Drury Hotels has you covered if you want to pay tribute to Dolly Parton; our insider tells where to go

By Sally Tippett Rains

When Dolly Parton died at the age of 80 in August, her fans responded all over social media and some went to makeshift memorials, placing flowers and candles in front of her house, her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, statue and other places that remind them of her. Now even as it is a month later, she is being remembered and many of her fans are planning trips to pay tribute to her. Nashville is an easy drive from St. Louis and our special discount code for the Drury Hotels will help with the expenses and make your trip more fun.

When the news of her death was announced, fans flocked to tangible places she actually went in her life. In Hollywood, her star on the Walk of Fame was decorated with candles and flowers. It is shown in the photo.

The same was true at the entrance to her home outside of Nashville.

Parton s home was in Brentwood and one of our readers, Cardinals fan Jake Fox,  lives in the area, and provided us with the photo at the top of the page. He is our “insider” as he drives past her house on a regular basis.

“Oddly enough, when we got the news about her passing, we were about to drive past the turnoff to her house,” he told STL SportsPage. “We were less than two minutes away from her home at the time.”

They heard about the death on the radio but even if they had not already heard the news, there was enough action in the area to let them know something had happened.

“The Brentwood police stationed an officer across the street from her home after she died to help with crowd control and keep cars moving,” he said. “There were so many flowers and dedications for her left at her gate.”

While many of her fans thought she lived with her husband in Pigeon Forge, Parton and Carl Dean made their longtime home at Willow Lake Plantation in Brentwood. They lived there for 54 years. He died in 2025 and she died on Aug. 25.

Finding Dolly’s Home

Their house was at 9510 Crockett Rd, Brentwood, TN 37027. There is a Drury hotel nearby in Franklin for fans who want to stay near her home.  The Drury Hotel near Brentwood is located at 1874 W McEwen Dr, Franklin, TN 37067. Fox said that at the time of this writing, there were still fans stopping by and leaving tributes.

“They still have a lot of cones up to stop people from driving off the street into the grass. We live only six minutes away from her,” he said.

The photo shows the house shortly after her death, but Fox says fans continue to bring flowers.

“Her house isn’t like that anymore, but pretty much every time we go we notice a few more bouquets out,” he said.  “I think they clear them out daily now.”

People also are paying tribute to Parton at places like the church she attended.

“There is a small white church across from Dolly’s house that she used to attend,” Fox told us.  “We know someone who goes there and he said Dolly donated a grand piano. She was so generous.”

Finding Dolly in Pigeon Forge

For those who want to pay their respects by going to Pigeon Forge where she also had a home and where Dollywood is located, there is a new Drury Plaza Hotel. If you choose to stay there be sure you use the special STL Sports Page discount link: CLICK HERE.

That hotel has comfortable rooms with mountain views. And guests can enjoy free amenities, including a hot breakfast, dinnertime snacks and beverages at the 5:30 Kickback®, Wi-Fi, and more.

Parton is famous for talking about her childhood home, which was a one-room log cabin in the rural area of Locust Ridge, near Sevierville and Pigeon Forge.

There is an exact, full-scale replica of the cabin—built by her brother Bobby and decorated with her mother’s guidance— inside the Dollywood Theme at 2700 Dollywood Parks Blvd, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863.

“We go to Dollywood at least two times per year,” said Fox. “We just got back from there a few weeks ago. The kids love it so much. We know the best times to go for crowd control. As season ticket holders we get some fun perks like discounts and friend passes.”

While the Drury Hotel in Pigeon Forge does not sell tickets to Dollywood, the staff can help guests figure out how to get tickets, which also are available directly from Dollywood.

The hotel is about three miles from the theme park so it is a perfect place to stay.

There is another Dolly Parton connection in Pigeon Forge and that is Dolly Parton’s Stampede. It is a popular family dinner theater and live-action entertainment attraction. Many people are familiar with the same type of restaurant in Branson, first called Dixie Stampede before the name was changed to Dolly Parton’s  Stampede.

The dinner theater in Pigeon Forge is about a mile from the Drury Hotel.

“I know at the Sevierville County Courthouse there is a statue of Dolly,” said Fox.  “There’s a funny story Dolly tells on a video about when she told her dad they were going to put up a statue for her.”

She must have gotten her sense of humor and her humility from her dad, Robert Lee Parton, who supposedly told her: “I know to your fans, you may be some sort of an idol . . . But to the pigeons, you’re just another outhouse.”

Sevierville is about 15 minutes north of Pigeon Forge and the courthouse is in the middle of the square. To drive there from Pigeon Forge take the Great Smoky Mountains Parkway (US-441 North) or Veterans Boulevard to avoid heavy tourist traffic.

Traveling to Dolly Attractions during the Holidays

Fans who want to travel during the holiday are in luck as far as Dollywood goes. Dollywood celebrates the fall and Halloween season with its annual Harvest Festival (running Sept. 14 through Oct. 31) and its first-ever after-hours Halloween event.

Harvey’s Boo Bash is Dollywood’s NEW exclusive limited-capacity nighttime celebration filled with festive surprises around every corner.

On select October nights, guests are invited to enjoy Dollywood from 4:00 p.m. to midnight with their Harvey’s Boo Bash ticket, giving plenty of time to experience Harvest Festival before the exclusive event begins.  Dollywood’s Harvest Festival runs Sept. 14-Oct. 31 at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge.

As the winter holidays approach,  Dollywood hosts its annual Smoky Mountain Christmas festival from Nov. 6 through Jan. 3. The park claims it will have more than six million lights and that the entire 160-acre park will be transformed into a glowing display. On Dec. 23 there will be a show, Dolly’s Smokey Mountain Christmas Carol.

Along with traveling to honor her, some fans would like to do online tributes,  or even make donations in her honor. Her family is encouraging fans to tag her if they make posts about her– such as photos taken o trips, and donating to her Imagination Library online:

“Dolly’s fans and friends from around the world are encouraged to pay tribute to Dolly on social media by tagging @DollyParton or by leaving a message at www.dollyparton.com,” the statement said. “In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at www.imaginationlibrary.com”

For those heading to Nashville, there are a few Dolly-themed attractions. “A Holly Dolly Christmas” Parade in Mt. Juliet, just outside Nashville, will be celebrated on Dec. 12, with the parade stepping off at 11 a.m. Mt. Juliet is about 20 miles from downtown Nashville.

While there are several Drury Hotels in the Nashville area, the closest to Mt. Juliet is the Drury Hotel and Suites Nashville Airtport, about 10 miles away at 555 Donelson Pike, Nashville, TN 37214.

That isn’t the only Holly Dolly Christmas. In the town of Springfield, Tennessee, 30 miles (about a 30-minute drive) north of downtown Nashville they are also having a Dolly-themed Christmas Parade on Dec. 5, 2026 at 5:30.

There are also some Dolly tribute concerts including a Candlelight Series.

Whatever you decide to, if you are traveling to Tennessee you have many Drury Hotels to choose from.

When making a reservation, at any Drury Hotel, use the special promo code: CLICK HERE.

Remember, if you book through a second-layer company you will not get our discount and you can not cancel, but if you you use our discount you get a good rate plus the flexibility to cancel or change your reservation as needed.