“These mountains and my childhood home have a special place in my heart,” reads a sign outside the cabin. “They inspire my music and my life. I hope being here does the same for you! Dolly.”
Parton grew up in the two-room log cabin with her parents and 11 siblings.
The log cabin had no electricity or running water, but Parton remembered her years there fondly in her 1973 song “My Tennessee Mountain Home.”
“In my Tennessee mountain home / Life is as peaceful as a baby’s sigh / In my Tennessee mountain home / The crickets sing in the fields nearby,” she sings.
Parton’s brother Bobby built the Dollywood replica, and her mother, Avie Lee, designed and furnished the interior.
A time capsule at the Dollywood DreamMore Resort contains a piece of wood from the front porch of the original home, which functioned as Parton’s first stage.
The dining area featured a small table and a wood-burning stove.
The walls of the log cabin were covered with newspaper for insulation.
Religious art adorned the walls.
Parton has often spoken about how her Christian faith has shaped her life and music, telling People magazine in 2019, “I’ve always felt like my music was more my ministry than a job.”
Dollywood pays tribute to her Christian upbringing with attractions like gospel-music performances and a chapel that holds worship services every Sunday.
In the kitchen and pantry, many of the items came from the original Parton family home.
The kitchen featured dishes, cast-iron pans, and a butter churner.
The log cabin only had one bedroom.
Photos of Parton’s parents, Avie Lee Owens and Robert Lee Parton, hung above the bed.
Parton has come a long way since her humble beginnings, but she has stayed true to her Tennessee mountain home roots.
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