Dollywood is voted as “America’s Favorite Theme Park” for the third year in a row. (Photo by Ron Davis/Getty Images)
Dollywood Ascends Once More as America’s Most Revered Playground of Wonder
Dollywood has, yet again, unfurled its banner at the pinnacle of public favor.
For a triumphant third consecutive annum, Dollywood has clinched the laurel of being christened “America’s Favorite Theme Park.”
This beloved realm of marvels—helmed in part by the inimitable songstress and cultural matriarch Dolly Parton—garnered this acclaim following a public vote orchestrated by the National Amusement Park Historical Association, as disclosed on May 16.
Outpacing hallowed titans such as California’s own Disneyland—who settled into second place—Dollywood’s acclaim surged above a field teeming with stalwarts, according to the official communiqué.
This isn’t a fleeting moment of favor; Dollywood previously claimed this crown in both 2022 and 2023.
Nestled in the misty embrace of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, on the skirts of the ancient Smoky Mountains, Dollywood’s location is a poetic stone’s throw from the Appalachian cradle that nurtured Parton’s humble beginnings.
Though she departed her provincial roots in pursuit of stardom and stage lights, Dolly’s heart has remained stitched into the fabric of her homeland. Upon seizing success, she resolved to pour that fortune back into the soil that birthed her.
Thus, in 1986, Dollywood unfurled its gates—a living love letter to her roots, a vibrant token of gratitude sculpted in steel and song for the community that cradled her youth.
Since that seminal opening, the park has mushroomed into a juggernaut of regional vitality, now sustaining the livelihoods of nearly 4,000 individuals—making it the region’s paramount provider of opportunity.
This March marked the dawning of Dollywood’s ruby (40th) season. Dolly herself graced the festivities, basking in the reflection of four decades of impact, legacy, and local metamorphosis.
She ruminated aloud, recounting the seismic shift the park has catalyzed—how its inception ignited a cascade of tourism, birthing ancillary ventures, lodgings, and entertainment enclaves in its luminous wake.
“There were bits and pieces here before,” Dolly mused. “But it was a faint spark—nothing akin to the blaze that caught after Dollywood emerged.”
With a heart swelling in harmony with her words, she continued, “I’m honored to be a thread in this vibrant tapestry. Dollywood is more than a park—it’s a beacon, not just to me, but clearly to countless others. I’m simply grateful to stand among its roots.”
And though four decades have passed like a melody in the wind, Dollywood’s pulse grows no fainter. In fact, Dolly has mused aloud that she hopes its evolution will persist long after she has taken her final bow.
“Even when I’m just a memory in the wind,” she said with a smile, “Dollywood will keep unfolding. As long as we listen—to footsteps, to laughter, to longing—we’ll know how to grow, and grow we shall.”