Dolly Parton’s Nashville hotel and museum project, created in partnership with Herschend and Dolly Parton Productions, will officially open on 29 September, just weeks after the death of the celebrated “Queen of Country”.
The SongTeller Hotel and Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum were conceived by Parton herself as a celebration of her music, life and the city of Nashville she loved so much and where the artist lived and died. The complex sits in the heart of Tennessee’s capital, just off Lower Broadway, the city’s live music and entertainment district.
The SongTeller Hotel has 245 rooms and suites, all filled with references to the artist’s songs, her unmistakable style and unique Southern charm woven throughout the private and public spaces.
The different room categories draw directly on her life and music. The Acoustic Suites, for instance, draw inspiration from the lyric “The sky is green and the grass is blue”, and the Six Sisters Suites pay homage to Parton’s close bond with her five sisters, accommodating up to six guests.
“All my life, I’ve been a SongTeller. And there’s no better place to write a song than Nashville”, Parton said of the project, describing the hotel as her “love letter” to the city, and a place where musicians and guests could come together to experience “the spirit of Music City”.
The hotel has two entertainment venues: Jolene’s, the top-floor bar, which offers a nightly stage for emerging Nashville singers and songwriters; and Parton’s Live, on the second floor, which is dedicated to the city’s songwriting culture through writers’ rounds, songwriter sessions and rising-star showcases. It aims to “immerse guests in the art of storytelling” and songwriting, around shared plates of food.
The entire third floor of the hotel, covering more than 1,860 square metres, is home to Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum, and traces Parton’s journey from her childhood in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains to the height of international fame.
The experience begins with a recreation of the small cabin where she grew up before moving through the people, places, and events that shaped her life and career.
Interactive exhibits will feature personal stories, multimedia installations, and rarely seen objects from her collection. Footage of Parton herself, recorded earlier this year, will also guide visitors through parts of her story.
Over a seven-decade career, Parton sold more than 100 million records worldwide. Her most famous songs are Jolene, I Will Always Love You, and the working-woman anthem, 9 to 5.
Parton’s legacy, however, extends far beyond her music. She was also an actress, a philanthropist, and an astute businesswoman who turned her musical success into an empire, all while never forgetting her origins or those in need through initiatives like her Imagination Library.
One of her most successful ventures is Dollywood, the theme park that she opened in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It has become one of the state’s biggest tourist attractions, as well as a major economic driver for the region, supporting thousands of jobs.
Tennessee’s governor, Bill Lee, together with Nashville International Airport, has announced plans to rename the airport in her honour. The final name has yet to be determined.
Lee proposed the move shortly after the singer’s death, describing her “extraordinary life” as “forever woven into the fabric of our state”.
“At a place where Tennessee welcomes the world, it is fitting that Nashville International Airport would bear the name of our state’s favourite daughter and greet travellers with the enduring legacy of Dolly’s music, generosity, faith and kindness”, he added.
