PIGEON FORGE, Tennessee–May 7, 2025)–With Dollywood in the middle of an exciting 40th anniversary season, the park had several big wins in the most recent Newsweek Readers’ Choice Award voting.
Dollywood is known for its culinary offerings, and with a new location called the Wilderness Pass Restaurant having opened last weekend, the Smoky Mountain theme park placed three dining locations in the top four in the Best Theme Park Restaurant category. Additionally, “From the Heart—The Life and Music of Dolly Parton” earned yet another award, being named the top live show in the theme park industry.
Dollywood placed in the following categories in Newsweek voting.
- Best Theme Park Live Show- From the Heart (#1)
- Best Theme Park Restaurant – Aunt Granny’s Restaurant (#1), Granny Ogle’s Ham ‘n’ Beans (#2), and Miss Lillian’s Mill House (#4)
- Best Overall Theme Park- Dollywood (#2)
- Best Outdoor Water Park- Dollywood’s Splash Country (#5)
Dollywood Parks & Resorts already has earned several honors thus far in 2025, including placements on Forbes’ List of America’s Best Midsize Employers, Newsweek’s America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women, and USA Today’s Top Workplaces USA.
For information about Dollywood’s 40th anniversary season, season passes, operating calendars and more, please visit Dollywood.com or download the Dollywood app.
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About Dollywood Parks & Resorts: A highly awarded and widely recognized leader in the amusement industry, The Dollywood Company consists of the 165-acre Dollywood theme park; the 35-acre Dollywood’s Splash Country; and Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, and the newly opened Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort. As unique as its namesake and owner Dolly Parton, Dollywood is the 2010 Applause Award winner, the theme park industry’s highest accolade; winner of 58 Golden Ticket Awards; and recipient of 28 Brass Ring Awards for Live Entertainment. The park is located near Great Smoky Mountains National Park and earned the Golden Ticket Award for the Best Park in the world in 2023. This year, Dollywood was named by Tripadvisor as the #1 theme park in the country based on actual guest reviews. It also 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 and attractions, shows and crafters 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 Labor Day. 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]