PIGEON FORGE, Tenn., July 10 (UPI) -- Country music icon Dolly Parton Monday announced the construction of a $17.5 million steel roller coaster at her Pigeon Forge, Tenn., theme park Dollywood.
The 1,811-foot Mystery Mine ride is the largest capital investment in the history of Dollywood. The 2 1/2-minute ride will be set in an abandoned coal mine.
"I've had to keep my big mouth shut about the Mystery Mine, but I can tell you now, it's the most exciting thing to come out of these hills in a long, long time," Parton said in a news release. "And I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve that I'm still not telling you about until it opens at Dollywood next year, but I can guarantee you it's well worth the wait!"
Thrill-seekers will experience an 85-foot, 95-degree vertical drop in addition to a "heart-line roll" and a "rollover loop" or double inversion, consisting of an upward half-loop and a half-roll.
The Mystery Mine roller coaster is scheduled to open in the spring of 2007.
