March 24, 2023
It’s not hard to leave Dollywood with the perfect souvenir in hand. From t-shirts and sweatshirts embroidered with the park’s namesake to customized belts, Dollywood has so many unique keepsakes—items you can’t find anywhere else! You can even custom dip train-shaped candles as a reminder of your ride on the Dollywood Express. The possibilities for a one-of-a-kind souvenir are endless.
As a kid of the 90s, I remember the days of visiting Pigeon Forge and begging my parents for an airbrushed shirt. I would usually get a mountain scene with the dates of our trip, but I remember one particular summer trip when my best friend and I got matching butterflies to represent the time we had spent with our parents at Dollywood. I know it’s 2023 now, but I think we can agree that the 90s are back in style again. I decided to recreate some of that vintage magic by getting a new airbrush t-shirt at Dollywood to add to my collection.
Tucked in a small studio behind Blazing Fury and across from Tennessee Tornado, you’ll find the airbrush shop, ready to make your custom t-shirt, license plate or hat order. My friend, Lauren, and I decided that we wanted to get matching butterfly shirts to represent our trip, and our airbrush artist was wonderful to explain how the process worked. We began by going through their books of samples. While we were encouraged to choose within the templates offered, he did let us know we could make some small customizations if we wanted (like color and wording). The design I picked featured a few black birds, which I’m not a fan of, and he was able to take those off easily to make the design exactly what we wanted.
The cost of your own airbrush creation will vary based on your selections. Prices begin at $15 for your item and increase depending on what you choose.
Take a look at our designs being created!
After 30 minutes or so, our custom-designed shirts were ready. We were encouraged to wash them first before wearing, so we’re really looking forward to modeling our “Dollywood Insider” and “Plus One” shirts on our next visit to the park this spring!
We waited to watch the entire process, but if you are interested in your own design, you can place your order at the studio and return later in the day to pick up your item. We watched several people do this as we watched our design being created.
All Insiders
All Insiders
