Off the Wall: Tennessee theme park named best in US – above Disney, Universal
Dollywood tops Tripadvisor list of America's best theme parks in 2025
Dollywood tops Tripadvisor list of America's best theme parks in 2025
As Dollywood continues to welcome visitors for its 40th year of operation, the Pigeon Forge-based theme park has once again been recognized as one of the most popular theme parks in the world.
Tripadvisor officials named Dollywood the number one theme park in the U.S. as part of its 2025 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards. This marks the third time in the last four years that the park has garnered the top spot.
Dollywood was also the only U.S.-based theme park to make the top 15 of Tripadvisor’s 2025 worldwide rankings, coming in at No. 11 on that list.
The 165-acre theme park is co-owned by Dolly Parton’s entertainment company, Dolly Parton Productions, and Herschend Family Entertainment. Annual attendance regularly eclipses two million visitors, according to dollywood.com.
Dollywood is the largest employer in Sevier County and a 2021 study by the Tennessee Department of Transportation found that the park had an annual direct economic impact of $1.8 billion.
While Parton famously does not ride roller coasters, the park has consistently added…
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One thing I’ve heard over and over from parents who bring kids under 12 to Disney or Universal is that it’s horrendously expensive and incredibly stressful, so it doesn’t feel like a vacation at all.