Dolly Parton, who apparently sold her soul to the Devil of Tourism in the 1980s, has thumbed her nose at convention once again by opening an exhibit of her junk at her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, TN.

Dollywood, which opened in 1985, has grown to become Tennessee's #2 tourist attraction despite a lack of much interesting to see or do (instead, you can pay homage to the gal by visiting the photo-op-friendly Dolly Parton statue in nearby Sevierville.).

The junk collection, titled "Chasing Rainbows," includes Dolly's old exercise equipment, discarded magazines, outdated clothing (apparently outerwear only), and the medical bag of the doctor who delivered Dolly in 1946.

Dollywood's press release describes the junk collection as a "state-of-the-art, interactive attraction dedicated to Dolly's lifetime of dreaming," and notes that it "could be the biggest attraction yet at Dollywood," which would not be a difficult feat to achieve.

[05/19/2002]