(Thank you to the Pigeon Forge Public Library for photos.
She recently celebrated her 75 th birthday & shows no signs of slowing down!) Thomas was the local Sevier County doctor who delivered the 4 th of 12 children to the Lee & Avie Lee Parton family – Dolly Rebecca Parton – on January 19, 1946. There is something for everyone in the park including rides, shopping, theaters and shows, restaurants (the cinnamon bread at the Grist Mill is a must– taste!) and festivals, lovely landscaping, the American Eagle Foundation and arts and crafts.ĭid you get the answer to the bonus question above? The answer is that Dr.
Growth has steadily continued with the addition of Splash Country Water Park in 2001 and Dreammore Resort in 2015.ĭollywood has become Tennessee’s biggest ticketed attraction with 3 million guests annually and 150 acres of family fun. Attendance and park growth exploded after Tennessee’s favorite daughter lent her name to the endeavor. She looked to the Herschends for their experience and in 1986 Silver Dollar City became Dollywood. She was interested in the theme park business but admittedly had no experience in that area. Singer, actress, all-round superstar and Sevier (pronounced severe – now…you sound local!) County Native Dolly Parton came into the picture in the mid-1980’s. They added many more attractions through the years and began to look eastward for expansion. The Herschends already had theme park/attraction experience in Branson, MO with Marvel Cave which became Silver Dollar City in 1960. Surrounding acres of land were purchased and expansions continued through the years growing the park in size and attendance. The Herschend Family in Branson, MO purchased Goldrush Junction (known for one year in 1977 simply as Goldrush) then changed the name to Silver Dollar City in 1977. Does anyone know what his connection to Dolly Parton was? Thomas Church.īonus question: The Robert F. In addition to the original attractions, a log flume was added, an outdoor theater, and in 1973 the Robert F. In 1970, Art Modell (who also owned the Cleveland Browns football team) purchased Rebel Railroad and renamed it Goldrush Junction. Its theme was inspired by the 100 th anniversary of the Civil War and let riders on the train experience “attacks” by Union soldiers, train robbers, and Indians using real guns loaded with blanks. The first phase of the park located in Pigeon Forge included the stream train ride, a general store, blacksmith shop and saloon in 1961 and was named Rebel Railroad. The Robbins’ decided to expand their Tweetsie Railroad operation to East Tennessee. Later, a three-mile track was completed, a western town added and the Wild West theme of Tweetsie Railroad – the first theme park in NC – was born. Jsaw the first run on a one-mile track carrying passengers to a picnic area and then backing up to the station. However, he soon realized it was very cost prohibitive to take it cross country and sold his purchase option for $1.00 to Grover C. 12 and its cars wanting to move it to California. Gene Autry, yes THE Gene Autry, purchased no. 12 was the only remaining locomotive that survived the dissolution of the ET & WNC (East TN and Western North Carolina) train route. Tweetsie Railroad was operated by the Robbins family beginning in 1957 near Blowing rock, NC.
Question: Which came first – the Railroad or the Junction? Dolly opens the friendliest town in the Smokies. Of course, music is an extremely important part of Appalachia as it is for Dolly and Dollywood. These two attractions are technically “lost” as in gone and somewhat forgotten…but can you guess what they turned into?ĭollywood saw many incarnations over the years before it became a mega-popular amusement park in Pigeon Forge, TN combining crafts, food and rides that draw on the Appalachian heritage that also produced its namesake Dolly Parton. Remember When, Lost Smoky Mountain Attractions – Rebel Railroad and Goldrush Junction ? Dolly as the engineer on the historic #192 steam engine.
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