PIGEON FORGE, Tenn.—Dolly Parton was recently inducted into the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the IAAPA Expo in Orlando, Fla.
Parton did not attend in person but shared her remarks via video, thanking her longtime partners, Jack and Peter Herschend, for their decades of collaboration in developing Dollywood Parks & Resorts.
“To Jack and Peter (Herschend), thank you for being my partners and my friends for more than 40 years,” Parton says. “You are a blessing to me, and I love you dearly. Our partnership is truly special. I trust them, and they trust me, and they always listen when I come in with one of my big ideas and dreams. Somehow, the amazing team at Dollywood finds a way to make those dreams come true.”
Parton adds, “Now, I’m sure you know the theme park world is full of the most creative and kind-hearted people you will ever meet. I’m just so grateful that you consider me worthy of this recognition. Being inducted into the IAAPA Hall of Fame is a big, incredible way to help celebrate Dollywood’s 40th anniversary season. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for this honor, from me and from everyone who makes Dollywood what it is. To all my friends and partners—and to all of you out there helping families make magic every day in your own parks—remember, I will always love you. Thank you again.”
In its announcement, IAAPA credited Parton’s partnership with Jack and Peter Herschend, which began in 1986, for transforming Dollywood into “one of America’s most beloved theme parks” and helping it more than double in size while attracting millions of visitors each year.
Parton’s Hall of Fame induction came just one day after she received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, an honorary Oscar. The honor joins a wide array of accolades spanning her work in music, film, philanthropy, and business, including inductions into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Gospel Music Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame, and membership in the Grand Ole Opry.
Dollywood, now celebrating its 40th season, opened in 1986 with Parton and the Herschend family as partners. Parton said earlier this year that her vision for the park grew from her love for the Smoky Mountains.
“I’ve always believed the Smoky Mountains are one of the most beautiful places God ever made, and I feel blessed to call them home,” she says. “When I first dreamed of creating Dollywood, I had two simple hopes. I wanted to build a place that would bring people from all over to see the magic of the Smokies and, hopefully, fall in love with them just like I did.”
At the IAAPA Expo, Dollywood also unveiled the custom amphibious ride vehicle for NightFlight Expedition, the park’s next major attraction, opening in 2026. The multi-experience ride, located in Wildwood Grove, represents an investment of more than $50 million; it is the largest single-attraction project in the park’s history.
The attraction combines four experiences into one and is billed as the world’s first indoor family hybrid coaster and whitewater river raft ride. The 5½-minute adventure takes guests on a search for bioluminescence in the Great Smoky Mountains. Riders soar on a simulated nighttime flight over the Smokies, navigate a whitewater rafting segment powered by more than 500,000 gallons of water, traverse a mountain ridge on a coaster track, and drift across a glowing, mysterious lake.
The ride will operate inside a 44,000-square-foot, temperature-controlled facility, allowing it to run regardless of mountain weather.
