When next spring rolls around, there’ll be a whole new reason to pile the kids in the car for the trek to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge. While Dolly Parton's theme park is already one of the top family destinations in Tennessee (and in the country), the 32-year-old attraction is opening a brand-new adventure called Wildwood Grove.
BIGGEST EXPANSION IN DOLLYWOOD'S HISTORY
Superstar Dolly Parton at the press announcement for Dollywood's upcoming Wildwood Grove expansion.
The $37 million, five-acre expansion — the largest in Dollywood’s history — is designed to provide an inspiring place for families of all ages to explore, imagine and play together. The new land will boast 11 experiences. Six new rides are on tap with little kids in mind. They include the Dragonflier (a suspended family roller coaster) and Treetop Tower. The Tower will seat riders inside giant acorns to spin around the top of a tall oak tree before gently drifting back to the grove floor. “I’d let my imagination roam free when I’d be out exploring in the hills around our home in the Smoky Mountains,” Parton reminisces of her childhood. “I’d pretend that the frogs and butterflies were my friends, and I would imagine about what it’d be like to fly with a dragonfly or to follow a bear family through the woods. Now all these things are coming true for our guests to experience in Wildwood Grove; it may be my new favorite part of Dollywood,” she notes. Guests will enter Wildwood Grove through a massive hollow trunk of a fallen tree with a magical 55-foot tall Wildwood tree serving as the enchanted land’s centerpiece. In addition to new rides, Wildwood Grove will also feature live entertainment, indoor and outdoor family play areas, a new restaurant and more. “This area is going to give families a place to explore, play and imagine together — but more importantly — it’s a place where they can spend more time together,” Parton explains. Keep up with the park at dollywood.com.
WIN A TRIP DOLLYWOOD!
One lucky local family of four will win a spring 2019 trip to Dollywood to experience Wildwood Grove. Follow us on social media for the contest announcement in the spring.
