Before she became a household name and a global music icon, Dolly Parton was simply a newcomer in Nashville, Tennessee, writing home to reassure her family. Inside the Songteller exhibition at Dollywood, visitors are greeted by a recording of Parton reading a letter she sent to her parents after moving to Music City. “I got to Nashville OK, and I thought I’d better write and let you know ‘cause I knew you’d worried about me, and I don’t want you to be worried about me ‘cause I’m gonna be alright,” she shared. “If I try long enough and hard enough, someday I’ll make it.”
Parton’s journey and her eventual rise to fame serve as the heart of the Dolly Parton Experience, which opened at the theme park in 2024. The attraction, which chronicles her life and career, remains open to all guests with valid park admission. The news of Parton’s death at the age of 80 was confirmed by her family this week, drawing renewed attention to the expansive exhibit that celebrates her storied life.
Housed in multiple buildings, the experience is three times larger than the Chasing Rainbows Museum, which concluded its run at the end of the 2021 season. Songteller occupies the former museum space, guiding guests from Parton’s childhood to her status as a music legend. The collection includes personal artifacts such as a replica of her famous “coat of many colors,” the original dry cleaning receipt she used to write the lyrics for that song, and various guitars, including a rhinestoned acoustic Gibson she played during her 2005 tour. Guests can also learn about her meeting her husband, Carl Dean, at a laundromat.
The exhibit features immersive elements, including a 360-degree projection-mapped show that transports viewers to her childhood home in Locust Ridge and Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. In the adjacent building, formerly known as Dolly’s Closet, the Behind the Seams exhibit offers a look at her iconic style. The space functions like a giant walk-in closet, showcasing her wigs, shoes, and clothing, including a bell-bottom jumpsuit by Lucy Adams worn on her 1970s variety show that had never been displayed previously. Visitors can also engage with an interactive station to dress a cartoon version of Parton.
Rebecca Seaver, Parton’s niece and the director of museum and archive services, noted at the time of the opening that the exhibit beautifully represents all facets of her aunt’s identity. Parton herself reflected on her past fashion choices with humor, admitting that while she still favors “big hair,” she has learned to tame it slightly. The Dolly Parton Experience also features one of her former motor coaches, which was in service from 1994 to 2009, and an on-site boutique called Dolly’s Fan Shop.
The attraction is a highlight of the significant investments made at Dollywood following the announcement of a half-billion-dollar, 10-year campaign in 2021. Regarding her legacy and the ongoing growth of the park, Parton expressed a philosophy of continuous dreaming: “That's what's great about dreams. You dream new dreams every day, and dreams expand. And I've always said you put wings and feet and legs on them.”
