Credit: Inside the MagicDolly Parton’s iconic theme park, Dollywood, has closed to all guests today.
Dollywood has transformed dramatically over the years. It started as Rebel Railroad, a humble steam train attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. After evolving into Goldrush Junction in the late 1960s and Silver Dollar City in the 1970s, the park took a groundbreaking turn in 1986 when country music legend Dolly Parton teamed up with Silver Dollar City’s owners.
Together, they reimagined the park as a family-friendly destination celebrating Appalachian culture and Dolly’s Tennessee heritage—ultimately creating one of the top theme parks in the U.S.
Considering how beloved Dolly Parton is, it should come as no surprise that her theme park is extremely popular. While she may not technically be its CEO, she’s regarded as the park’s “Dreamer in Chief” and has inspired several of its most iconic attractions, such as The Dolly Parton Experience, which replaced the Chasing Rainbows Museum earlier this year.
With this in mind, guests are understandably devasted when the park does close. That’s what makes today’s news such a blow.
Due to the incoming Hurricane Helene, Dollywood has announced its last-minute closure. The park shared a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) this morning, two hours before it was slated to open, to reveal that it would remain shut today.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The National Weather Service has indicated that Hurricane Helene is projected to affect our area over the next several days. As a precaution and for the safety of our hosts and guests, Dollywood Theme Park will be closed today (Thursday, Sept. 26).
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The National Weather Service has indicated that Hurricane Helene is projected to affect our area over the next several days. As a precaution and for the safety of our hosts and guests, Dollywood Theme Park will be closed today (Thursday, Sept. 26). pic.twitter.com/jL0Zw0DffI
— Dollywood Parks & Resorts (@Dollywood) September 26, 2024
The park – including iconic attractions such as Lightning Rod, Tennessee Tornado, Wild Eagle, and Blazing Fury – closed early yesterday due to the worsening weather conditions.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, as have several other states. The Sunshine State’s theme parks have reacted accordingly, with Busch Gardens Tampa Bay also closing today. Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort remain open, with the exception of their water parks (Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Volcano Bay).
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party—the resort’s annual ticketed Halloween party held on select nights from August through October—has also been canceled at Magic Kingdom Park tonight. Several other experiences, such as the resort’s mini-golf courses, have also been temporarily closed, with all four theme parks under a tornado watch at the time of writing.
This isn’t Dollywood’s only unexpected closure this year. In July, the park was forced to close for the day due to a water main break.
Later that month, torrential rain caused dramatic flash floods in the park. Several park visitors took to social media to complain that they had never seen flooding that bad, with some criticizing the park for not directing them to safety. As one guest reported, visitors had to take apart a fence to leave the parking lot after a tree fell and blocked the road (via BBC).
Stay tuned for more updates on Hurricane Helene’s impact on theme park operations.