Hersheypark Opens

In 1903, Milton S. Hershey purchased land about 95 miles west of Philadelphia that he named the town of Hershey.  Hershey’s intentions for the land were to create a leisure park for Hershey Chocolate Company employees.  The employee park was opened in 1905, but two years later, it would official open as Hersheypark.

On this day, April 24th, in 1907, Hersheypark was opened in Pennsylvania by Milton S. Hershey. The original park featured picnicking, boating, canoeing, and live music performances.  The park would quickly transition from a place of leisure to a full-fledged theme park.  Hersheypark introduced its first roller coaster in 1923 and the number of attractions quickly grew.  The 1970s witnessed a large scale revamping of Hersheypark with the introduction of the first East Coast looping roller coaster and the iconic Kissing Tower.

Hersheypark is still operational today and has approximately 2 million visitors per year.  Hersheypark currently has 67 rides and includes a water park, The Boardwalk at Hersheypark, and ZOOAMERICA – North American Wildlife Park.