Dolly Parton Hotel, Museum Set For Nashville Opening

Two weeks after Dolly Parton’s death, two major Nashville destinations built around her life, music and legacy are preparing to open their doors. Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel and Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum will officially debut Sept. 29 in downtown Nashville, offering an immersive portrait of the country icon in the city she helped make synonymous with songwriting.

Created in partnership with Parton and Herschend, SongTeller Hotel features 245 guest rooms and suites, two live entertainment venues and a café, with Parton’s musical world woven throughout the property. The hotel’s third floor is given over entirely to the 20,000-plus-square-foot Life of Many Colors Museum, created by Dolly Parton Productions.

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The museum traces Parton’s journey from her childhood in the Great Smoky Mountains to global superstardom, beginning with a recreation of the small cabin where she grew up. Personal artifacts, multimedia installations and interactive exhibits fill out the story, while footage filmed with Parton earlier this year will allow her to guide visitors through her life in her own voice.

The opening now carries an added resonance following Parton’s cancer-related death at age 80, transforming the project from a celebration of a living legend into a substantial part of how her story will be encountered by future generations. The museum is billed as the most comprehensive exhibition dedicated to her life and career, with its design and curation led by her sister Rachel Parton George and niece Rebecca Seaver.

Music remains at the center of the hotel experience. On the top floor, Jolene’s will host nightly performances from emerging Nashville singers and songwriters, alongside cocktails and small plates. Parton’s Live, on the second floor, will focus more directly on the city’s songwriting culture, presenting writers’ rounds, songwriter sessions and showcases.

The entertainment programming begins before the official opening, with SongTeller Hotel reservations opening Sept. 14. Parton’s cousin Richie Owens is scheduled to perform at Parton’s Live on Sept. 16, while her niece Jada Star begins a twice-weekly artist residency on Sept. 17 and 19. The venue will also partner with FEMcountry, the platform founded by veteran music executive Leslie Fram, for monthly performances spotlighting established female artists and songwriters.

The SongTeller Hotel represents a continuation of Parton and Herschend’s four-decade relationship, which has produced Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort & Spa and HeartSong Lodge & Resort.

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