Dollywood Getting $300 Million Expansion

There will soon be even more of a reason to visit Pigeon Forge, Tenn.: Dolly Parton's famous amusement park is getting a major upgrade.

Dollywood is investing $300 million into expansion over the next decade, with much going to the forthcoming DreamMore resort. The hotel will feature 300 rooms, grand views of the Smoky Moutains, front porch spaces, a pond to fish in, and lemonade and hot chocolate served to all who enter the lobby. The resort should open in about two years.

A new roller coaster is also planned, though it's designed to be a bit tamer and appeal more to young children than Dollywood's current coasters. New shows and other rides will be rolled out over the course of the next decade. The huge investment in the park represents more money put into the entirety of Dollywood since it opened in 1986.

For her part, singer, actress, and gay icon Dolly Parton is thrilled that her eponymous park is growing and offering more opportunites for residents and visitors to this corner of Tennessee, where she grew up.

"It is the most amazing feeling," Dolly told the Associated Press. "People say you can't go home again. Well, I've certainly proved that wrong." Read more here.