Dollywood opened for the season on March 14, 2025, and Dolly Parton herself was in attendance. Considering that Parton lost her husband Carl Dean on March 3, after the couple spent 60 years together, fans would have understood if she skipped the annual opening day festivities. However, Dolly wanted to be there to thank her fans as well as support the theme park that honors her deep love for the Great Smoky Mountains.
The courageous, notoriously hard-working star was there to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Dollywood. She started out by paying her respects to Carl Dean. She remarked to the crowd, “I just wanted you to know that of course I will always love him, and I miss him, but I want you to know that I always love you. He would want me to be working today.”
She went on to thank fans, friends, and family members who have sent her flowers, cards, and their sympathies for the loss of her husband.
Dolly Parton calls herself the Dreamer-in-Chief at Dollywood, and she celebrated her namesake theme park in multiple ways. She announced that there will be a new attraction in 2026 that is the most expensive the park has ever unveiled. Thanks to the hard work of Dolly Parton and the many people who work behind the scenes at Dollywood, the theme park’s success seems to keep multiplying.
Now Dollywood has been recognized as one of “America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women 2025” in a recent survey. The “America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women 2025” award is based on a large-scale independent research study which is conducted by Newsweek during the last four months of the previous year.
Dollywood is one of only three other theme park companies to make the list. The other theme parks included were The Walt Disney Company and Hershey Entertainment. You can see the full list of award recipients at Newsweek.
The “America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women 2025” awards are chosen based on one of America’s largest independent employee studies. They are judged based on key performance indicators that include integrity, culture, leadership, work-life balance, benefits, and compensation. Newsweek interviewed more than 200,000 women employees and conducted over 2.2 million company reviews to determine the award recipients for 2025. Ultimately, the best 1,000 companies were recognized.
According to Dollywood, it offers employees – which it refers to as hosts – with “a caring culture, generous benefits, unparalleled company growth and numerous employment opportunities on the horizon.”
Dollywood Parks & Resorts employees receive a variety of major benefits. One of the most notable is 100% free tuition through Herschend’s GROW U. program. Employees also have access to the Dollywood Family Healthcare Center.
Hosts, as Dollywood’s employees are respectfully called, are provided a free lunch during every shift they work, and a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance is available for qualified full-time employees.
Hosts who want to move up within the company are encouraged to pursue their dreams, too, and a variety of opportunities are available for employees who want to develop leadership skills, including an apprenticeship program that’s associated with Walters State Community College.
There are some extra fun perks, too, including complimentary admission to Dollywood and Dollywood’s Splash Country for family and friends. They also can enjoy free or reduced admission to a variety of other theaters and attractions in the area.
Those who are interested in learning more about Dollywood employment opportunities can visit dollywoodjobs.com.
Dollywood’s 40th anniversary season is now in full swing, and the theme park will be opened through the end of the year and into early 2026. You can book tickets or season passes now at Dollywood.com or through the Dollywood app.