Dollywood Facts

Dolly Parton wrote a secret song in 2015. She sealed it inside a time capsule at Dollywood. A CD player was built in so it could still play. It won't open until 2045. Her team joked she might not be around by then. She laughed and said she might make it to 99. On August 25, 2026, at 80, Dolly died. The song is still locked away, waiting.

Dolly Parton was one of twelve kids in a dirt-poor family in Sevier County, Tennessee. In 1986 she partnered with a local theme park and renamed it Dollywood, saying she wanted to bring jobs home. It grew into one of the county's largest employers, with thousands of workers and 4 million visitors a year. She died on August 25, 2026, at 80. Dollywood opened the next morning anyway, just like she wanted.