The history of Hersheypark begins with the founding of the town of Hershey in 1903. Milton Hershey, the owner of the Hershey Chocolate Company, surveyed a nearby area of land, which was to become a leisure park for the employees of his chocolate company. People began visiting the grounds of the future park in 1904 and 1905, while the park's first pavilion was built in the fall of 1905. The park was formally opened on May 30, 1906, when it opened as Hershey Park. The park slowly added rides until 1923, when the first roller coaster, the Wild Cat, was built. From then on, rides were regularly added, except during World War II. The park was redeveloped into Hersheypark in 1970, through a multi-phase project. Since then, it has added ten roller coasters, expanded to over 110 acres, and features many other attractions including shows with sea lions, well-known acts including Weird Al Yankovic and Duff Goldman from Charm City Cakes in the Hersheypark Amphitheater, and a short-lived laser light show.
1903-1906: The formation of the town and park On January 26, 1903, it became publicly known that Milton S. Hershey made the decision to build a chocolate factory on the farms to the south west of Derry Church and Spring Creek, Pennsylvania. Hershey acquired over 400 acres of land in his initial purchase, which also included water rights to Spring Creek. The land straddling along Spring Creek, and the land north to nearby Union Deposit, was not included with the initial purchases. Having control of the water rights to Spring Creek, Hershey gained control of Brecht's dam, which was to be "converted into a lake for boating and other purposes of recreation for the town and Mr. Hershey's employes [sic]."
In mid-1904, Hershey offered a $100 prize to the person who suggested "the most suitable name" for the new town. The prize was awarded to Mrs. T.K. Doyle of Wilkes-Barre, PA on September 1, her submission being Hersheykoko. The name wasn't to take official effect until mid-1905. However, by that time, the "koko" part of the name fell out of use and on June 1, 1905, the newborn town was officially named Hershey. At the same time, Hershey and several business partners, involved with the chocolate company, created the Hershey Trust Company, which would become the owner of the future amusement park after Hershey's death in 1945, and the Hershey Improvement Company, which would later be merged with the park and other non-chocolate related operations to form Hershey Estates.
With the chocolate factory and the relocation of the Hershey Chocolate Company to Hershey completed in June 1905, construction of infrastructure in the town began to accelerate, and development of a recreational park began. In the fall of 1905, a pavilion was constructed on an area of town designated as West End Park, or more commonly, Hershey Park; this was the area of the designated park grounds Hershey already owned - he was intending to purchase the remainder. It was just the hill that formed the southern side of the hollow which Spring Creek ran through. The pavilion, constructed by James Putt, was built on the northern edge of the hill, which provided an overlook view of the hollow and surrounding area. The pavilion was completed before the winter season took hold, as to be ready for the opening of the park in 1906. At the same time, Harry Haverstick, Hershey's gardener, was tasked with preparing walkways, trees and other plant life for the winter season, also to be prepared for opening the park in the spring of 1906.
In February 1906, Hershey purchased the land from John H. Nissley which is known as Hersheypark today: the purchase included the land straddling Spring Creek in the hollow, as well as all but a few tracts of the land from the north side of Spring Creek all the way to Swatara Creek in nearby Union Deposit. Today, this land encompasses where the Giant Center, Hersheypark Arena and Stadium, as well as the former air park which is parallel to Hersheypark Drive. In March 1906, the athletic field was surveyed out by the players for the Hershey baseball club, a field which remained in that spot until the construction of Carrousel Circle in the winter of 1972.
1906–1970: Hershey Park
1905–1922: The early years
The original park was a simple nature park featuring Spring Creek, gorgeous landscaped gardens, and many walking paths for his citizens. He also added a structure for entertainment like dancing and roller skating, and helped institute a community band to perform there. The family-oriented park included children’s playgrounds, picnic pavilions, and baseball and athletic fields added in 1905. Spring Creek soon became a scenic boating lake. The park was a beautiful place in nature for all to enjoy, and even had impressive nighttime lighting. Hershey, PA’s growth and increased visitors to the town instilled a need for the park to evolve into an amusement park. A trolley was instituted in the place, as well as the park’s first ride in 1908: a used carrousel and band organ, and an amphitheater followed in 1909. Soon, the park began expanding each year. The carrousel, bandstand, and restaurant were enlarged in 1912, and a Convention Hall followed three years later. The very first roller coaster, Wild Cat, was introduced for the 20th anniversary, and the amusement park fad in the 1920s added a bumper cars ride and the Mill Chute water flume. After this period, although the Great Depression cast its shadow on the park, more new attractions and the Hershey Arena and Stadium were added.
1923: The Wild Cat
To celebrate the town of Hershey's twentieth anniversary, Milton Hershey ordered a roller coaster from the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC). Hershey chose not to purchase the roller coaster, but rented the land that the ride was built on to PTC. The ride opened on June 23, 1923, as the Joy Ride. It was changed to Wild Cat several years later and operated through the 1945 season when it was torn down and replaced by Comet.
