Before Dolly
Before there was Dollywood, there was Silver Dollar City, before that was Goldrush Junction and before that was the Rebel Railroad. All of these are one and the same.
The now famous Dollywood started as a less than spectacular theme park called Rebel Railroad in 1961. It featured a steam train ride, General Store, Blacksmith shop and Saloon. It was the creation of the same Robbins family that had started the Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock N.C.
In 1966, with the addition of new attractions, one of which was the log flume ride that was originally seen at the 1964-65 New York Worlds Fairthe park was re-named Goldrush Junction. The park has had many owners throughout its history, the most unusual being the Cleveland Browns football team in 1970. In 1976, the Herschend (Branson MO.) family bought the park and renamed it once more to Silver Dollar City.
In 1986 the Dolly Parton, who was born and raised within just a few miles of the park, lent her name to a newly formed partnership with the Herschend family and the Dollywood theme park was re-born. The rest is history. Dollywood is now one of the top draws for tourism in the entire state, with attendance somewhere around 2.5 million visitors a year.
Now the Dollywood attractions include Dolly's Splash Country, a world class water park, and Dixie Stampede dinner show. It is interesting to note that the theme of Dixie Stampede is the same as the original Rebel Railroad, where the Rebels battle the Yanks.
Now the theme park sits on 130 acres and the owners have invested approximately 160 million dollars since 1986. With over 2,000 employees, they are the largest employer in Sevier county and add new attractions every year. The latest addition is the $5 million dollar River Battle water adventure.
After the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Dollywood is the most visited attraction in Tennessee, and hosts nearly2.5 million visitors annually.
Dolly Parton was and still is the darling of Sevier county. She has continually given back to the community where she was born and raised. She founded the Imagination Library in 1996, which provides books to pre-school children. It has now expanded to 500 communities in 40 states.
You would be hard pressed to find anyone from this area that does not just love Dolly. And rightly so.
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