Dolly Parton shares health update as she announces new Nashville museum

Dolly Parton is opening up about her recent health struggles while announcing plans for a major new museum celebrating her life and career in Nashville.

The country music icon, 80, told PEOPLE on August 21 that she has been going through some "hard times with my health" but remains focused on her work. Parton said she is dealing with health issues that she had previously neglected while caring for her late husband, Carl Thomas Dean, who died in March 2025 at age 82.

"It's not like I haven't been through hard times with my health," Parton said, recalling that she spent several months dealing with health problems in the early 1980s. She added that she is "still healin'" but is also "still workin'."

The update comes after Parton missed the August 14 opening of Dollywood's new NightFlight Expedition ride. Instead of attending the event in person, she appeared in a video from her home in Nashville and explained that her doctor had advised her not to travel because she had been experiencing dizziness and dehydration.

Parton has also previously spoken about undergoing medical treatments and experiencing side effects that left her feeling "swimmy-headed." In May, she cancelled her previously postponed Las Vegas residency, telling fans that she was responding well to medication and treatment but needed more time before she would be ready to perform onstage.

Despite those health setbacks, Parton has continued working on a number of projects, including the new Life of Many Colors Museum, which she describes as the largest exhibition dedicated to her life anywhere in the world.

The museum will open in downtown Nashville as part of Parton's new SongTeller Hotel, which is scheduled to welcome guests in September 2026. The museum will occupy the building's third floor and will give visitors a closer look at Parton's life, career and personal history.

Parton said she knew she had found the right location after discovering a copy of her book Songteller in the lobby while touring the building.

"I saw a copy of my book Songteller in the lobby of what once was this office building," she told PEOPLE. "After touring it and seeing the location, I knew this was it."

Rather than creating another bar or entertainment venue in downtown Nashville, Parton wanted the space to offer something more personal. The result will be a hotel and museum combining her connection to the city with memorabilia and stories from her decades-long career.

The museum is just one of several projects Parton is developing while she continues recovering. She is also working on a new line of dog treats with Purina and is finally bringing her long-planned Cup of Ambition Coffee to life with Community Coffee. The coffee, inspired by the phrase from her song "9 to 5," is expected to become available for nationwide online shipping in September.

Parton's health has remained a subject of public concern in recent months, particularly after her cancelled Las Vegas shows and her absence from the Dollywood ride opening. She has nevertheless continued to reassure fans that she is improving and staying busy.

Earlier this week, Parton also accepted the ACM Honors Poet's Award virtually, telling viewers that songwriting has always been her "therapy" and "release."

While she has not publicly disclosed a specific diagnosis behind her current health issues, Parton has been candid about the fact that she is still recovering. For now, she says she is continuing to work while taking the necessary time to heal, with the new Nashville museum among the projects she is most excited to share with fans.