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.”
Dollywood Boulevard, an $8 million expansion, anchored the park’s 11th season. A $5 million state-of-the-art simulator ride was added. It was based on the classic 1957 Robert Mitchum film, “Thunder Road.” The ride was the world’s largest Turbo-Ride® Action Adventure featuring a contour-flair screen measuring 55 feet high and 70 feet wide. A themed restaurant and merchandise attraction completed the area.
Also in 1996, Dollywood introduced the popular Southern Gospel Jubilee during the park's fall Harvest Celebration. The country's largest Southern Gospel event featured gospel greats J. D. Sumner & The Stamps, the Lewis Family and the Kingsmen. This addition to the festival celebrates Dolly’s love for music, especially the gospel she grew up listening to as a child in church. Dolly said,
“Growing up in church with a musical family, that’s where my love of music and singing really took hold. I wanted to honor our rich musical heritage by adding the Southern Jubilee to our Harvest Celebration.”
