Tags: Hershey Park
Hershey Convention Hall
Throughout its history, Hershey has been a well-known destination for entertainment. After the Hershey Chocolate Factory opened in 1905, the town soon emerged as a popular regional destination. Visitors came to explore the model town and enjoy Hershey Park and its growing number of amenities. In 1914, Hershey’s weekly newspaper, the Hershey Press, announced that […]
Cultivated for Pleasure: History of Hershey Conservatories
Landscaping and beautification of grounds and property was always a priority for Milton and Catherine Hershey. The community of Hershey was noted for its extensive garden beds, as well as the lush lawns and trees that were planted throughout Hershey. Catherine Hershey took particular responsibility for the gardens surrounding their home, High Point, personally supervising the placement and […]
Hidden Collections: Hershey Senior Citizens Writing Project
Did you know that the Hershey Community Archives includes records of local businesses and organizations? In addition to caring for the corporate records of Milton Hershey’s businesses, we also seek to preserve the history of the Hershey community and actively collect the records of organizations such as the Hershey Rotary Club, the Volunteer Fire Company, People […]
HersheyArchives@30, Part 17: Meet You at the Movies – “Seeing Wonders”
While he did not make use of print or radio media advertising, Milton Hershey was interested in promoting his model town and its amenities and attractions. He believed that the town and the chocolate business were intertwined and promoting one benefited the other. Milton Hershey was an innovator and was inspired by new ideas and […]
HersheyArchives@30, Part 9: Hershey Zoo – From Angora Goats to Zebus
Within five years of Hershey Park’s official opening additional attractions were introduced in the Park to supplement and enhance the guest experience. An amphitheatre, bandstand, dance hall, photograph gallery, and bowling alley were part of the Park’s expansion; and in 1910, Hershey Zoo. Franz and Louise Zinner, who moved to Lebanon, Pennsylvania from Heisenberg, Germany […]
HersheyArchives@30, Part 8: Destination = Hershey, PA
Throughout its history, Hershey has been a well-known destination for entertainment. After the Hershey Chocolate Factory opened in 1905, the town soon emerged as a popular regional destination. Visitors came to explore the model town and enjoy Hershey Park and its growing number of amenities. In 1914, Hershey’s weekly newspaper, The Hershey Press, announced that a […]
Riding the Rails: Hershey Park’s Miniature Railway
When Hershey Park first began operating, it was a community park with picnic tables, playgrounds for children, ball fields, a bandstand, a small concession stand and a pavilion that was used for vaudeville style performances, dances and other events. Visitors came to enjoy a picnic, stroll the paths along Spring Creek, listen to a band concert and […]
Looking Back: Hershey Park Kiddie Week
Rides specially designed for children began to be added to Hershey Park beginning in 1926. That same year Hershey Park featured its first Kiddie Day. Children 12 years old and younger could register and receive a ticket that would give them free rides and special treats. In 1929 Hershey Park expanded its Kiddie Day to an entire Kiddie Week […]
It’s Wonderful Good: Hershey’s Dutch Days
Hershey’s first Pennsylvania Dutch Day was held on August 27, 1949. It grew out of a Pennsylvania Dutch language class held during the winter of 1948-1949 as part of the Derry Township evening school. Upon completion of the course, the class suggested holding a gathering in Hershey Park that summer to thank leaders responsible for […]
Strike Up the Band!
Summer in Hershey means concerts. This past weekend the Dave Matthews Band came to Hershey, bringing traffic and tens of thousands of fans to our community. Presenting internationally recognized stars, such as Dave Matthews, is nothing new for Hershey. Our community has been a destination for top performers since the early 1910s. The Convention Hall, […]
A Window to the World: Hershey Park Zoo
Until the mid 20th century there were relatively few wild animal collections in the United States. Not surprisingly, zoos were a “big city” attraction. Large urban areas had the resources and the potential audience to support such an exotic and unique attraction. Some of the United States’ best known zoos, such as the Philadelphia Zoo (1874), […]
Hershey Park: Bigger and Better. The Dentzel Carrousel
Hershey’s first merry-go-round was so successful that Milton Hershey soon decided that the Park needed a larger, more impressive carrousel. In 1912 Milton Hershey bought a new $10,000 carrousel for the park. This time he acquired one of the best carrousels that money could buy from William Dentzel of Philadelphia. Dentzel, who was known as “the Carrousel King,” […]
Summer Fun: Hershey Park Swimming Pools
Hershey Park’s first concrete swimming pool was added in 1911. Completed in the fall, the pool served as an ice skating rink that winter and opened for its first swimming season in 1912. The pool was a popular destination and attracted 1000s of visitors both as users and spectators. A few years later the pool […]
Working in Hershey, Part 2
Finding work in Hershey was a simple matter during Milton Hershey’s lifetime. Hershey established a central employment bureau in 1915. From its inception until his retirement in 1962, it was managed by one man, John R. Zoll. This centralized system enabled Hershey to easily relocate employees from one division to another as needed. John Zoll was well […]
Bigger and Faster: Hershey Park’s Comet Roller Coaster
The end of World War II was celebrated at Hershey Park with the addition of a new roller coaster, the Comet. Opening for the 1946 season, the Comet replaced the 1923 Wild Cat roller coaster. Like the park’s first coaster, this one was designed and constructed by Herbert Schmeck and the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. One unique feature of this […]
The Chocolate Factory is Just a Short Ride Away
By the late 1960s, traffic on Chocolate Avenue during the summer months was overwhelming. Tourists wanting to tour the Chocolate Factory and visit the park often created traffic jams. Downtown parking was limited. To ease congestion Hershey Estates and Hershey Chocolate Corporation agreed share the costs of constructing a Monorail that would link Hershey Park and downtown […]
Taming “The Wild Cat”
Hershey celebrated its 20th anniversary in 1923, and Milton Hershey’s present to the town was a roller coaster. Initially, Hershey Park’s first roller coaster was called “The Joy Ride.” Within a short time its name was changed to “The Wild Cat.” The Wild Cat was nearly a mile in length and it had “more dips […]
Cooling Off in the Summertime
For almost 60 years swimming at the Hershey Park Swimming Pool was a popular destination for visitors and local residents. Today, for many people, seeing the Lighthouse across the street from Chocolate World and the Hersheypark entrance evokes memories of swimming in the “giant” swimming pool, meeting friends, and teenagers staying late to listen the […]
Swinging to the Strains of Harry James
Hershey Park Ballroom was a popular venue for Big Bands during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Virtually every nationally known Big Band played at the Park Ballroom, making it the leading dance floor in Central Pennsylvania. Dancing was sometimes a problem in the ballroom, despite its 190 foot length and 40 foot width. The crowds […]
Wish You Were Here…
The early 1900s saw a surge of popularity for postcards. The hobby of collecting picture postcards became the greatest collectible hobby that the World had ever known. The official figures from the U.S. Post Office for their fiscal year ending June 30, 1908, cite 677,777,798 postcards mailed. At that time the total population of the […]
Seeking Thrills: Hershey Park’s First Roller Coaster
Hershey celebrated its 20th anniversary in 1923, and Milton Hershey’s present to the town was a new roller coaster for Hershey Park. Named the Wild Cat, it was nearly a mile in length and it had “more dips and deeper dips than any of like construction in America.” It was put into operation on June […]
Batter Up! Baseball and Hershey
Hershey and baseball have been together for over a century. Soon after the opening of the Hershey Chocolate Factory in 1905, the community’s first baseball team was assembled by John Snavely. Hershey fielded more than one baseball team, particularly after the Y.M.C.A. was established in 1910. In addition to local community teams, there was also […]
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