'So excited': Country music legend chooses PCB for third location of popular attraction

Nathan Cobb, Panama City News Herald
·2 min read

PANAMA CITY BEACH — A country music icon is gearing up to establish a new amenity on the Beach.

In a press release on Thursday, Dollywood announced plans to build a new Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show near Pier Park in Panama City Beach. This will mark the show's third location, with others in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

A rendering of the new Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show that Dollywood plans to establish near Pier Park in Panama City Beach.
A rendering of the new Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show that Dollywood plans to establish near Pier Park in Panama City Beach.

"I'm so excited about bringing this show to such a great destination," Dolly Parton, owner of Dollywood, said in the release. "With pirates, mermaids, exciting acrobatics, pyrotechnics and even a few songs that I wrote, it's a show that is prefect for all ages."

Parton noted the development, which is slated to cost about $60 million to construct, will boast a 60,000-square-foot indoor theater equip with more than 1,000 seats. It is expected to create 300 jobs.

"I knew that Panama City Beach was the perfect spot to our our third location," she said in the release. "Everyone knows that I dream big, so we are going overboard with the details as we prepare everything from the show, to the four-course pirates feast, to the exterior of the building."

For Mayor Mark Sheldon, the new amenity will be a great addition to Panama City Beach — one that both residents and tourists will be able to enjoy. He noted it has been in the works for "quite a while."

Sheldon also said the theater will be built south of Panama City Beach Parkway (Back Beach Road), near Frank Brown Park. It will sit near Pier Park, which is one of the most popular tourist attraction sin the area.

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The theater project is slated to break ground in January.

"It's another great family entertainment venue that's chosen Panama City Beach as its destination to house its business," Sheldon said. "Dolly is really excited about it, and we're excited to bring in a world-class entertainment destination for our community.

"It's an amazing opportunity (and) it's an amazing business that ... found the gem of the gem of the Panhandle."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Third location for popular dinner/show attraction? Panama City Beach