Dollywood outlines park tributes to Dolly Parton
The September 2 announcement includes a waterfall, chapel windows and a new character in Wildwood Grove. Opening targets vary across the plans.
Dollywood plans to add a waterfall, chapel windows and a new Wildwood Grove character as tributes to Dolly Parton. The park announced the additions September 2, following Parton’s death.
The waterfall will sit outside the Robert F. Thomas Chapel. New stained-glass windows will depict the seasons in the Smoky Mountains. The Dream Maker character is due in Wildwood Grove in 2027, with stories and interactive experiences inspired by Parton’s Imagination Library. That area will also gain kiosks where visitors can leave notes about her.
WVLT’s Ansley Graves reported that park president Eugene Naughton said many of the planned projects were expected to be ready in March 2027. That is a broad target: the park’s release does not assign that month to every addition. Graves also reported that Naughton had not decided how long the existing memorial walls would remain.
These are announced plans, checked September 7, 2026. The individual opening dates still matter when planning a visit. Our regional fall calendar covers the separately announced events for this season.
Read the sources