Jukebox Junction is one of Dollywood’s eleven beautifully themed areas, transporting guests back to the iconic 1950s as they stroll down a small-town Main Street lined with colorful storefronts and attractions. As a Dollywood Insider from 2021–2023, I had the opportunity to take a deep dive into the history and design of this unique land, which recreates elements of Dolly Parton’s hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee, and incorporates heartfelt tributes to important people in her life. Here I present to you my investigation. When you visit Jukebox Junction be sure to slow down and appreciate the thought and meaning behind this wonderful place.
The Pines Theater
The Pines Theater in Dollywood is one of the many venues in the park that hosts great theater performances and concerts. It’s most known for its Dreamland Drive-In and Twas the Night Before Christmas musicals. Did you know the Pines Theater in Dollywood is modeled after the Pines Theatre in Sevierville, Tennessee, where Dolly had her first public stage performance at age ten? In addition to Dolly, other legends of country music performed on this stage, including Bill Monroe, Roy Acuff, the Carlise Brothers and the Carter Family. When Dolly Parton and June Carter later shared a stage at the Grand Ole Opry, they reminisced the evenings they shared the stage at the Pines Theatre. Dolly also remembers going to see movies at the theater for 10 cents. Sevierville’s Pines Theatre’s building still stands to this day. It has been used as many things throughout the years and recently reopened as a unique gathering place with “an atmosphere of gaming, lounging, and competition, you, your friends, and family can enjoy indulging in great fun, food, beverages, conversation, and overall entertainment.” (www.thepinesdowntown.com)
Red’s Drive-In
Red’s Drive-In has become one of my favorite eateries in the park. You can dress up a burger to your liking with a self-serve toppings bar, and its sleek 1950s retro interior makes for a novel experience. I recently found out that Red’s Drive-In pays tribute to Red’s Cafe which opened in 1946 in downtown Sevierville, the same year Dolly was born. It is here Dolly had her first “store bought” burger. Young Dolly would also buy coffee at Red’s Cafe which helped keep her energized for her late nights of performing at the Pines Theatre. Paul “Red” Clevenger would cook up his burgers in a cast-iron skillet over a wood-burning stove, and he was known for his kindness and generosity. When a family ordered half-sized burgers for their kids, Red often would smile and say “they look like they could eat a whole burger” and would throw in an extra burger “on the house.” Although the original Red’s Cafe does not exist in Sevierville today, at its original site stands a large mural depicting Dolly being served her first burger by Red, and across the street “Red’s” has been resurrected as Red’s Soda Fountain & Ice Cream
Cas Walker’s Super Market
Tucked in a corner of Jukebox Junction, next to Lightning Rod, you will see a recreated store front of Cas Walker’s Super Market. Cas Walker was a businessman, politician, and broadcasting personality who hosted a radio and then television show, in part to promote his chain of supermarkets that extended from Knoxville, across Tennessee, to Virginia and Kentucky. Cas Walker is credited for helping Dolly start her career, as Dolly performed regularly on his show starting at age 10. She often sang jingles to promote the store and its products.
Rockin’ Roadway
One fun attraction for all ages is the Rockin’ Roadway. Here you can board a miniature 1950s style convertible, each with its own radio playing 50s hits and cruise along a themed roadway. The entrance to the attraction is themed as a car dealership and shop. A sign reads “Watson Motor Company.” This too was once a real business in Sevierville. Dolly says, “I remember going to town and seeing all those cars at the Watson Motor Company. We didn’t have a car when I was little. Daddy couldn’t afford one. Finally, Daddy bought a car and would take us to church on Sunday evening and Wednesday night prayer meetings. That’s when I started signing in church.”
Judy’s Luggage and Millinery
On the Main Street of Jukebox Junction, next to the Pine’s Theater is a faux storefront of Judy’s Luggage Millinery. The name is a nod to one of Dolly’s best childhood and lifelong friends, Judy Ogle. You may remember her as little Dolly Parton’s friend portrayed in the Coat of Many Colors and Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love movies. She has served as not only a confidant, but an assistant on many of Dolly’s film projects including Christmas on the Square, Heartstrings, and A Smoky Mountain Christmas. Why Luggage and Millinery one may ask? Well, she has been credited for wardrobe on a number of productions, and she has really helped Dolly go places, so perhaps such a shop title is fitting.
Howard’s TV Repair
Also on Jukebox Junction’s Main Street another storefront reads Howard’s TV Repair. This pays tribute to Howard De Caussin who served many years as Dollywood’s vice president of maintenance and construction. Upon his passing in 1995, Dolly wrote a song titled after him which she delivered to his widow. Until the recent renovations and creation of The Dolly Parton Experience, in the flowerbed outside DreamSong Theater, you could find a plaque in memory of Howard.
Lightning Rod
Dollywood broke records with Lightning Rod. When it first opened in 2016, Jukebox Junction’s resident roller coaster was the first wooden launch coaster in the world and the fastest wooden roller coaster at 73 mph. It’s a thrill for sure. Like everything in Jukebox Junction it relates back to Dolly’s early life in Sevierville. She says, “Lightning Rod reminds me so much of those colorful cars cruisin’ up and down Main Street in downtown Sevierville back when I was in high school. I remember all those souped up cars…” (dollyparton.com)
Has any of this sparked your interest in Jukebox Junction? Come experience it for yourself and appreciate the well thought out theming and tributes. If you are interested in learning more about the stories behind Jukebox Junction’s attractions and theming, take the time to read the infographs on the walls in Red’s Drive-In and signs in the lobby of the Pines Theater in Dollywood.
Written by Joshua Hodge. Originally published Jan. 25, 2023. Revised Nov. 21, 2025
Josh Hodge blog 