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Credit: DollywoodDollywood, the Smoky Mountain theme park owned by American music legend Dolly Parton, adjusted its operational hours this weekend due to the winter storm barreling across the United States. The announcement came as guests prepared for the destination’s last weekend of operation until March.
The Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, theme park opened in 1961 and operated as Rebel Railroad until 1986, when it was co-purchased by Dolly Parton and Herschend Family Enterprises, who already owned Silver Dollar City in Missouri.
In the nearly four decades since it opened, Dollywood has had a major economic influence in the Gatlinburg area, employing thousands of residents and drawing over three million visitors annually. It boasts dozens of attractions, dining offerings, and seasonal events like the Smoky Mountain Christmas, Harvest Festival, and Summer Celebration.
Dollywood has had a busy few months, as Thanksgiving and Christmas travelers flooded the theme park. At one point, traffic grew so heavy that it took almost two hours for some theme park guests to get into the parking lot.
As the Smoky Mountain Christmas season draws to an end, Dolly Parton’s theme park has a new struggle to wrestle with: winter weather. On Saturday, Dollywood announced via Instagram that it was monitoring the impending winter storm:
“Park Update: We continue to monitor potential inclement weather for tomorrow (January 5, 2025). Please check back later today for an update regarding operations for tomorrow.”
A few hours later, the Smoky Mountain destination revealed plans to adjust its hours on Sunday to account for the inclement weather:
“Park Update: Dollywood will open tomorrow (January 5, 2025) with adjusted operating hours from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. due to impending inclement weather. Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa and Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort remain open with regular hours.”
Following its last day of operations on January 5, 2025, Dollywood will remain closed for two months. Dolly Parton’s theme park destination will reopen on March 15, 2025, with a Passholder Preview Day on March 14. Dollywood’s Splash Country water park reopens on May 10, 2025.
Has this winter storm impacted your travel across the United States? Inside the Magic would love to hear from you in the comments.