PIGEON FORGE, Tennessee–(May 20, 2026) — With Memorial Day just around the corner, families are ready to hit the road to visit the nation’s top attractions. Those looking for the best theme parks should look no further than Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Dollywood Parks & Resorts. The National Amusement Park Historical Association (NAPHA) once again has named Dollywood the top theme park in the country thanks to the results of its 40th annual NAPHA Amusement Park and Attractions Survey.
The results of the survey should not be taken lightly. Not only is the survey the oldest of its type, but the association’s members are also experienced theme park enthusiasts who have visited countless parks around the world. The average member has visited more than 110 different theme parks. In 2025, members went to an average of 12 parks during the year. Dollywood has been named NAPHA Favorite Theme Park since 2022. NAPHA members voted Disneyland in Anaheim, California, their second favorite theme park, and Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania, as their favorite traditional amusement park.
Dollywood’s position as a leader in the theme park industry has grown quickly in the last decade, with the park routinely earning top awards as voted by both guests and industry insiders. Those who have visited the park understand the quality of the Dollywood experience is unparalleled and is the driving force behind the park’s recent awards success. Guests recognize many of the park’s noteworthy attributes, including its overall value, friendliness of its hosts, and cleanliness of the facility. The park was named Tripadvisor’s #1 U.S. theme park for 2025, 2024 and 2022.
In 2025, Dollywood earned three Golden Ticket Awards, including Best Guest Experience, Best Kids’ Area and Best Family Coaster. The Best Guest Experience award considers friendliness of employees as well as the overall value for the money paid in bestowing the honor, two areas where Dollywood truly shines. Late last year, Forbes named Dollywood as having the Top Customer Service of all theme parks in the United States. So far in 2026, the park earned a spot on Newsweek’s List of Greatest Workplaces for Women and America’s Greatest Workplaces for Entry Level Employees. Dollywood Parks & Resorts also was honored with seven awards in the 2026 Top Workplaces Culture Excellence & Industry Awards.
Guests currently can enjoy Dollywood’s Flower & Food Festival (now-June 7) which features iconic Mosaiculture displays throughout the park. Vivid larger-than-life flower sculptures create an immersive atmosphere for park guests with more than one million blooms during this award-winning festival. Dollywood’s culinary team showcases their world-class abilities during the event with a menu full of delicacies to highlight the tastes of spring in the Smokies. Festival elements carry over to Dollywood’s resort properties— Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort and Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa—with a variety of festival-themed activities, crafts and entertainment that will inspire and delight the entire family. Guests can enjoy live entertainment by featured performers, fresh culinary creations, and rejuvenating spring-fresh spa treatments all alongside blooming festival décor and floral designs.
Organized in 1978, the National Amusement Park Historical Association is an international, educational and enthusiast’s organization dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of the heritage of the amusement park – past, present and future. Membership is open to anyone interested in amusement parks and includes individuals from all walks of life in the United States, Europe and Asia. In addition to enthusiasts, many amusement parks, manufacturers and other attractions industry-related businesses are NAPHA members. For more information, visit www.napha.org.
For more information about Dollywood’s 2026 season, please visit Dollywood.com or download the Dollywood app.
-Dollywood2026-
About Dollywood Parks & Resorts: A highly awarded and widely recognized leader in the amusement industry, Dollywood Parks & Resorts consists of the 165-acre Dollywood theme park; the 35-acre Dollywood’s Splash Country; and two award-winning resort properties: Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, and Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort. As unique as its namesake and owner Dolly Parton, Dollywood opened in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, on May 3, 1986, and earned the theme park industry’s highest accolade, the Applause Award, in 2010. Dollywood has earned 67 Golden Ticket Awards and 28 Brass Ring Awards for live entertainment. In 2022, 2024 and 2025, Dollywood was named by Tripadvisor as the #1 theme park in the country based on actual guest reviews. The park is located near Great Smoky Mountains National Park and has been recognized as a top U.S. theme park by USA Today on multiple occasions. Dollywood is open mid-March through early January and offers rides, attractions, shows and crafters inspired by and authentic to the East Tennessee region. Dollywood’s Splash Country, recognized by the Travel Channel and Tripadvisor as one of the country’s most beautiful water parks, operates from mid-May to mid-September. Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa as well as Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort provide guests with spectacular mountain views and family-friendly amenities next door to Dollywood theme park and Dollywood’s Splash Country. For more information, visit dollywood.com. Operating days and hours vary.
Media Contacts:
Pete Owens: Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations, (865) 428-9486, (865) 755-7972 or [email protected]
Wes Ramey: Public Relations Director, (865) 428-9484, (865) 640-3805 or [email protected]
Ellen Liston: Public Relations Manager, (865) 428-9629, (865) 919-7001 or [email protected]
Jennifer Webb: Sr. Publicist, (865) 428-9602, (865) 323-7584 or [email protected]
Sophia Nieves: Publicist, (865) 428-9456, (256) 631-5413 or [email protected]
For B-roll, photography and more information, visit the Dollywood Media Room at http://www.dollywood.com/Media/Media-Roo