Dollywood Celebrates 40th Anniversary with Special Documentary Chronicling History of Park Now Available on YouTube
This isn't an Island in the Stream....this is a Documentary TO Stream. That is what this is.
Dollywood is celebrating their 40th anniversary, and such a milestone deserves a special look-back at the history of the park with a new documentary now available for all on YouTube from the official Dollywood Parks & Resorts channel.
What’s Happening:
- To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Pigeon Forge, Tennessee landmark, Dollywood, the official Dollywood Parks & Resort YouTube Channel has debuted a special new documentary, The Dollywood Dream.
- The documentary chronicles the park’s evolution from a small roadside attraction into the World-Class theme park that it is today.
- Previously, the documentary had aired exclusively on partner television stations early last month, but is now available on YouTube for general viewing at home or on devices.
- The heartfelt documentary lets viewers learn more about how the Herschends built their company and acquired the Pigeon Forge property in the 1970s, creating Silver Dollar City Tennessee in the process, later connecting the Herschends with musical icon Dolly Parton to form Dollywood.
- The Dollywood Dream also explores the values and ideals shared by Dolly and the Herschends that have created one of the most successful partnerships within the theme park industry.
- The Dollywood Dream features firsthand accounts from:
- Dolly Parton
- Jack and Pete Herschend (business partners)
- Former park presidents: Ken Bell, Craig Ross
- Current president: Eugene Naughton
- Key staff: Ted Miller, Barbara Joines, Pete Owens
- The documentary also celebrates the love that fans have for the park, cherishing the memories experienced there during any time of year, or during the park’s traditional festivals like the upcoming Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration (June 14 – August 3), Harvest Festival (Sept. 12 – Oct. 27), or the beautiful Smoky Mountain Christmas (Nov. 1 – Jan. 4, 2026).
- Check out the full documentary below.
A Quick Review:
- As Dollywood celebrates its 40th season, the documentary serves as a great reflection on its past and an optimistic look forward to the park’s future - all while emphasizing how the park continually evolved while staying true to its roots.
- While the doc does feature a lot of “talking heads", stunning landscapes of the Great Smoky Mountains blend with fantastic archival footage, most of which features Dolly herself.
- Dolly’s charm is evident throughout, almost making you feel like you are hearing some of these stories from an old friend, and we see how the park has influenced the region, and grown into one of the best theme parks in the world. Though, as we get toward modern times there is a sense of the publicity and marketing machine at play.
- For fans of the park (or even those just interested in the history of this special place), The Dollywood Dream is something they should definitely sit down and enjoy, especially given its easily digestible 40-minute runtime.
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