NightFlight Expedition' Attraction to Open at Dollywood in 2026

Smoky Mountain-Themed Attraction Will Be Largest Investment in Park’s History 

Dollywood Parks & Resorts recently announced the largest attraction investment in the history of Dolly Parton’s beloved theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. “NightFlight Expedition”—a more than $50 million attraction—will open in a sprawling new building in the Wildwood Grove area of the park come spring 2026. This area of the park is also where park-goers can find its 2023 award-winning family roller coaster, Big Bear Mountain.

“NightFlight Expedition” will be the first attraction experience of its kind in the world, combining four unique features into one groundbreaking thrill ride. Created and built by Dollywood, Herschend Creative Studios and esteemed manufacturer Mack Rides, the custom-designed amphibious ride vehicle will interact with vivid multimedia projections, dynamic onboard and offboard audio, and special lighting effects to immerse guests in an extraordinary Smoky Mountain adventure. Mack Rides recently won the 2025 Amusement Today Golden Ticket industry award for Best New Innovation thanks to the ride system used in “NightFlight Expedition.”

As the world’s first indoor family hybrid coaster and whitewater river raft ride, “NightFlight Expedition” will take guests on an unforgettable journey through the Smoky Mountains to search for bioluminescence in the nation’s most-visited national park. During the five-and-a-half-minute experience, guests will soar on a nighttime flight over the scenic Smokies, enjoy a thrilling whitewater rafting excursion through more than 500,000 gallons of surging water, traverse a mountain ridge on a roller coaster, and navigate a mysterious shimmering lake by boat.

“I’m just so proud that Dollywood has grown so much in its first 40 years that we’re able to add a ride like NightFlight Expedition,” Dolly Parton shared via video during the ride’s announcement. “We’re always trying to take the natural beauty of the Smokies and make it part of everything we’re doing in the park, and they’ve definitely been able to do it with this ride.

“A lot of people ask me about my favorite season in the Smokies, but no one ever asks me what my favorite time of day is. Our new ride sends you out into the mountains at night, which is the time that I think they really come to life!”

“NightFlight Expedition,” which features a 39-inch height requirement, will be located inside a 44,000-square-foot, temperature-controlled facility, allowing it to operate independently of the Smoky Mountain weather.

For more information about “NightFlight Expedition,” visit Dollywood.

Courtesy of Groups Today.

Photo courtesy of The Dollywood Company.