Dollywood Has a Story To Tell

ONE OF THE TOP THEME PARKS IN THE WORLD MARKS ITS 40TH SEASON, THANKS IN PART TO BARBARA WALTERS AND A TRUSTED BUS DRIVER

- VALERIE FRASER LUESSE

Dollywood was never about all the roller coasters-at least, not just about the roller coasters. Years before her namesake park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, became a reality, Dolly told journalist Barbara Walters that she dreamed of building a "Smoky Mountain fairy land," something that could capture and celebrate the spirit of her Appalachian home.

That 1982 TV interview caught the attention of brothers Pete and Jack Herschend, who had successfully transformed a Branson, Missouri, cave attraction into a theme park called Silver Dollar City before adding a sister location in Tennessee.