Singer Dolly Parton Bails On Nashville Water Park

Country singer Dolly Parton has reportedly turned her back on a project that would construct a water and snow park in Nashville, Tennessee, according to CBS News. The singer, widely known for country songs and motion pictures, once had her name attached to the proposed theme park. However, she announced her decision to back out of the project on Friday.

The water and snow park was first announced by Dolly Parton in January. The Gaylord Entertainment project, which would reportedly be the first of its kind in the United States, came with a price tag of around $50 million. Many thought the theme park would be a huge draw for the city of Nashville, that is, until Parton effectively pulled the plug on its creation.

“Gaylord makes decisions that they feel are good for their company and their stockholders and I have to make decisions based on what is best for me and the Dollywood Company,” Dolly Parton explained to the Associated Press.

Reports of Parton’s withdraw from the Nashville water and snow-oriented theme park arrive on the heels of Gaylord Entertainment’s reorganization as a real estate investment trust. Naturally, Gaylord Chairman and CEO Colin Reed is a little disappointed by the country singer’s departure from the project.

“We continue to believe that a water park attraction on the property adjacent to Gaylord Opryland would be a valuable contributor to both our hotel and Nashville tourism. We will endeavor to find another quality partner so that this important tourism project can become a reality,” he said in a statement.

The proposed Nashville water and snow park wouldn’t have been Dolly Parton’s first foray into the magical world of theme parks. The singer opened Dollywood, previously known as Rebel Railroad, in 1986. According to Wikipedia, the theme park is filled with traditional amusement park rides and attractions inspired by the Smokey Mountain region.