Dollywood’s theme park is closed on Tuesday, August 25, and Thursday, August 27, 2026, according to the park’s live calendar. Splash Country stays open those two days, while several surrounding weekdays flip the opposite way with the theme park open and the water park closed.
If your Smokies trip is built around roller coasters, shows, and the Dollywood Express this week, do not assume every ticket day is a theme-park day. Recheck the calendar before you buy, and decide whether a Splash Country day, a Pigeon Forge fill-in day, or a date shift is the cleaner move.
- Park: Dollywood theme park, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
- Theme park closed: August 25 and August 27, 2026.
- Splash Country those days: Open 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Also note: August 24, 26, 28, and 31 show Splash Country closed while the theme park operates.
- Source: Dollywood Parks and Resorts calendar for August 2026.
What the official calendar shows this week
According to the Dollywood Parks and Resorts calendar, August 25 lists the theme park as closed and Splash Country as open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. August 27 repeats that pattern: theme park closed, water park 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The same calendar row for August 24, 26, 28, and 31 shows the theme park open 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. with Splash Country closed. August 29 and 30 show both parks open. Hours remain subject to change, which is why the calendar page, not a screenshot from last month, is the traveler authority.
Dollywood also posts a downloadable 2026 theme-park operating calendar PDF from the same calendar page for season-wide planning. Use the live daily calendar for the final August 25 and 27 check, and keep the PDF as the season overview when you are still choosing which week to visit.
Visitor discussions on Dollywood planning groups have been asking why August 25 and 27 are dark for the theme park. The practical answer on the public calendar is simply “Park Closed” for those theme-park days. Regulars describe late-August Tuesday and Thursday closures as a recurring shoulder-season pattern after schools return, not a surprise one-off outage.
How to rebuild a Smokies day around the closures
A family holding nonrefundable lodging for August 25 should treat Splash Country as the on-property option if water slides fit the group, or shift the theme-park day to August 24, 26, 28, 29, or 30 while those dates still show the theme park open. Do not buy a theme-park ticket for a closed calendar day and hope the gate overrides the schedule.
If your group wants coasters and the Express more than the wave pool, pick an open theme-park date first, then book lodging and dinner around that date. Deep Arrival’s Dollywood park map is the right next planning page once you know which day the theme park is actually operating.
Travelers who already bought a flexible date ticket should confirm whether the product can move to an open day without a penalty. Date-specific tickets are less forgiving. If the ticket is locked to August 25 or 27, call Dollywood Guest Services before you drive to the gate.
For a closed theme-park day that still keeps you in Pigeon Forge, a ranked city list such as things to do in Pigeon Forge is more useful than sitting in the parking lot hoping the hours change.
Splash Country and two-park ticket math
Splash Country being open on August 25 and 27 does not rescue a theme-park itinerary. It does rescue a water day if that is what your group actually wants. Confirm whether your ticket is theme-park only, Splash Country only, or a two-park product before you count on either gate.
On days when Splash Country is closed and the theme park is open, the reverse trap appears. A water-focused itinerary built for August 24, 26, 28, or 31 needs a date change or a different attraction. Read the calendar cell for both parks, not just the first park name you recognize.
Height-restricted riders should still check ride rules on an open theme-park day. Deep Arrival’s Dollywood height requirements guide helps you decide whether an open park day is worth the ticket for the youngest traveler in the party.
What comes after these late-August dark days
Dollywood’s Harvest Festival and Great Pumpkin LumiNights already sit on the calendar later in the season. Deep Arrival covered that run in Dollywood Harvest Festival and Great Pumpkin LumiNights Run September 14 Through October 31. Late-August midweek closures are a separate planning problem from the fall festival ticket decision.
NightFlight Expedition’s August opening stream is also separate. If you came for that attraction, confirm it is operating on your open theme-park day rather than on a closed Tuesday or Thursday. Closure days remove the whole theme-park product, not just one show.
Resort guests at DreamMore or HeartSong should not assume a hotel stay includes theme-park entry on a closed calendar day. Confirm tickets and park hours in the Dollywood app the night before, and again before you leave the resort shuttle line.
Who should act this week
Same-week visitors with fixed lodging for August 25 or 27 should choose Splash Country, move the theme-park day, or rebuild the day in town. Visitors still shopping tickets should avoid locking a date-specific theme-park ticket to those two closed days.
Groups with toddlers may prefer the open Splash Country days if heat and water are the priority. Groups chasing coasters should concentrate spend on August 24, 26, 28, 29, or 30 while the live calendar still shows those theme-park hours.
Annual pass holders should still verify hours. A pass does not open a park the calendar lists as closed. Screenshot the calendar cell for your visit date so the whole group is working from the same schedule.
If your trip can flex by one night, shifting arrival or departure to protect two open theme-park days usually beats forcing a closed Tuesday or Thursday into a premium ticket plan. Build dinner reservations and show interests only after the park day is confirmed open.
Keep refreshing the official calendar through the week. Dollywood states park hours are subject to change. A clean plan today still needs a final check the morning you drive into Pigeon Forge.
| If you are | What to do next |
|---|---|
| Visiting August 25 or 27 for coasters | Move to an open theme-park day or accept Splash Country only. |
| Holding a date-specific August 25 ticket | Contact Guest Services before you travel; do not assume walk-up entry. |
| Wanting water slides August 24, 26, 28, or 31 | Those calendar cells show Splash Country closed; pick another date. |
| Staying on property with kids | Confirm which park is open before you board the resort shuttle. |
| Still booking the week | Anchor lodging to two confirmed open theme-park days first. |
- Ticket: Do not buy a theme-park day for August 25 or 27 while the calendar lists those days closed.
- Water park: Splash Country is the on-site option those two days if slides fit the group.
- Lodging: Protect at least one open theme-park day on either side of the midweek closures.
- Morning of: Recheck the Dollywood calendar and app before you leave the hotel.
Late-August midweek closures are a schedule fact, not a rumor thread. Use the official calendar as the source of truth, rebuild the itinerary around open theme-park days, and keep Splash Country and in-town Pigeon Forge as deliberate backups rather than last-minute surprises at the gate.
Print or screenshot the August grid for your travel party so nobody books a show dinner against a closed park day. If you are coordinating multiple households, assign one person to own the calendar refresh each evening. That single habit prevents the most expensive mistake of the week: a paid theme-park ticket pointed at a dark gate.
Drivers coming from Knoxville, Asheville, or Atlanta should also watch traffic and parking plans on the open days that absorb displaced demand. When Tuesday and Thursday go dark, Wednesday and Friday banks can feel busier. Arrive earlier than your usual Smokies routine and keep a flexible lunch plan inside or near the park.
If your trip spans into September, re-open the calendar for the first week of the month as well. Shoulder-season patterns can repeat, and a September Tuesday or Thursday may not match an August Saturday. Treat every visit date as its own cell until the park publishes a different hour set.
Is Dollywood’s theme park closed August 25 and 27, 2026?
Yes. The official Dollywood calendar lists the theme park closed on both dates, with Splash Country open 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. those days.
Can I still visit Splash Country on those days?
The calendar shows Splash Country open August 25 and 27. Confirm your ticket type covers the water park before you go.
Which nearby dates show the theme park open?
As of the current August calendar view, August 24, 26, 28, 29, 30, and 31 list the theme park open, with Splash Country closed on several of those weekdays.
Do hours change without notice?
Dollywood says park hours are subject to change. Recheck the calendar and the Dollywood app the morning of your visit.
