Chasing Rainbows Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 2002 |
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| Dissolved | 2023 |
| Location | Adventures in Imagination, Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, United States |
| Type | Biographical |
The Chasing Rainbows Museum was a special place that celebrated the life and career of famous country music singer Dolly Parton. It was located inside the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, United States.
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A Look Back at the Chasing Rainbows Museum
The Chasing Rainbows Museum first opened its doors in 2002. It was part of an area in Dollywood called "Adventures in Imagination." Dolly Parton's creative director, Steve Summers, helped design the museum.
The building where the museum was located had a history of its own. It was built in 1996 as a cafe. Later, it became a different restaurant before turning into the Chasing Rainbows Museum. This was actually the second museum about Dolly Parton at Dollywood. The first one was called "Rags to Riches: The Dolly Parton Story."
Why the Name "Chasing Rainbows"?
The museum got its unique name from Dolly Parton herself. Inside the museum, a special hologram of Dolly explained it. She said she chose "Chasing Rainbows" because that's what she had been doing her whole life. It meant always following her dreams and hopes.
What Happened to the Museum?
The Chasing Rainbows Museum closed at the end of the 2021 season. This made way for a brand new attraction called the Dolly Parton Experience. The new experience opened in 2024, continuing to share Dolly's amazing story with visitors.
Exploring the Exhibits
The museum was filled with many interesting items from Dolly Parton's life. These included her famous "Coat of Many Colors" and her high school band uniform. It even displayed her wedding gown and her husband Carl Dean's wedding suit.
- Dolly's Friends - This area showed pictures of Dolly Parton with many of her famous friends. These included stars like Cher, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Carol Burnett, and Johnny Cash.
- Dolly's Attic - This exhibit looked like an old attic. It displayed many of Dolly's personal items and gifts from fans. A video played in the room, showing Dolly telling stories about these special treasures.
- Tennessee Mountain Home - Visitors could see a model of a small cabin, just like the one Dolly grew up in. This exhibit featured dolls, including one like "Little Tiny Tassletop." This doll inspired Dolly's very first song.
- Coat of Many Colors - A copy of the famous coat Dolly's mother made for her was on display. Next to it was a laundry slip where Dolly wrote the lyrics for her famous song.
- School House - This exhibit showed what a one-room schoolhouse was like when Dolly was a child. It included a photo of Dolly in front of the United States Capitol during her senior year of high school. Her high school band uniform was also on display.
- Do You, Dolly... - This section featured a copy of Dolly Parton's wedding certificate. It also showed pictures of her and her husband, Carl Dean.
- The Porter Wagoner Show - Costumes from Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner, Speck Rhodes, and Don Warden were on display. There were also special "Dolly Dolls" made by Ann Warden.
- Movies - This exhibit showcased costumes from some of Dolly Parton's movies. These included 9 to 5, Rhinestone, Steel Magnolias, and Straight Talk.
- Awards and Accomplishments - Dolly Parton earned many awards throughout her career. This two-story display case showed her Academy of Country Music Awards, Grammys, Country Music Association awards, and many others.
See also
- List of Dollywood attractions
- List of music museums
