Dollywood shuts down two newly acquired amusement parks permanently

Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation , the owner of Dollywood, has announced plans to close their two amusement parks in Georgia.

Malibu Norcross, an arcade and go-kart amusement park in Gwinnet County and Mountasia family park located in Cobb County, Georgia will face permanent closure after being involved in decades of business.

These two aforementioned amusement parks were acquired by Hershend Family Entertainment Corporation in May, 2025 when the company purchased Palace Entertainment’s 24 parks and places of attraction in the US.

Besides Malibu Norcross and Mountasia, the amusement parks located in Pennsylvania, including Dutch Wonderland and Kennywood are operated by Herschend Family. Earlier, these were owned by Palace Entertainment.

Dollywood is jointly owned by Herschend and Dolly Parton through her Dolly Parton Productions entertainment company.

“These centers have played an important role in their communities, and we’re incredibly grateful to the hosts who’ve created so many joyful memories for families,” said Andrew Wexler, Herschend CEO, in a statement to WSB-TV.

The permanent shutdown of the amusement parks will bring a drastic change in the $5 billion family entertainment industry in the US and give a blow to family-oriented entertainment.