With Buc-ee’s generating the bulk of the buzz in Murfreesboro this month, Tennessee travelers can keep in mind they have another notable new roadside destination worth visiting. Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop, located off Interstate 65 in Cornersville, combines the necessities of a highway stop—fuel, restrooms, a place to walk and stretch, and snacks—with a mix of Dolly Parton memorabilia, Southern cooking and country music, becoming a unique modern roadside attraction and fueling station of its own.
In fact, the stop has now taken on an unexpected, somber, historical significance. The country music legend attended the grand opening herself, in June of 2026, making it Dolly’s final public appearance. Her fans, family and followers would mourn her death just two months later.
But her legacy lives on in countless ways, just one being this travel stop with its shelves full of Dolly-themed merchandise, guitars hanging from the ceiling, and lots of food and places to take a break from a drive.
About an hour south of Nashville, at Exit 22, the sprawling stop is an appealing destination for road-trippers heading toward Alabama, a convenient break for professional truck drivers, or a pilgrimage for devoted Dolly fans who want to immerse themselves in the world of one of Tennessee’s most famous daughters.
Aerial Photos by Jared Ambrose / Ambrose Signature Visuals
Outside, a tour bus and painted decorations with butterflies and musical symbols reinforce Parton’s colorful, joyful style before visitors even walk through the doors of the country music attraction / gas station and convenience store.
The operation offers motorists gasoline, diesel and electric charging stations.
There’s also a dog park where canine travelers can burn off some energy.
Inside, grab a quick cup of coffee—at the Cup of Ambition Coffee shop—a pastry, barbecue sandwich, or cinnamon bread, or sit down and stay a while at the restaurant. There’s also an ice cream counter and an upstairs bar and entertainment area.
The store carries an assortment of Dolly-themed goods, including shirts, books, records, souvenirs, cooking supplies and decor, adorned with her signature butterfly—there are plenty of ways to take a piece of Dolly home with you.
One of the biggest distinctions between Dolly’s and the familiar Beaver-themed travel stops is the opportunity to sit down for a full meal. The property includes a full-service restaurant serving Southern-style food (separate from the barbecue counter and coffee shop for travelers looking for something quicker or to-go).
Additional photography by Sarah Mayo
The buffet offers a solid selection of Southern comfort food you might expect at a country grandmother’s kitchen table, an assortment of casseroles, vegetables, fried pork chops and a salad bar. There was a creamy Cajun sausage-and-rice dish, along with a ground-beef casserole featuring peas and a hint of sweetness.
Pile up the green beans, and the fried squash was quite good, even if it had softened a little by the time a visitor got to it, not quite straight out of the fryer. And, banana pudding.
Overall, the spread was satisfying and fast comfort food—a rarity for interstate travelers, considering the endless fast-food-chain sprinkled exits. All you can eat! Fuel up before embarking on a long trip, or when returning to Tennessee lacking the energy or time to prepare a proper dinner.
The restaurant hosts live music throughout the week; visit dollystravelstops.com for performer schedule.
One reviewer said the food, ice cream, service and upstairs bar were all reasons to visit Dolly’s. Others praised the atmosphere and selection of Dolly-themed souvenirs. Some of the few criticisms involve the food or merch prices.
The restaurant is only one part of the experience. Upstairs, a bar and entertainment area provides an additional place to relax. The venue has a distinctly different feel from the Buc-ee’s convenience-store format, offering more room to sit, eat and relax, without so much hustle and bustle.
Another important note: Dolly’s welcomes big rigs.
“We Love Truckers!” the travel stop’s website proclaims.
The stop has showers, a laundry area, a lounge, and truck supplies for sale, with professional long-haulers in mind.
The travel stop advertises approximately 200 parking spaces for trucks and RVs, plus another 200 for personal vehicles, situated a bit outside of the busy Nashville metropolitan area, making it a popular spot for truck drivers.
For Dolly fans, however, the main attraction may be the opportunity to experience a little of the singer’s world in a remote Tennessee setting. For everyone else, the food, entertainment, shopping, dog park and artwork make it an interesting alternative to the usual interstate stop.
If your travels take you south on I-65, consider an exit at Cornersville on the way to or from your destination.
It’s not just gas pumps with a gift shop, in true Dolly fashion it goes almost over the top and delivers a real celebration of the life, legacy, music and Tennessee heritage of the beloved Dolly Parton.
Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop
I-65 Exit 22
3686 Pulaski Hwy., Cornersville, Tennessee
Store open 24 hours
Restaurant hours: Sun.–Thurs. 6 a.m.–9 p.m.; Fri.–Sat.: 6 a.m.–10 p.m.
931-293-4171
dollystravelstops.com