1924–1945: To the end of an era A small Ferris wheel and the Airplane Swing were the first two kiddie rides added to the park, both in 1926. The Skooter were added to the park during the 1920s. In 1929, a complex of four swimming pools was added, and the original pool was drained. Because that space was opened up, the old bath house was converted into a funhouse (later called Whoops) and The Mill Chute was installed. Despite the Great Depression, Hershey Park flourished. In 1931, the park's first dark ride, the Pretzel, was opened. In 1933, a penny arcade and a circular ride called the Bug, were installed. A petting zoo soon followed. Renovations were made to the Wild Cat roller coaster in 1935 to build up the dips and to more steeply bank the curves.
The 1937 season saw the addition of a Mangel's Whip, which was called Whipperoo. In 1941, Hershey Park bought a ride from the New York World's Fair, which was an instant success when it opened. They called it the Aerial Joy Ride, and it marked the last ride the park added until 1945. Due to the United States entrance into World War II, and the subsequent war rationing, the park was prohibited from adding new rides or attractions. The Hershey Park Zoo shut down in 1942 as a result of the war as well (and it did not reopen until 1950).
In 1943, Hershey Park remained closed for almost the entire season due to the gas shortages related to the war. This was the first time the park hadn't been open on Memorial Day or the Fourth of July. The park remained closed until September 18, when it opened with a show in the Hershey Park Ballroom starring musician Bobby Sherwood. It was the last time the park hadn't been open on either holiday.
However, the park was able to maintain the rides it had, so they remained in relatively good condition. However, Wild Cat was declining throughout the period, and once the war ended, Hershey began to look for the next roller coaster. In the 1944 season, the park reached an agreement to purchase a used carousel built by PTC in 1919. (It still operates in the park today, with music from a 1926 Wurlitzer model #153 Military Band Organ.) The carousel was the last ride Milton Hershey purchased and saw in operation as he died that year. However, he had reached an agreement with PTC to build a new roller coaster to replace Wild Cat for the 1946 season. It would be the largest roller coaster in the nation.
1946–1959: Post Milton Hershey, World War II growth In 1946 the wooden roller coaster Comet replaced Wild Cat. It was Milton Hershey's last purchased ride before he died. In 1949, the park added a new section to the park, called Kiddieland. Kiddieland featured 7 kiddie rides, including two new ones: a Kiddie Horse and Buggy ride and a Lucas Motor Boat ride. Twin -high Ferris wheels were added the following season in 1950. In 1952, the park added a kiddie ride called Miniature Train. The ride still operates in the park, . After a few seasons of not adding rides, a kiddie Turnpike was added in 1955.
+ Hersheypark in 1955+Thrill rides Adult rides Year installed Miniature Railroad 1910 Mill Chute 1929 The Pretzel 1931 The Bug 1932 The Whip 1937 Auto Skooters 1938 Aerial Joy Ride 1941 Carrousel 1945 Comet 1946 Cuddle Up 1947 Twin Ferris Wheel 1950+Kiddie rides Name Year installed Ferris Wheel 1926 Airplane Swing 1926 Sailboats 1929 Automobiles 1935 Horse and Buggy 1949 Lucas Motor Boat Ride 1949 Miniature Train 1952 Kiddie Turnpike 1955
1960–1970: Decline of the park Despite the growth of the park in the immediate years following World War II, it began to slow down after the addition of Kiddieland in 1949. From 1950 through 1959 the park only added four rides, and it was a full decade after the Twin Ferris wheels were installed that Hersheypark added its next adult ride: Turnpike. The Dry Gulch Railroad was added a season later in 1961, a complement to the 50-year-old Miniature Railroad. The former featured a live steam powered 4-4-0 locomotive, named "Nellie", built for the park by Crown Metal Products. In 1962, the park replaced the Aerial Joy Ride with Starship America, which is still in the park as of 2011. In 1964, the park added a kiddie ride, Wells Cargo, and a thrill ride, Flying Coaster, located near the main entrance of the park. In 1965, the park added a number of kiddie rides to Kiddieland, including Dizzy Drums, Traffic Jam, Helicopters and Space Age. Skyview and Tip-Top (later removed in 1980) were installed in 1966. The Monorail was added in 1969. In 1970, the Rotor was added.
Despite these investments, the park's overall decline continued, with decreasing staff members, resulting in more litter and vandalism, the latter particularly increasing due to the park's ungated layout. The park would require a far more extensive investment, essentially a complete redevelopment, in order to avoid closure...
So starting with the 1971 season, they chose to reimagine the park.
1971–present: Hersheypark
1971: Gating the park
A five-year redevelopment plan was started in 1971 to convert the regional amusement park Hershey Park into a large theme park called Hersheypark, as it is known to this day. This five-phase project was orchestrated by Randall Duell. The park was gated in 1971, and a one-price admission plan was started, which coexisted with a pay-as-you-ride general admission policy. The initial price for the one-price admission plan was $3.50 for "adults" (ages 12 and up), or $1.75 for "juniors" (ages 5–11). Children ages 4 and under entered for free. The general admission plan charged "adults" $1.00 to get through the gate, "juniors", $.50, while children ages 4 and under were free. This plan allowed people to enjoy live entertainment and any non-ride facility; if they wanted to ride rides, they had to purchase tickets just like any season prior. This was the only season the park had the general admission plan.