Lucky 7 mine question (dollywood)

I recently went to dollywood and saw that the lucky 7 mine was closed i knew it was shuting down but i was just wondering what do you think will be there in its place?

Fill me in here... I visited Dollywood for the first time last summer (2004) and I don't recall the "Lucky 7 Mine". What is it? (I might just be forgetting it... or I might have seen it and didn't realize the name.)

The "Lucky 7 Mine" was mainly a mine themed gift shop that sold geodes, gems, and other such items. It also had a sluce to 'mine for gems' for the kids. It was located underneath the 'house' on the hillside which has not been used for many years. (Someone once told me it was a 'funhouse' type attraction that used to be in that building as well as a small Dolly Parton museum at one time). The 'mine' was on the ground floor and was pretty decently themed. It's still opened to pedestrian traffic, but, the store and sluce are closed.

The house was Inventor's Mansion and was closed once the park changed from Silver Dollar City to Dollywood. It was basically a funhouse and was similiar to the attraction by the same name that is located at Silver Dollar City in Branson. *** Edited 10/15/2005 2:10:46 AM UTC by Swoosh***

Does this one at SDC still exist? Have I been missing out?

^^It was actually called "The Inventor's Mansion", but yeah, I assume it was pretty much the same as Grandfather's Mansion still at SDC.

Anyway, the building was built in 1981 as the previously mentioned funhouse attraction. In 85/86 it was "gutted out" and turned into the original "Rags to Riches" Dolly Parton Museum.

Rags to Riches closed in 2001 and in 2002 the new Chasing Rainbows DP museum opened down near the entrance (in the vacated DJ Platters Cafe). The upper levels of the Lucky 7 Mine have been empty since then, and the gem shop in the cave didn't open for the 2005 season.

Currently the rockwork on the inside of the mine level is being removed, and the building's steel skeleton is visible. Probably won't be around much longer...

Xrae (member on this forum) could probably tell you about the original attraction itself, she visited the park during the SDC days.

Here is a photo I dug up from an old Silver Dollar City Tennessee guidebook. It shows the general Lucky 7 Mine area pre-Dolly. (At the time, the park's entrance was located under the train bridge next to the Grist Mill)

*** Edited 10/13/2005 3:42:37 AM UTC by Dukeis#1***

Wow, that brings back some memories. The last couple years, I found myself thinking about how much the park has changed from when I was younger - everything from where the entrance was to how the trees have really grown and filled in the once open areas like in the picture you posted.

Anyway, I remember seeing artwork this summer showing the proposed mine themed coaster for that area.

So the entrance WAS there! When I went to the park I thought that the area near the Grist Meal felt like the main gate area.

Grandfather's Mansion is still at SDC. In fact it will soon become Grandfather's Christmas Mansion at the beginning of next month. It is down the hill from Hannah's Ice Cream Parlor off the main square. (Down the stairs above the waterfall is the entrance).

As to your question Coastercraze, if you believe the rumors that have been going around for well over 5 years now the Lucky 7 mine is going to be the location of the station for a new coaster. The rumormongers say B&M invert that will extend out and around the back of the buildings of the village and country fair areas. Whether this will hold true or not is totally up in the air.

My own personal opinion is that they will continue their expansion up the valley to connect Thunderhead Gap and the back of Craftsmans Valley. And if the rumors hold true for that expansion, then everything new will be in that area for the next 5 or so years. I have it on good authority too that this will be the area to watch too. Pete Owens (DW PR Head) told me himself when Thunderhead was being built to watch this area.

Thanks to all who replyed,and thanks for the history of dollywood(sdc). I have been living in tennessee for about 8 years now and I didn't know that.