Dollywood Named To Forbes' America's Best Employers For Women 2026 List

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (Tuesday, August 4, 2026) — Dollywood Parks & Resorts has earned another top honor this season as Forbes has placed the company on its list of America’s Best Employers for Women 2026. Dollywood Parks & Resorts is the only theme park company on the list.

America’s Best Employers for Women 2026 is based on data collected through online surveys over the past three years completed by more than 140,000 women working for companies and institutions in the U.S. with at least 1,000 employees. Dollywood was classified in the Travel & Leisure industry list. Other companies in the segment included Expedia, Hyatt Hotels, Live Nation, Hard Rock International, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Hilton and Marriott. 

According to Forbes, “Survey respondents were asked how likely they were to recommend their current—and previous—employers, and if they’d recommend any employers they knew through their industry or through family and friends who work there. Participants also were asked to rate their current employers in areas such as pay equity, career development, parental leave, work-life balance, benefits for childcare or eldercare, and the company’s handling of incidents related to sexual misconduct and discrimination. Responses from the last three years were considered. Additionally, analysts researched the percentage of women in executive and board position at each company.” 

The full Forbes list can be viewed here. Dollywood earned a similar award from Newsweek earlier this year, being named to their America’s Best Workplaces for Women 2026 list in February.

The award joins a growing list of honors bestowed upon the park this season. The park also was named one of Newsweek’s Best Workplaces for Entry Level Employees, one of America’s Greatest Workplaces both nationally and in Tennessee, as well as one of Time’s Best American Private Companies.

Anyone interested in joining the award-winning team may view opportunities, as well as job descriptions and basic requirements for each position, at dollywoodjobs.com. Applicants can signify their interest in a position by following the online instructions to complete the application process. Several hiring events are scheduled for each Thursday in August at the Sevierville Civic Center. Thursday hiring events take place from 2 – 6:30 p.m. A hiring event also is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 8, at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa. The event takes place from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Applicants are encouraged to attend the earliest hiring event possible for the largest selection of available opportunities. 

Dollywood Parks & Resorts employees receive a variety of unique benefits including 100% free tuition through Herschend’s GROW U. program, access to the Dollywood Family Healthcare Center, along with complimentary Dollywood and Dollywood’s Splash Country admission for family and friends. Hosts are provided a free lunch every working shift and take part in Dollywood’s Park Perks program, which provides free or reduced admission to many regional attractions, theaters and experiences. A comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision, is available for qualified full-time employees. Dollywood also pays a portion of childcare costs for hosts whose children are cared for at an Upwards-affiliated provider. Numerous opportunities also are available to help employees develop leadership skills, including an apprenticeship program in conjunction with Walters State Community College.