Hersheypark’s most well known entrance was Tudor Castle. The castle – constructed between 1972 and 1973 – opened on May 20, 1973. It operated for its final time on January 1, 2019. Why a new entrance? Tourism was growing quickly in Hershey. The Hershey Company, then Hershey Foods Corporation, anticipated that they would have one …
One question that often comes up is over the years, what date was Hersheypark’s first operating day of the new year. Of course, the answer is not simple: Hersheypark has had its opening day on different days, whether it was May 30, April 21, March 30, or even July 3. Learn more about the Opening …
In 1997, Hersheypark expanded Midway America. One of the rides added was The Whip. Manufactured by Sarasota, Florida based Rideworks, Inc., this ride was an homage to the park’s first Whip. The back wall of Whip featured historic photos of Hersheypark. The picture to the left was of the Twin Ferris Wheels while the picture …
Charles Franklin Ziegler was born in Lancaster County, PA on August 17, 1884, to Frank and Ida Ziegler. Ziegler first met Milton S. Hershey in his childhood. According to a biography in the Lancaster New Era, he had seen Hershey walking through snow on Church Street, so Ziegler grabbed a shovel and cleared a path …
George William Bartels, born on January 19, 1898 and passed away on January 26, 1964, was the fifth general manager of Hersheypark. He served as general manager from 1949 until 1963, succeeding John Sollenberger. Bartels started his career with Hershey Estates (the original name of Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company) shortly after graduating as valedictorian …