Dollywood will forever bask in Dolly Parton’s bright light. A week after losing their Dreamer-in-Chief, Dollywood leaders are planning new ways to forever honor Parton.
The park and nearby Sevierville, Tennessee, will honor Parton's “remarkable legacy” and “extraordinary life” with a new character at the park, an expansion of the Dolly Parton Experience and a new "In Dolly’s Footsteps" walking tour marking locations in Sevierville that Parton and her family frequented.
"The curtain on this first act has fallen. And now time has come to start to talk about the journey forward, the next steps that we need to do because Dolly would be telling us to get back to work," Dollywood President Eugene Naughton said Sept. 2 inside the park's DreamSong Theater.
"She knew what she wanted Dollywood to be. She always wanted this to be a place of fun and togetherness (and) she taught us here at Dollywood how to dream big," Naughton continued.
The centerpiece of the tributes Dollywood will be adding in honor of Parton will be a cascading waterfall near the front steps of Robert F. Thomas Chapel. Naughton previously revealed the idea for the permanent fixture to Knox News on Aug. 26, the day after Parton died.
“Water represents life, and I never want people to forget her life. And the chapel's a perfect place because she wore her faithon her sleeve. So, it made perfect sense to me to make that a permanent tribute area,” Naughton said in August.
Naughton hopes to have the waterfall added by the opening of Dollywood’s 2027 season.
How Dollywood will honor Dolly Parton
Other new experiences and installations will reflect Parton’s “remarkable contributions, enduring values and love for the people and places of the Great Smoky Mountains,” according to the park.
The Dolly Parton Experience updates
A “proper portal” or entrance will be added on Showstreet as guests head to the site of The Dolly Parton Experience, the expansive interactive museum that celebrates Parton’s life and legacy. The banners the park hung after her death will remain in this area.
When the time is right, Parton’s family will share their special moments in a video that will play in the Precious Memories part of the museum, to accompany the six videos Parton recorded to tell her life story.A new grand finale will be added to the “I Will Always Love You” room inside the Songteller area of the museum.
The Dream Maker
In 2027, a new character, the Dream Maker and her Dream Wagon, will debut in the Wildwood Grove children’s section. Parton, known as the park’s Dreamer-in-Chief, was the inspiration for the character that will delight the next generation of dreamers.
Special kiosks will be located throughout Wildwood Grove for guests to share their own thoughts and notes about how Parton inspired them.
Stained windows inside the chapel and waterfall
In addition to the waterfall, the chapel will receive new stained-glass windows commissioned to reflect Ecclesiastes 3:1, a Bible verse that resonated deeply with Parton: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
The windows will depict the changing seasons of the mountains, which will represent Parton’s love for the Smokies and the many seasons of her life and career. And the mountainside waterfall near the chapel will include a sculpted guitar.
“I hope this will turn out to be the place on property that will give a chance for people to reflect on the impact that Dolly's had on you personally in the middle of all of our fun,” Naughton said.
In Dolly’s Footsteps
The Sevierville Chamber of Commerce soon will debut “In Dolly’s Footsteps.” The new walking tour will feature markers at Sevierville locations that Parton and her family frequented in her youth, including Pines Theater and Red’s Diner.
Dolly Parton left behind big plans for Dollywood
Naughton shared that Parton often talked with the Dollywood team about plans for the future. "We have plans all the way through 2036 that she laid emphasis on for us as a leadership team, and I'm really confident in that," he said.
That plan includes the next resorts planned on the property.
"You'll love to know that resorts three, four and five and the outdoor resort all planned on stories that Dolly already has approved because it's really important for her and for us in looking out to the future. She was really special with that for us," he continued.
"What she wanted was, she wanted us to keep it going and keep it growing and have the opportunity for us to welcome more and more families to the area. That's what this was all about. It was about bringing more families to the Smokies to experience what she grew up with, but to be able to do that as families," added Pete Owens, Dollywood’s marketing vice president.
Dolly Parton’s final Dollywood appearance
Parton had wanted to attend the opening of Dollywood’s newest and most expensive attraction, NightFlight Expedition, on Aug. 14. Her health prevented her from attending in person, however, so she sent a video instead.
“Right to the very day before, she still had intentions of trying to be on stage with me,” Naughton told Knox News on Aug. 26. “That’s her perseverance. That's her never-give-up attitude that she showed me until the very last minute.”
Parton was last at Dollywood in March to kick off the theme park’s 41st season. It was her first major in-person public appearance since late last year when her health began to decline.
The entertainer dazzled fans with her bright energy and Southern humor, and sprinkled in lots of wise words, including special advice from her mother.
"'To thine own self be true,' that old saying, my mom used to say that to me, "Don't ever forget who you are. Don't ever forget where you came from,' Parton recalled. "And I thought, 'Well, I doubt that I could ever do that.' But some people try it. And it never works out for them.
"So, I think that you'll be a better person – even you young folks out there that have never left home yet – just to stay true to your roots. Don't try to run away from yourself. Don't try to outgrow your family and get above your raising, as they say. So, just always remember where you came from," Parton continued.
How fans can pay tribute to Dolly Parton
The day after Parton died, Dollywood had set up several memorial walls in the park's welcome plaza where guests can leave flowers, balloons, personal notes and other tributes.
Banners with Parton’s image and famous heartfelt lyric “I will always love you” are featured throughout the theme park.
In addition to leaving tributes at Dollywood, fans who want to honor the icon’s life can do so by donating to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the free book program Parton launched in 1995 to promote childhood literacy.
Fans also are allowed to visit Parton’s final resting place in Nashville, Woodlawn Memorial Park confirmed to Knox News. Flowers and cards can be left there, and will be mailed to Parton’s family. The mausoleum hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Central Time.
Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter @dturner1208.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Dollywood reveals how Dolly Parton's legacy will live on
