Photo courtesy of the Dollywood Company
When Dolly Parton opened her namesake theme park in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee in 1986, she envisioned a time when it would be more than a place families went on daytrips. Her hope? That Dollywood would evolve into a bona fide vacation spot where travelers had all they needed to linger and relax. Fast forward to July 27, 2015, and Dolly’s dream was realized with Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa. By opening a hotel next to her amusement park (as well as the water park she unveiled in 2001), she launched “Destination Dollywood,” which now includes a second hotel, Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge and Resort.
Photo courtesy of the Dollywood Company
The original resort’s name was inspired by a speech Dolly made in 2009 to the graduating class at the University of Tennessee. In it, she urged them: “Dream more. Learn more. Care more. Be more.” Indeed, the DreamMore reflects Dolly’s own dreams, displaying instruments that she played on her way to stardom—including an autoharp, banjo, dulcimer, and guitar. Her favorite creatures, butterflies, are saluted all over the property, from outdoor sculptures to carpet stitchings to the tops of room-number signs.
Photo courtesy of the Dollywood Company
In keeping with her vision that Destination Dollywood cater to families, the resort’s 300 rooms include a variety of options with bunk beds. It also offers perks like free shuttle service to the parks, as well as early park entry.
Back when the resort first opened, Dolly wrote a song in its honor and placed it in a Dream Box time capsule, now on display in the lower lobby. Only Dolly has seen the song, and it will be revealed on another milestone day: Her 100th birthday in 2046.
