For 35 years, Dolly Parton’s Dollywood protected bald eagles; after a storm damaged their sanctuary, the birds are moving to a new 50-acre campus

For 35 years, bald eagles had a special place at Dollywood, where the American Eagle Foundation’s Eagle Mountain Sanctuary introduced generations of visitors to one of America’s most recognisable birds. The long-running Dollywood partnership, associated with Dolly Parton’s Tennessee theme park, combined wildlife education with hands-on conservation work and helped bring the story of bald eagle recovery to millions of people. Now, the sanctuary’s future has changed after a storm damaged the facility in 2026. The non-releasable bald eagles that lived there are being permanently relocated to the American Eagle Foundation’s 50-acre conservation and education campus in Kodak, Tennessee. According to the foundation’s August 2026 update, the move marks the end of an important chapter at Dollywood, but not the end of the conservation partnership. The birds will continue receiving care while Dollywood and the foundation maintain their shared commitment to educating visitors about bald eagles and other birds of prey.Dollywood’s 35-year partnership helped protect bald eaglesThe partnership between Dollywood and the American Eagle Foundation began in 1991, creating a conservation relationship that would continue for more than three decades. Through Eagle Mountain Sanctuary, visitors could see bald eagles and learn about the threats that had once placed the species under serious pressure. The American Eagle Foundation says its work during this period included the successful release of more than 400 bald eagles into the wild. Its conservation efforts contributed to a much broader recovery that eventually saw the bald eagle removed from the US list of endangered and threatened species in 2007. In its August 2026 update, the foundation described the Dollywood relationship as an important part of its educational mission. The partnership allowed conservation messages to reach millions of people who might otherwise never encounter rescued or non-releasable birds.A storm damaged the bald eagle sanctuary at DollywoodThe future of Eagle Mountain Sanctuary changed after a storm damaged the facility in 2026. Rather than rebuilding the sanctuary as it had previously operated, the American Eagle Foundation and Dollywood chose to move the non-releasable bald eagles permanently to the foundation’s larger 50-acre conservation campus in Kodak. The American Eagle Foundation explained that the birds had already been receiving care at the campus following the damage. The relocation provides a new long-term home while allowing the organisation to bring more of its conservation, education and bird-care work together. Dollywood’s announcement also presented the move as a transition rather than an end to the relationship. While the sanctuary itself will no longer house the eagles, the birds’ story and the lessons surrounding their protection will continue through the foundation’s wider educational programmes.The 50-acre conservation campus will become the eagles’ new homeThe American Eagle Foundation’s 50-acre campus in Kodak provides considerably more space for its conservation and educational work. The organisation opened its current headquarters and educational campus in 2023 as a base for its mission of protecting birds of prey, caring for non-releasable animals and teaching the public about wildlife. Moving the bald eagles there gives the birds a permanent home while placing them within a broader conservation setting. According to the foundation, the campus will allow it to build on the legacy created through Eagle Mountain Sanctuary and expand its work in the years ahead. The relocation is therefore more than a response to storm damage. It represents a shift towards a larger conservation operation, where the care of rescued birds, public education and wildlife protection can be developed together on one dedicated site.Dollywood will continue its bald eagle conservation partnershipAlthough the bald eagles are leaving Eagle Mountain Sanctuary, the conservation partnership between Dollywood and the American Eagle Foundation is continuing. According to Dollywood’s announcement, the foundation will maintain its presence at the park through the Birds of Prey programme at the Wings of America Theater. Visitors will still have opportunities to encounter bald eagles and other raptors while learning about their biology, behaviour and conservation. Dollywood has described the 35-year relationship as an important way of helping guests develop a deeper appreciation for birds of prey and the natural world. The move therefore changes where the birds are housed without removing the educational connection between Dollywood and the American Eagle Foundation. The partnership’s next chapter will continue focusing on conservation awareness, ensuring that the legacy of Eagle Mountain Sanctuary remains part of the park’s wildlife story.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.