Milton Hershey's Original 1906 Leisure Park, Now a Major Theme Park
100 Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, PA 17033
Research updated May 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$$
Standard theme park admission
Access
Wheelchair OK
Paved theme park grounds
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1906 · Founded by Milton S. Hershey in 1906 · Pennsylvania's most-visited theme park · Company-town leisure park heritage site
In 1903 chocolatier Milton S. Hershey returned to his birthplace in central Pennsylvania to build the world's first modern chocolate factory, and as he built the surrounding company town he also commissioned a leisure park for his employees. Hersheypark formally opened on Memorial Day, May 30, 1906 along the banks of Spring Creek, providing landscaped grounds, picnic areas, and boating and canoeing facilities for the families of Hershey Chocolate Company workers. Over the following century the park grew from a modest community amenity into a major regional theme park. Today Hersheypark is privately owned and operated by Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company and is the most-visited theme park in Pennsylvania, the ninth-most-visited in North America, and the largest US theme park outside Ohio, Florida, and California. The Comet, a wooden roller coaster, opened in 1946 and remains in operation.
Sources
Guest and staff folklore at Hersheypark centers on a few persistent themes: an after-hours maintenance figure said to be associated with the Comet wooden coaster, the carousel operating briefly without an attendant in the early morning hours, and a watchful presence some long-time staff identify as the founder Milton S. Hershey overseeing the park he created. These accounts are folklore shared informally among employees and park enthusiasts and are not endorsed or marketed by Hershey Entertainment and Resorts. The park does run seasonal Halloween programming (Hersheypark in the Dark) that is distinct from these informal stories.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Visit the historic theme park founded by Milton Hershey in 1906, now home to over a dozen roller coasters and a full slate of attractions. Folklore associated with the park is informal and visitor-shared.
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