Dolly Parton's Dollywood Announces New Resort as Part of Half-Billion Dollar Expansion

Gabrielle Chung
·2 min read
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courtesy Dollywood. inset: getty

Dolly Parton is expanding Dollywood once again!

The music legend, 75, announced in a news conference on Thursday that her namesake theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, will be constructing a new resort as a part of a half-billion dollar investment plan.

"That's a lot of dough," Parton quipped.

Dubbed Dollywood's HeartSong Lodge and Resort — a nod to her 1994 song — the property is set to open in 2023 and will be located next to the existing Dollywood's DreamMore Resort and Spa.

courtesy Dollywood

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According to the Dollywood website, the proposed 5-story lodge will boast themed suites and loft rooms, as well as indoor and outdoor pools, a communal fire pit and 26,000-square-feet of meeting space that can accommodate gatherings for several hundred guests.

The new project is only one of the several resorts — including a campground — Parton and her team are "masterplanning" as a part of the park's expansion into a family-friendly destination, Dollywood president Eugene Naughton said during the unveiling.

"I'm excited about all of it," Parton raved.

courtesy Dollywood

courtesy Dollywood

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Dollywood has continued to add new attractions and experiences for guests since its grand opening in 1986 after Parton, who grew up in the area, took over Silver Dollar City park.

In recent years, Dollywood opened Wildwood Grove, the park's 11th land, and introduced the popular Flower & Food Festival.

When asked about her favorite aspect of the park, Parton told Travel + Leisure in an interview published, "It's all near and dear to me — it's like having kids — you have some [that are] prettier than others, but you love them all and you think they're all pretty, right? I love everything about the park, so it's hard for me to pick out one particular thing."