19 for ’99: Tennessee Tornado at Dollywood

Welcome to another entry in our “19 for ’99” series where we’re showcasing 19 roller coasters that opened in 1999. Today, we take a “spin” on Dollywood’s Tennessee Tornado, the triple-looping steel roller coaster and one of the final creations of the legendary coaster manufacturer, Arrow Dynamics.

Photo © Dollywood

The best description of Tennessee Tornado is possibly one from Dolly Parton herself in the original Tennessee Tornado press release:

This ride has big features and curves, just like me!

Thunder Express Evades a Tornado

Before Tennessee Tornado touched down at Dollywood, there was another storm-named roller coaster in its place: Thunder Express, an Arrow Dynamics mine train.

Dolly Parton stands in front of Tennessee Tornado’s precursor, Thunder Express. Photo © Dollywood

The park closed and removed Thunder Express in 1998, but its station was spared and reused for Tennessee Tornado in a cost-cutting move. Thunder Express now operates as Big Bad John at Magic Springs in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Tennessee Tornado Announcement

Dollywood announced Tennessee Tornado in June of 1998. After the success of the giant Daredevil Falls log flume in 1998, the park and its guests were hungry for another thrill ride.

The coaster was the work of the now-defunct Arrow Dynamics, which at the time was a leader in the roller coaster manufacturing industry. Alan Schilke designed the coaster’s layout. He would later go on to design Dollywood’s Lightning Rod wooden coaster as a consultant of Rocky Mountain Construction.

Tennessee Tornado concept art from 1998

At a cost of $8 million, Tennessee Tornado’s 2,682 feet of track would include a 128-foot-drop through a mountain followed by three inversions (although the original press release listed four).

It would reach a top speed of 63 mph (despite what the informational sign above says).

Much of the coaster was built during the park’s off season in late 1998 and early 1999.

The coaster was unique in that it was one of Arrow’s few coasters to feature tubular steel supports rather than scaffolding-style supports.

A Tornado Hidden in the Hills

While twisters are relatively rare in the Great Smoky Mountains, they are not unheard of.

In fact, Tennessee Tornado’s backstory is based on a real tornado that struck Dolly’s hometown when she was a child. As the storm swept through the valley where she lived, Dolly’s mother put her and her siblings under a table with blankets. After the tornado passed, they emerged from the house and saw the destruction that was left behind.

The area surrounding the coaster is dotted with tornado-ravaged items, such as the remnants of a wagon strewn across a tree.

And don’t forget the milk and butter wagon.

The theme as a whole is a lighthearted take on what was likely a very traumatic event for Dolly and her family.

But unlike most tornadoes, Tennessee Tornado can be hard to spot. One of the things I love most about Dollywood is how its hilly terrain and dense treeline shields many of its largest attractions from view. Only from certain elevated vantage points can you see Tennessee Tornado’s giant loop peaking above the trees.

Tennessee Tornado Ride Experience

Tennessee Tornado’s expansive station — appropriately covered in storm debris — is perched atop an arcade.

The imposing building looms over the point where Craftsman’s Valley meets Wilderness Pass.

Photographer: Coasterman1234 at Wikipedia

When it was built, the entrance to Tennessee Tornado was at the dead-end of Craftsman’s Valley. The sign above was removed once Craftsman’s Valley was connected to Wilderness Pass when the Wild Eagle wing coaster opened.

Now a sign on the side of the station instructs riders where to enter.

The switchbacks in the queue house are rarely full, but there are plenty of witty posters to help pass the time should you find yourself in line on a busy day.

The traditional Arrow train seats 28 riders in seven cars with four seats each. I prefer the front row for its unobstructed view, but the forceful ride that the back half of the train offers is just as fun.

The train departs from the station slowly, gaining momentum thanks to a small dip out of the station.

The train then makes a 180-degree turn before entering the coaster’s maintenance bay. If only one train is in operation, you’ll see the other train parked on a parallel section of track, surrounded by spare parts and tools. A looping audio track of echoing, whistling winds suggests that a twister isn’t far away.

The train dips again as it exits the maintenance building and veers right. Riders come face-to-face with the towering lift hill that is partially hidden by trees — depending on the time of year.

The ascent to the top is slow, offering plenty of time to look at the twisted mess of steel to the left of the lift hill.

The train crests the top of the lift hill, reaching its peak height of 163 feet. The train drops off the lift hill and gains a respectable amount of speed as it maneuvers through another 180-degree turn.


The train climbs slightly before plunging into a dark tunnel cut into the side of a hill. The 128-foot drop leads into one of the most visually striking elements on any Arrow coaster — the 110-foot-tall “spiro loop.”

The spiro loop is the largest inversion on any Arrow coaster. Where the company’s traditional loops are small and snappy, Tennessee Tornado’s loop is more graceful with longer “hang” time.

This large tree in front of the loop makes photographing the inversion difficult, especially when the tree is covered in leaves.

A visit to Dollywood during the winter or early spring months will provide you the best view.

After exiting the spiro loop, the train maneuvers through the first of two banked turns.

Next, the train dives into the double-inversion “iron butterfly” element — a loop followed by a sidewinder that creates the appearance of a butterfly’s two wings.

Photo courtesy of Dollywood.

It’s a fitting name, as the butterfly is Dolly Parton’s favorite insect.

The two inversions are very forceful. It isn’t uncommon for my vision to “gray out” briefly.

The sidewinder inversion leads directly into the second overbanked turn, which is one of the most visible (and therefore most photographed) angles of the ride. The train, with much momentum left to spare, enters the brake run at a blistering speed.

The ride is over in just over two minutes.

Tennessee Tornado On-Ride POV

Take a ride on Tennessee Tornado in the video below:


Was Tennessee Tornado Cut Short?

A rumor that Tennessee Tornado was initially designed to be much longer has persisted for years. Granted, the official Tennessee Tornado press release did describe the coaster as having four inversions and that the double-inversion Iron Butterfly would be followed by “several more loops and turns.”

Photo © Dollywood

But according to the longtime Dollywood employees I’ve spoken with over the years, Tennessee Tornado’s layout was never “shortened.” The park gave Arrow a set budget, and Arrow gave the park what they thought was the most efficient use of that budget. Concept designs for longer layouts may have been produced, but the final design was never reduced in length.

Photo © Dollywood

Could Tennessee Tornado have been longer? Sure. But I prefer a shorter ride that maintains its energy and pacing rather than a longer ride that crawls to the finish line.

My Thoughts on Tennessee Tornado

While I enjoyed my first ride on Tennessee Tornado, my love for the coaster has increased significantly in the 15 years since that ride. While many Arrow coasters have become significantly more rough over time, Tennessee Tornado has aged more gracefully. Now, a trip to Dollywood doesn’t feel complete without at least one ride on the Tornado.

Once the headliner attraction at Dollywood, Tennessee Tornado has since been overshadowed by the flashy and more visible Wild Eagle and the world record-breaking Lightning Rod. However, Tennessee Tornado still claims the title as the fastest steel coaster at Dollywood, edging out Wild Eagle by 2 mph.

As the number of classic Arrow looping coasters continue to dwindle, I hope that Dollywood will keep Tennessee Tornado open for many years to come.

Have you ridden Tennessee Tornado? Share your thoughts about the coaster in the comments section below.

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