Dollywood in 6 Minutes

Opening in 1961, Rebel Railroad was a very small theme park that featured few attractions - including a steam train, saloon, and a blacksmith shop. At the time, Pigeon Forge and the Great Smoky Mountains was a fledgling tourist destination that had yet to explode into the tourism mecca it is today and many people don't even know about the early history of the park.

It was renamed Goldrush Junction when the owner of the Cleveland Browns, Art Modell bought it in 1970. Just 6 years later the park would get new owners and a new name as well. Jack and Pete Herschend shortened the name to "Goldrush" for the 1976 season, before renaming it again to the more iconic "Silver Dollar City" in 1977.

9 years later Dolly Parton would put her stamp on the park and become an even more prominent resident when, in 1986, she bought a portion of the park, re-branding it as "Dollywood".

Since Dolly's partnership in the park, it has grown in both size and number of attractions. Today there are many rides and other attractions for people of all ages, including the "Lightning Rod" - the world's fastest wooden roller-coaster, boasting a top speed of 73mph.

In the video you will see and hear what it's like to walk through the park from the entrance to the exit. I was really surprised at how empty the park was, especially considering I was there on a Friday, in June, and it was Sevier County Week - a time the park allows local residents admission for only $5.

If you've never been to Dollywood or the Great Smoky Mountains area, this looks like it may be a good year to visit.

I hope you like the video and the thread and I hope you will tell me about your own trip to the park or the Smoky Mountains. If you have any questions, please ask, I love talking about this stuff.

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Thank you for posting this nice video. I've never been there but my oldest step-daughter worked there in 2001. Yes, she met Dolly Parton there. She was hard to recognize without the makeup and fixed up hair but was a real nice lady.

a reply to: LookingForABetterLife

Oh yes, unrecognizable, if not for the boobs.I know Dollywood is a great place to work, as-far-as park benefits go. They do a great job of letting the workers experience the park as guests. Hopefully you get a chance to visit one day.

Possibly the only place on Earth you can see a buzzard in an aquarium.
I don't like the caged up birds.
I will pass.

a reply to: skunkape23

I felt the same way until I learned a little more about the birds. The majority of them are birds that have been rescued from various situations and wouldn't survive if released into the wild. They are well cared for and closely monitored.

originally posted by: esteay812
a reply to: skunkape23

I felt the same way until I learned a little more about the birds. The majority of them are birds that have been rescued from various situations and wouldn't survive if released into the wild. They are well cared for and closely monitored.

So it is a sick bird zoo?
I still don't like it.

a reply to: skunkape23

I'm not trying to convince you to like it, it's not for everyone - nothing ever is. A sick bird zoo? That's a little dramatic. It's more like a sanctuary for the injured or mistreated.