Dolly explored new adventures in 2002 as she opened a new area Dollywood appropriately named Adventures in Imagination. The expansion included Smoky Mountain Wilderness Adventure, the world’s largest Turbo Ride® Action Simulator Adventure. It replaced Thunder Road which debuted in 1996. Clovis’ Wilderness Corner retail shop, named for one of the characters in Smoky Mountain Wilderness Adventure, provided guests with a unique shopping experience after their adventure.
A rainbow path throughout the area led to Chasing Rainbows Museum. The state-of-the-art interactive museum housed a collection that chronicles Dolly’s rise to fame from her humble East Tennessee beginnings. As Dolly became a superstar, she never forgot where she called home. It was a natural fit to create a space to showcase her dreams, both past and present, at Dollywood. Inside Chasing Rainbows Museum guests could find some of Dolly’s most treasured items including the famed coat of many colors and countless awards from around the world. Dolly says,
“I’m a collector of stuff, I keep EVERYTHING. And you know what I’ve discovered? A lot of stuff I’ve saved is tied to dreams that helped shape my life. I hope seeing my stuff inspires you to have some dreams you’ll want to collect.”
Adjacent to Dollywood theme park, Dolly opened Dolly's Splash Country in 2001. The water adventure park sits on 35 acres and is a $20 million investment featuring a 25,000 sq.-ft. wave pool, a family raft ride, a lazy river, an interactive children’s area, multi-person tube rides, two “extreme” body slides, shaded lounge areas and a restaurant.
Amusement fans now have two summer experiences when they visit Dollywood: roller coasters or wave pools. The waterpark operates Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Dollywood's Festival of Nations kicked off its first year with over 300 performers and artisans. Dolly has learned a lot from her travels around the world and she wanted to share those same lessons with the folks back home in East Tennessee.
During Dollywood's month long Festival of Nations, guests enjoyed a celebration of dance, food and culture from around the world. Dolly said,
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have traveled all over the world, and the Festival of Nations is an opportunity for Dollywood to bring a world of entertainment to the Great Smoky Mountains!”
With the help of Dollywood's Festival of Nations the park’s season was extended earlier into the year and gave families more time to enjoy Dolly’s East Tennessee theme park.
Dreamland Forest captured the fun of a treehouse and created an area where imaginations could flow freely. The interactive attraction included the “wet and wild” area Bullfrog Creek water battle, The Bee Hive target shooting game and a water and toddler play area.
Dollywood’s $5 million Dreamland Forest featured 15,000 square feet of interactive games, gadgets, and gizmos for children of all ages. It inspired them to dream the same way Dolly did! She said,
“When I was a kid I loved the idea of a treehouse… a place among the leaves where I could get lost in my own imagination.”
Dolly sent riders on an explosive new ride featuring the world’s first spiral-loop coaster. Tennessee Tornado at Dollywood features back-to-back 360-degree loops. It is the first spiral loop coaster and was named 1999’s top scream machine by the American Coaster Enthusiasts.
Dolly opted out of riding the fastest roller coaster at Dollywood. Instead, she sent a train full of Dolly look-a-likes blasting out of the station on their first Tennessee Tornado ride!
Dollywood also became the headquarters of the Southern Gospel Music Association's Hall of Fame and Museum. The new facility honored the genre’s legends with interactive displays. It featured more than 350 artifacts and a recording studio. Built adjacent to Showstreet Palace Theater, the Southern Gospel Music Association’s Hall of Fame debuted during Dollywood’s Southern Gospel Jubilee. Dolly sang alongside some of her Southern gospel friends as they performed a concert at Dollywood.
