When Dolly Parton finally visited the Dolly Parton Experience, the new Dollywood museum dedicated to her career and personal life, the famously upbeat country star cried.
“They started showing all the footage, especially when my parents and my family started talking, I broke down,” she said at the attraction’s opening on May 24. “So, hopefully you’ll be moved by it. There’s a lot of good stories and things about family.”
The Dolly Parton Experience features music, bright costumes, big wigs, and most importantly, priceless memories.
With support from cousins, nephews, nieces and other family members on stage and in the audience, Parton led the opening ceremony for the multi-building museum that honors her iconic career and her family.
The experience is in the former Adventures in Imagination area, which had not been renovated since 2002. The entire interactive and digital museum project is three times larger than the former Chasing Rainbows museum and is a living exhibit. (“I’m still alive!” Parton joked.)
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But it does mean that the artifacts, costumes and digital elements will be regularly updated, continuing to tell stories of Parton’s past while also adding details about her future endeavors and accomplishments.
“It’s a really nice thing to have a little more Dolly’s in the world,” said Eugene Naughton, president of Dollywood Parks & Resorts.
What is at the Dolly Parton Experience?
The Dolly Parton Experience consists of three exhibits, each located in its own separate building.
Lyricist is dedicated to Parton’s amazing life and career. Starting at her home at Locust Ridge in the Great Smoky Mountains and then boarding a bus to Nashville, you learn about Parton’s journey to superstardom and the moments behind her biggest hits and accomplishments.
behind the seam The exhibit offers a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process behind Parton’s signature style. She is as well known for her glittery outfits, bold nails and blonde wigs as she is for her music. According to archivist Rebecca Seaver, the items featured in this curated collection will be changed seasonally.
precious memories The Dreamsong Theater features programs about the importance of faith, family and friends. You can also enjoy the new show “Heidi Parton’s Family and Friends,” written by Dolly specifically for the Dolly Parton Experience, starring her niece Heidi.
5 things we learned from the Dolly Parton Experience
it runs in the family
“I was born to be a songwriter,” Parton says during a six-minute immersive movie that plays as a 360-degree projection at Songteller. And she was, indeed. Dolly was crafting lyrics before she learned how to write and wrote her first song at just 5 years old.
She inherited her musical talent from her mother, Evie Lee Owens Parton’s family. Evie Lee filled her East Tennessee home with music by singing hymns, folk songs and traditional mountain music. And by age 6, Dolly was singing in the church of her grandfather, the Rev. Jake Owens.
Success doesn’t come overnight
Parton found the love of her life, husband Carl Dean, the first day she moved to Nashville in 1964, but her success in country music didn’t come quickly. She spent her first two years in Nashville working part-time as a receptionist and waitress. And although she appeared on early morning radio, every major record label on Music Row turned her down.
She was signed as a staff writer at Monument Records by producer Fred Foster, who thought her voice was more suited to rockabilly or pop music. But when her first hit, “Something Fishy” (1967), was released, she was established as a country singer.
A powerful song writing pen
Do you know the songs “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You”? Famously, Parton (presumably) wrote them both on the same day. During the process of digitizing her music, Parton discovered that the first recordings of both songs were on the same cassette, meaning they were recorded during the same session or during the same time frame.
He has written nearly 3,000 songs and over 200 of them have been recorded by other artists.
stage fright
Dolly Parton is a natural on stage. The sparkle of her personality and the shine of her rhinestones shine on every audience member and crew member. But before her big break on “The Porter Wagoner Show,” she was nervous about being on TV.
Parton was confident in her singing, but she didn’t know how to behave in front of a camera. Appearing on “The Porter Wagoner Show” improved her acting and showmanship skills. And when it came time to make her film debut in “9 to 5,” she memorized the entire script so she could be prepared.
A peek behind the seams
I was stunned when I visited Behind the Seams, which is filled with Dolly’s iconic costumes, shoes, and hair. The exhibit showcases every detail and inspiration behind crafting her look, with the main motto being: “If it’s too tight, take it in a little more.”
And what’s more special is that it honors the designers he’s worked with throughout his career, including Robert Behr, Tony Chase, Connie Kittrell, Steve Summers, and Patrick Taylor-Reeves.
How to Enjoy the Dolly Parton Experience
You can learn more about and see the Dolly Parton Experience by visiting Dollywood. Due to high demand, timed tickets are required to enter the exhibit until June 2. You can register for timed entry tickets at Dollywood.com.
Times are available on a first-come, first-served basis at 30-minute intervals between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Timed tickets will not be required for admission after 5 p.m. and beginning June 3, Dollywood guests will be able to freely enter the exhibit.
Devrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email [email protected].on X, formerly known as Twitter @dturner1208,
Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration festival runs from June 15 through Aug. 11. Tickets to the theme park are $92 for adults and $82 for children and seniors.
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