Dollywood will keep its gates open in the wake of Dolly Parton’s death.
The Pigeon Forge, Tennessee theme park announced Wednesday it would operate “as Dolly wanted,” just one day after the “Jolene” singer died at 80 following a secret battle with cancer. The park shared the decision in an Instagram statement that channeled her enduring spirit.
Eugene Naughton, President of Dollywood Parks & Resorts, addressed the loss in his own statement. “The greatest privilege of my life was helping Dolly bring her dreams to life at Dollywood,” he said. “Dolly’s heart was as vast as the mountains she cherished, and her compassion knew no bounds. She inspired generations to dream boldly and love deeply.”
Naughton continued, “While we grieve her loss, we are honored and committed to carry her light forward. Her legacy will continue to shine in every melody sung, every smile shared and every dream kindled within these gates.”
The park’s official Instagram statement framed the reopening as fulfillment of Parton’s final wishes for the property she opened in May 1986. “Dolly’s heartfelt wish was that Dollywood always remain a place of joy, hope and togetherness—a space where families and friends could honor her memory, not with silence, but with laughter, music and shared dreams,” the post read.
The park also urged supporters to direct memorial donations toward Parton’s Imagination Library, the book gifting program she championed throughout her life.
In the viral moment that established her final public footprint, Parton, then 78, had appeared at Dollywood just two months before her death. The theme park, jointly owned by Herschend Family Entertainment and Dolly Parton Productions, represented decades of her investment in her native East Tennessee region.
The park’s social media tribute captured her philosophy directly, quoting what it called her “signature sparkle”: “the show must go on.”
Parton’s family plans a small private service in Nashville “in the coming days,”. The Grammy winner had once revealed her funeral music preference in a 2014 interview, naming the gospel hymn “If We Never Meet Again.”
She is survived by no children; her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, died in March 2024 at 82.
The Dollywood statement closed by acknowledging the global scope of mourning. “Everyone at Dollywood shares the sorrow of countless people around the world touched by Dolly’s warmth, wisdom and generous spirit,” it read.
Parton’s entertainment empire extended far beyond the Pigeon Forge gates, yet the park remained her most visible permanent legacy—a physical manifestation of the rags-to-riches narrative she embodied.