Great-great grandfather was a stagecoach driver during the Gold Rush of 1849; father once owned the Las Vegas Thunderbird Hotel
Planned on becoming a ballerina, but bad knees prevented her from following her aspirations
Competed in the Miss America Pageant in 1960, after having been named Miss Nevada in 1959
Performed in more than 65 theatrical productions, including a national touring company production of They're Playing Our Song! Served as coproducer and star of the series Dawn Wells: Reel Adventures
In 1998, launched the Dawn Wells' Film Actors Boot Camp in Driggs, Idaho; it's geared toward those with a solid acting background looking to transition from the amateur to professional world
Owns her own clothing company, Wishing Wells Collections, which caters to the elderly and to people who are physically challenged
Is the founder and artistic director of the Spud Drive-in Film and Music Festival, in both Driggs, Idaho, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Served as President of the Idaho Film and Television Institute