Parrot Mountain owners find paradise
By Stephanie Edwards
“Little Paradise” is a phrase that keeps coming up at Parrot Mountain in Pigeon Forge.
In 1995, Fletcher Hollingsworth heard a message from God, telling him
to leave his home in Mississippi, move to Tennessee and open a
sanctuary for birds that would also serve as a ministry. “In my vision, I saw a place in the mountains with birds, and I saw scripture. I felt led to go. I didn’t have any money, but the financing came,” Hollingsworth said.
Hollingsworth began looking for a site for his “Little Paradise,” and another vision came to him.
“I was told to go the mountain on McCarter Hollow Road, near Dollywood. I drove by and happened to see a real estate sign laying in the ditch,” Hollingsworth said.
“I was told it was off the market so I went to the courthouse and looked up the owner’s information. Her phone number had the same last four digits as my mother’s. I called her, and she said ‘you must be the man I am supposed to sell the land to so I will finance it however you want.’”
The former owner also told Hollingsworth about a spot on the mountain that her father called “Little Paradise.”
Coincidentally, this is the name of the Thomas Kincaid stone staircase Hollingsworth purchased and placed at this exact spot, the entrance to the attraction.
Hollingsworth and his wife, Isabella, began laying out the attraction, selecting the location of the bird displays and plaques that highlight Bible verses and the Ten Commandments. They have been told that from an aerial view, the layout looks like an open Bible.
“We did not plan for that. We just came up here, and God led us
to each spot where he wanted us to place the birds and the
scripture,” Isabella Hollingsworth said.More than 350 birds live at the sanctuary, with nearly 150 different species from the smallest parrot, the Parrotlet, to the largest parrot, the blue hyacinth.
These beautiful creatures are inside cages or left out in the open on covered perches. Some greet visitors by saying hello, and others mimic the sound of a ringing cell phone. Most of them are very friendly and love attention from visitors.
Anyone who is wanting an up-close-and-personal experience with the birds can feed the lory parakeets nectar from a small cup. More than 10 of these birds flock to and land on whomever is holding the nectar.
The birds draw large crowds at a time during peak tourist seasons, but
when the guests leave Parrot Mountain, they realize that there is more
to the attraction than just the zoological aspects. “This is not just an attraction, it is a sanctuary for endangered and unwanted birds, as well as a healing ministry. People come here and say there is a peace about this place. It’s because of the Lord,” Isabella Hollingsworth said.
“While they are educated about the birds, they are fed by the scripture. We opened the attraction to help the birds and spread God’s word. This is a great place to come and relax and be at peace with the Lord.”
Parrot Mountain is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from March through October.
Admission is $14.95 for adults and $7.95 for children ages 2-11.
For more information, call (865) 774-1749 or visit www.parrotmountainandgardens.com.
