For 35 years, bald eagles had a special place at Dollywood, where the American Eagle Foundation’s Eagle Mountain Sanctuary introduced generations of visitors to one of America’s most recognisable birds. The long-running Dollywood partnership, associated with Dolly Parton’s Tennessee theme park, combined wildlife education with hands-on conservation work and helped bring the story of bald eagle recovery to millions of people. Now, the sanctuary’s future has changed after a storm damaged the facility in 2026. The non-releasable bald eagles that lived there are being permanently relocated to the American Eagle Foundation’s 50-acre conservation and education campus in Kodak, Tennessee. According to the foundation’s August 2026 update, the move marks the end of an important chapter at Dollywood, but not the end of the conservation partnership. The birds will continue receiving care while Dollywood and the foundation maintain their shared commitment to educating visitors about bald eagles and other birds of prey. For the eagles, the relocation provides a new permanent home while allowing the conservation work that began at Dollywood to continue in a different setting. This enduring partnership demonstrates how conservation organizations can successfully adapt to unforeseen circumstances, ensuring meaningful wildlife education continues even as physical facilities inevitably change over time.
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