Dollywood announced new additions to the park honoring the late co-founder Dolly Parton. The park will add a mountainside waterfall and new stained-glass windows as part of the Robert F. Thomas Chapel inside the Pigeon Forge theme park.
The waterfall will be just outside the chapel’s front steps, giving visitors a quiet place to stop and pay their respects to Parton away from the hustle and bustle of the theme park. Inside, the new windows will showcase Parton’s Christian faith and her love for the Great Smoky Mountains.
Dollywood announced the plans on Sept. 2, a little over a week after Parton died at 80. The park said the additions will be completed over the coming months, although it did not give an exact timeline.
The chapel changes are just one part of the park’s plans to remember its Dreamer-in-Chief. Dollywood is also adding a new character, places for visitors to leave messages and another entrance into The Dolly Parton Experience.
The Waterfall Will Sit Outside the Chapel
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The Robert F. Thomas Chapel is named after the local doctor who delivered Parton. The one-room church is located in Craftsman’s Valley and still holds services on Sundays.
The stained-glass windows will show the Smoky Mountains changing through each season. Their design is inspired by Ecclesiastes 3:1, one of Parton’s favorite Bible verses: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
The Dream Maker Character Is Coming in 2027 as new Addition, Too
A new character called the Dream Maker will also arrive in Wildwood Grove in 2027. She was inspired by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which has mailed more than 330 million free books to children.
The Dream Maker and her Dream Wagon will share stories and invite children to talk about their own dreams. Dollywood also plans to place kiosks around Wildwood Grove where visitors can leave notes about how Parton inspired them.
Fans Can Follow in Dolly’s Footsteps
The Dolly Parton Experience will receive another entrance leading into its collection of Parton’s clothing, memorabilia and stories. A temporary memorial is already standing in Dollywood’s welcome plaza.
Sevierville is creating its own tribute outside the park called “In Dolly’s Footsteps.” The self-guided walking tour will use markers to identify places Parton and her family visited when she was young.
Dollywood Parks & Resorts President Eugene Naughton said the park plans to continue growing while carrying Parton’s dreams forward.