In Sevierville, Tennessee, visitors will soon be able to follow the early chapters of Dolly Parton’s story through the places that shaped her hometown years. In Dolly’s Footsteps, a new free self-guided walking tour, connects nine downtown locations associated with Parton’s childhood and early career, including the former theater where she performed her first paying gig and the site of Red’s Café, where visitors can hear Parton recall one of her early visits through video. The route begins near Sevierville’s Dolly statue and uses granite-and-bronze markers, photographs, videos and stories to bring the historic locations to life.

Developed by the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce with Sevier County Historian Carroll McMahan and in collaboration with Dollywood, the tour looks beyond the familiar Dolly Parton legend to explore the people and places of the community that surrounded her. Stops include former businesses such as Easy Way Five and Dime, Carr Dry Goods Co. and Raymond’s Shoe Store, along with Temple Milling Company, Kilpatrick’s Drug Store, the Old Post Office and The Pines Theater. While downtown Sevierville has changed since Parton’s early years, the tour aims to preserve the connections and memories that remain, offering visitors a more personal way to understand the town behind the global icon.

The Curated Take: Celebrity destinations can easily become exercises in collecting photo opportunities. In Dolly’s Footsteps offers something more meaningful by using Parton’s story as a doorway into Sevierville itself. Walking from storefront to theater to community landmark turns a famous life story into a sense-of-place experience, showing how an artist’s hometown can remain part of the story long after the person has left it.