Dollywood is preparing for its next chapter while keeping Dolly Parton’s vision firmly at the center of the park she helped transform into one of Tennessee’s best-known destinations.
Dollywood President Eugene Naughton has revealed that Parton left the organization with years of plans already mapped out, giving park leaders a blueprint that stretches through 2036.
That roadmap includes significant expansion across Dollywood’s resort business. Five new resorts are among the projects planned, while renovations and additional development are part of a broader investment strategy valued at approximately $500 million. The projects had received approval before Parton’s death.
Rather than putting those ambitions on hold, Dollywood is moving ahead with the plans its legendary co-owner helped shape. Several projects are already underway, and many are expected to be completed or ready for guests by March 2027.
At the same time, the park is developing new ways for visitors to remember the woman whose personality became inseparable from the Dollywood experience.
Plans include a guitar sculpture at the Dollywood fountain as well as a reflection area where guests can digitally record their memories and stories about Parton’s influence on their lives. Visitors contributing to the digital tribute will be able to decide whether their messages are shared publicly or kept private.
Memorial walls are also giving fans an opportunity to pay tribute. Dollywood has not determined how long those displays will remain, allowing visitors additional time to remember Parton at the place that became such an important part of her legacy.
The extensive plans demonstrate just how far ahead Parton was thinking about Dollywood’s future. Her involvement extended beyond preserving what had already been built. She helped establish a development strategy intended to carry the destination forward for another decade.
For Dollywood, that means the years ahead will involve both expansion and remembrance. New resorts, renovations and attractions may change the landscape, but the larger mission remains tied to the vision Parton spent decades building.
Her presence may now be commemorated through memorials and tributes, but her plans will continue shaping what visitors experience at Dollywood for years to come.
