Dollywood outlines park tributes to Dolly Parton

Updated October 22: Added the reported opening of Sevierville’s free walking tour, separate from the planned park tributes below.

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 park additions 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.

A free walking tour in downtown Sevierville

“In Dolly’s Footsteps” opened October 16, according to Naomi Hillmer’s report for WATE, available through its AOL syndicated copy. The Sevierville Chamber of Commerce celebrated the opening that Friday.

The organizer’s website, checked October 22, describes a free, self-guided tour of nine downtown locations connected to Parton’s early years. It directs visitors to complimentary brochures near the Dolly statue and provides a digital brochure. QR codes at the stops link to additional stories, photographs and videos.

This gives visitors a community tribute to explore while the park additions retain their separate opening targets. The walking tour is in downtown Sevierville, outside Dollywood; it does not require a park ticket. ATP has not walked the route or verified its accessibility.