Little Wheel | 1983

January 26, 2017January 26, 2017 / Harry Michelson / 1 Comment

This article is about a specific ride that operated at Hersheypark during the first Christmas Candylane in 1983. I will be writing more about that season of Christmas Candylane in the future.

In November 1983, Hersheypark started their second seasonal shoulder event, Hersheypark Christmas Candylane. One of the four rides to operate for the event was an Eli Bridge Company Little Wheel. It had six cars that could fit two children. It really looks like a miniature version of the Big Eli Wheel that Eli Bridge manufactures – both types of wheels continue to be produced today.

This Little Wheel was rented from the late Mr. Jake Inners of Majestic Midways. Majestic Midways had a good reputation for operating and renting safe rides. Gary Chubb, who booked Little Wheel, said he had gotten to know Mr. Inners through various ways of being in the amusement park industry; Mr. Inners was a trusted person and Majestic Midways was a trusted company.

This is a picture of Little Wheel from Christmas Candylane, November-December 1983. Photo courtesy of Hershey-Derry Township Historical Society.

Here is another picture of Little Wheel. Photo courtesy of Hershey-Derry Township Historical Society.

The reason why the Little Wheel was chosen was because it fit in the spot they wanted to use for a ride, between the guest services building and the Chocolate House in Tudor Square. Given Majestic Midways was nearby in York, about 45 minutes away, it was a good fit all around.

Little Wheel operated in November and December 1983. When Candylane further expanded into the park in 1984, the ride wasn’t needed.

As for the history of the ride itself, Little Wheel was purchased by Majestic Midways in 1983. The ride was rented for various events, such as what Hersheypark did in the first year of the ride’s existence. According to Majestic Midways, the Little Wheel was sold off in what was possibly a manufacturer’s trade in approximately 2008. It is unknown if the ride continues to operate today.

Special thanks to Hershey-Derry Township Historical Society, Neil Fasnacht, and Gary Chubb.

Haunted Harvest | 2004

October 27, 2016March 10, 2017 / Harry Michelson / Leave a comment

With various haunted attractions available within close distance of Hershey, Hersheypark didn’t try their hand at having a haunted attraction in Hersheypark. That changed in 2004 when park management decided to have one. This attraction was Haunted Harvest.

I want to take a moment to thank Roy J. Brashears for his help with this article. His input and images are great to help bring back memories in this one-time event at Hersheypark.

Thanks Roy!

The Legend

In 2004, Hersheypark introduced a new event for Hersheypark In The Dark that was a haunted house walkthrough. Called Haunted Harvest, it featured a haunting storyline and was in the Wildcat and Pioneer Frontier Catering pavilions. Haunted Harvest was produced by Oak Island Productions (today called Oak Island Creative).

Haunted Harvest advertisement in the 2004 Hersheypark In The Dark guide.

Haunted Harvest on 2004 Hersheypark In The Dark map.

Haunted Harvest was comprised of three haunted zones, Fear House, Scream Acres, and Dread Shed. This was themed after The Legend of Cornelius Fields, a story created for Haunted Harvest.

The event had a fee of $18 per person. Guests could also buy a combination wristband that gave you unlimited rides and entry to Haunted Harvest for $33 per person. Guests had to be at least 16 years of age or older to enter the attraction.

The entrance of Haunted Harvest. Photo courtesy of Roy J. Brashears.

Fear House! Photo courtesy of Roy J. Brashears.

Scream Acres. Photo courtesy of Roy J. Brashears.

Haunted Harvest was open every day of Hersheypark In The Dark that season, with the park being open until 12 a.m. on some days, the latest the park had ever been normally open till. The event would open at 7 p.m. with the rest of the park opening earlier.

This video, produced by Oak Island, gives the backstory to Haunted Harvest
and shows you a walkthrough of the event.

No return

In April 2005, the park announced in a letter that the Haunted Harvest attraction would not be offered at Hersheypark In The Dark 2005.

The letter, which made its rounds on various online forums at the time, reportedly said:

“Hersheypark has decided not to offer the Haunted Harvest experience in
order to focus on attractions that target our primary audience, the
family. The Haunted Harvest event was executed flawlessly; the
creativity and work ethic exhibited went beyond expectation and we owe
a great deal of gratitude to you for making the event happen. We will
certainly miss the opportunity of working with all of you, but we do
hope to see you again at Hersheypark as a guest or as an employee.”

