Dollywood, Dolly Parton’s iconic theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, has officially reopened for its 40th season. While the rollercoasters and entertainment around the park are exciting, I can only think about one thing when I visit: cinnamon bread. The iconic treat is almost as popular as Parton herself and is a must-get item at Dollywood.

The origins of cinnamon bread can be traced back to Silver Dollar City, where it’s been a staple at the Branson, Missouri, theme park for generations. In 1977, the Herschend family, current co-owners of both Dollywood and Silver Dollar City, bought the theme park that stood on Dollywood’s current plot of land and changed the name to Silver Dollar City, Tennessee. In 1986 Parton became part owner of the park and rebranded it as Dollywood.

According to Dollywood and Silver Dollar City representatives, cinnamon bread was first served around the same time at at the Missouri and Tennessee theme parks. The recipes for both parks are very similar, though avid theme park fans love to compare the two to determine their favorite. 

What is cinnamon bread?

Cinnamon bread is a sweet bread that’s a unique mix of a cinnamon roll and monkey bread. At Dollywood, slits are cut into the top of unbaked bread loaves, then the entire thing is drowned in butter, sugar, and cinnamon before being baked in massive ovens. The baked breads are then served to guests with their choice of icing or Dollywood’s famous apple butter. During the theme park’s off season, from January to March, more than 200 jars of apple butter are made in-house a day to supply the park for the year.

Where to find cinnamon bread inside Dollywood

Luckily for theme park goers, there are two spots inside Dollywood to get cinnamon bread. The first is the Grist Mill, where guests can watch cinnamon bread be made while they wait in line to order the sugar-laden loaf. Additionally, Dollywood fans can find cinnamon bread at Spotlight Bakery right on Showstreet near the entrance to the park.

You’ll usually see lines at both locations, but don’t let that deter you. The lines move quickly and your patience is rewarded with a box of warm cinnamon bread with your choice of topping. I saw plenty of families walking around the park with a box of cinnamon bread nestled in the crook of an arm as they found a table, bench, or area out of the way to enjoy the treat as a group.

The Dollywood resorts, HeartSong and DreamMore, have cinnamon bread at grab-and-go cafes. Resort guests can also order warm cinnamon bread to their room nearly any time of day via room service.

All of these places use the same recipe, so you’re guaranteed the same taste no matter where you order your cinnamon bread. 

The best way to have cinnamon bread is Dolly’s way

Honestly, there’s no wrong way to enjoy cinnamon bread and no wrong place to get it. The real debate is what topping is the best. I had the chance to ask Parton how she likes her cinnamon bread, with icing or apple butter, and she gave the simple but resounding answer, “Yeah.” So I had to try Parton’s way with both: The sweet bread was even sweeter with icing but balanced out with the almost savory notes of the apple butter.

Parton continued, “I do love it all, and everyone talks about the cinnamon bread. I even took some back to the folks in Nashville working on my Broadway musical.” 

How to bring cinnamon bread home

Speaking of traveling with cinnamon bread from the park, it’s easy to bring a loaf or two home with you. I drove to Dollywood on my most recent visit, so I was able to bring as many loaves as I wanted home. Two of the three I bought actually ended up making it to my house in Florida. After purchasing the loaves in the park, I kept them in the mini-fridge at my hotel and then in a cooler bag for the drive home. After I arrived home, I put the loaves in the fridge to be reheated. The box has a QR code to scan revealing reheating directions for an oven or microwave. 

And don’t worry if you’re flying to Dollywood. Cinnamon bread can be put in your carry-on luggage. Just be sure to put it in a zip-close bag before putting it in your suitcase so the sweet cinnamon butter syrup doesn’t make your entire suitcase sticky.