Smokies Guide
Your online resource for the Smoky Mountains
Dollywood: The Ultimate Smoky Mountain Theme Park Experience
Spanning over 160 acres in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains in Pigeon Forge, Dollywood is consistently recognized as one of the top family theme parks in the entire world. Combining high-speed coaster thrill rides, authentic Appalachian craftsmanship, mouthwatering Southern cuisine, and legendary live musical entertainment, Dollywood offers an unforgettable getaway for every generation.
Right next door, guests can cool off at Dollywood’s Splash Country—a 35-acre waterpark packed with thrilling slides, lazy rivers, and splash pads—or extend their stay at Dollywood's DreamMore Resort & Spa or the luxurious HeartSong Lodge & Resort.
✨ What’s New: Iconic Additions & Expansions
Dollywood constantly transforms its park experience with massive new expansions and world-class attractions:
The Dolly Parton Experience
This multi-building interactive museum area in Adventures in Imagination is three times larger than the park's former museum. Guests can walk through Songteller (tracking Dolly’s journey from a one-room cabin in Locust Ridge to global stardom), Behind the Seams (a dazzling exhibit of her iconic stage wardrobe), and step inside her original touring bus.
Big Bear Mountain
Located in the award-winning Wildwood Grove area, this $25 million triple-launch family coaster is the longest coaster in Dollywood’s history (3,990 feet of track!) and features onboard music and audio.
🎢 High-Flying Coasters & Thrill Rides
Thrill-seekers will fall in love with Dollywood's world-renowned collection of coasters built right into the lush mountain landscape:
Wild Eagle
America’s first wing coaster, soaring 21 stories above the park’s highest peak. Riders sit on open-air wings on either side of the track with nothing but air above and below them.
Lightning Rod
A high-speed coaster legendary for its rapid launch, steep drops, and intense terrain-following turns.
Thunderhead
A massively popular wooden coaster nestled between two mountainsides, consistently ranked among the best wooden coasters in the world.
Mystery Mine
A dramatic steel coaster featuring a 95-degree drop, mining town special effects, and indoor/outdoor turns.
FireChaser Express
The nation’s first dual-launch family coaster that blasts riders both forward and backward!
Barnstormer
Located in Craftsman's Valley, giant red barn pendulums swing riders 81 feet into the air at speeds up to 45 mph.
🎉 Year-Round Festivals & Entertainment
Dollywood is famous for its rotating lineup of seasonal festivals that completely retheme the park throughout the year:
I Will Always Love You Music Festival (Spring)
Celebrates the art of songwriting with live showcases, tribute performances, and spring decor.
Dollywood's Flower & Food Festival (Spring/Early Summer)
Features larger-than-life plant sculptures (mosaicultures), hundreds of thousands of blooming flowers, and regional gourmet tasting passes.
Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration (Summer)
Offers extended night hours, interactive splash zones, family shows, and a night-ending drone and fireworks spectacle.
Harvest Festival & Great Pumpkin LumiNights (Fall)
Take in peak autumn colors alongside Southern gospel music. At dusk, over 12,000 carved, glowing pumpkin displays illuminate the park.
Smoky Mountain Christmas (Winter)
A multi-time award winner for Best Christmas Event, sparkling with over 6 million holiday lights, Christmas parades, visits with Santa, and heartwarming live theater productions like Christmas in the Smokies.
💡 Practical Visitor Tips & Directions
Download the Official App: Use the Dollywood mobile app to check real-time ride wait times, show schedules, and interactive park maps.
Try the Cinnamon Bread: No visit to Dollywood is complete without stopping by the historic The Grist Mill in Craftsman's Valley to pick up a loaf of their world-famous, fresh-baked cinnamon bread.
Driving Directions: Take Exit 407 off Interstate 40 toward Sevierville/Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg onto TN-66 South (which becomes US-441). At Traffic Light #8 in Pigeon Forge, turn left and follow the signs straight to Dollywood.
GPS Address: Enter 1198 McCarter Hollow Road, Pigeon Forge, TN 37862 for the main park entrance.