The Dollywood Company
The Herschends extended their brand in 1976 upon purchasing a small tourist attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, called "Goldrush Junction." The following year the attraction was renamed "Silver Dollar City Tennessee" to launch a development plan that would transform the property into a theme park patterned after the original Silver Dollar City in Branson. For the Pigeon Forge park, the Ozark Mountains theme of the original Silver Dollar City was slightly reworked to represent the Great Smoky Mountains and Appalachia culture instead, fitting the location in the foothills of the Smokies.
In 1986, Dolly Parton became a co-owner, and the park's name was changed to "Dollywood," reflecting her involvement. At this point, the Pigeon Forge park was branched off into a separate division of HFE called The Dollywood Company, which oversees all the properties that Dolly Parton has interest in.
Along with the Herschend family, Dolly Parton co-owns the Dixie Stampede dinner attraction chain, which has locations in Pigeon Forge (opened 1988), Myrtle Beach (1992), and Branson (1995). A location in Orlando opened in 2003 and closed in early 2008.
In 2001 a new water park was opened adjacent to the Dollywood theme park called "Dolly's Splash Country."
Read more about this topic: Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation
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