywood Parks & Resorts President, shared in a press release obtained by Page Six.
“Dollywood will always be a place where families find fun, kindness and joy — a place where they can make memories that last a lifetime, just like she would have wanted. We will carry her dreams forward by continuing to grow, welcoming even more guests and sharing the warmth and hospitality of which she was so proud.”
The “cascading mountainside waterfall” in honor of their “Dreamer-in-Chief” will be built outside of the Robert F. Thomas Chapel at the park, the statement revealed, noting that it will create “a peaceful setting for guests to pause, reflect and enjoy the natural beauty” that inspired Dolly’s “life and work.”
Additionally, the chapel will receive a new stained-glass window with the bible verse Ecclesiastes 3:1 to “depict the changing seasons of the mountains.”
The verse, which reads “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven,” had “resonated deeply with Dolly” and her “love for the Smokies and the many seasons of her life and career.”
A new character, the Dream Maker, will also be introduced at the Wildwood Grove area of the theme park in 2027.
“The Dream Maker will encourage guests to dream big, believe in themselves and lift others up through courage and kindness,” the press release said, noting that the character and “her Dream Wagon will give children an opportunity to share their own dreams, hear stories inspired by Dolly and discover that dreams can become even more meaningful when they are shared with others.”
Throughout Wildwood Grove, kiosks will also be available for guests to share how Parton had “inspired them to dream their own big dreams.”
There will also be a new entrance into The Dolly Parton Experience attraction that will celebrate the Grammy winner’s life before leading “into the attraction’s immersive collection of moments, stories and memorabilia.”
Meanwhile, a memorial outside Dollywood still stands for fans who wish to honor Parton.
As previously reported, Parton opened Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, on May 3, 1986.
The “I Will Always Love You” singer died on Aug. 25 at the age of 80.
At the time, it was revealed that she was secretly battling cancer after publicly sharing her ongoing health issues since September.
Parton was laid to rest beside her late husband, Carl Dean, who died last March, at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum last Friday.
The”Jolene” songstress has been mourned by several celebrities, including goddaughter Miley Cyrus and “9 to 5” co-star Jane Fonda, as well as Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter.
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