21 May 2019
Dolly Parton opens new attraction, Wildwood Grove, at Dollywood theme park
BY Andy Knaggs
Country singer Dolly Parton's latest vision at her Dollywood theme park has been brought to life, with Wildwood Grove opening to the public at the attraction in Tennessee, US.
The expansion is a US$37m (€33.17m, £29m), six-acre development with 11 nature-themed attractions.
At the heart of the land, a 55ft-tall (16.7m) tree grows from a cluster of natural rock and boulders, offering a natural platform for live performances from the park's entertainers.
From 15 June, at night, the tree will come to life, with a show featuring butterflies glowing in a kaleidoscope of spectacular colourS.
The expansion will feature 11 new experiences, six new rides among them. The main attraction will be Dragonflier – a suspended family rollercoaster. Joining it will be the Treetop Tower, Black Bear Trail, Mad Mocking Bird flying carousel, Sycamore Swing swinging ship and the Frogs and Fireflies carousel.
"When I was a little girl growing up in the hills of the Smoky Mountains, I’d often let my imagination just run away — something I still do now — dreaming these big dreams about what it’d be like to venture off with a family of bears into the woods, or how fun it would be to hitch a ride with the butterflies and dragonflies," said Parton, speaking to Southern Living.
"All us kids would splash and play in the creeks and ponds around the home and have these daydreams about the world around us, and that’s what’s so special about Wildwood Grove. We’ve been able to create a new area to allow families to experience some of those exact dreams we all had when we were little."
Wildwood Grove increases the size of Dollywood by around 20 per cent and is the first new area added to the park since Wilderness Pass in 2008.
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