In an interview with Kathleen Daminger of LancasterOnline.com, from October 2010, Hersheypark public relations manager Kathy Burrows said, “The event didn’t go over. It was extremely well done and extremely scary. But that’s not what people want when they come here.”

To see more Throwback Thursday posts, click here.

History of Hersheypark In The Dark

October 13, 2016August 15, 2017 / Harry Michelson / 2 Comments

Hersheypark In The Dark is Hersheypark’s oldest shoulder season event. It was an event started two years after ZooAmerica opened. This is a look back at the history of this event.

Creatures of the Night (1980-present)

Originally started as a one night event on October 31, 1980, Creatures of the Night, is an annual event which occurs during the month of October in ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park. The attractions for the event include a flashlight tour, presentations of several movies, as well as animal demonstrations.

Starting in 1992, the event expanded into the Minetown region of Hersheypark (Kissing Tower Hill since 2014). Six rides were opened for operation: Antique Cars of Twin Turnpike, Convoy, Dinosaurs-Go-Round, Flying Falcon, Kissing Tower, and Red Baron. The rides required tickets. Creatures was renamed Creatures of the Night . . . Plus! for the 1992 season, to emphasize that the park was operating a few rides. The name reverted back to the standard Creatures name the following season.

A blog post written by the Hershey Community Archives, in 2012, features a map of Creatures from the 1992 season. Click here to view their blog.

It is unclear when Hersheypark began renaming rides for Creatures. Rides were not renamed in the 1992 season. In 1995, Trailblazer Hollow (which included two rides, Trailblazer and Pony Parade) was incorporated into the event. The area was themed for Creatures as Sleepy Hollow. It is most likely that the 1995 event is when the park began renaming rides after Halloween-themed names for Creatures.

Trailblazer Hollow, as Sleepy Hollow, would be open through 1997, with no significant changes being made to the event on the park side, in the 1996 season.

Advert from The Gettysburg Times, October 12, 1995, page A9.

For the 1997 event, the main entrance for Creatures was moved from the ZooAmerica entrance to the main entrance of the park, as Creatures was becoming a more popular event. In Carrousel Circle, only the Carrousel was opened (called Night Mares). Pippins, a restaurant in Tudor Square, was also open.

This led to a significant change to the event in 1998, splicing the main park into a new event.

Hersheypark In The Dark (1998-present)

In 1998, the event was split into two, with the name of the event becoming Hersheypark In The Dark (HPITD). The ZooAmerica event remained as Creatures of the Night. HPITD was a pay-per-ride event (which would be changed to a single fee at the main entrance in 2006).

The original Sleepy Hollow area was switched from Trailblazer Hollow to Comet Hollow. Trailblazer Hollow would be reopened for Hersheypark In The Dark in the 2000, with most of Pioneer Frontier (the water rides remained closed), as well as, officially, all of Carrousel Circle and Music Box Way (although some of the rides in Carrousel Circle and Music Box Way were operated and re-themed in the 1999 season, just not marked on the park map).

In 2001, with the addition of the NightLights Laser Show in Midway America, a laser show was put on during HPITD – FrightLights: A Laser Spooktacular. None of the rides would be open in Midway America officially until the 2003 season.

Directional signs at the intersection of Founder’s Circle and The Hollow, 2013. Photo courtesy of Shawn Marie Mann.

The first roller coaster put into operation for Creatures was Trailblazer, sometime between 1993 and 1995. It’s Halloween-themed name was “Ichabod’s Train.” In 1998, Trailblazer was not opened for the event in favor of Comet. As a result, Comet was given the name “Ichabod’s Train.” When Trailblazer was reintroduced to the event in 2000, it was given the name “Boo-Blazer.”

BOO-Blazer was the Halloween-themed name for Trailblazer from 2000-2014. Photo courtesy of Shawn Marie Mann.

Sign for Comet, 2013 Hersheypark In The Dark. Photo courtesy of Shawn Marie Mann.

A few other rides changed names over the course of Creatures / HPITD. One was an inflatable ride, Moonwalk, which was originally called “Scaredy Cat.” When Wildcat was opened for Hersheypark In The Dark in the 2004 season (the rest of Midway America was first opened in the 2003 season), Moonwalk was renamed “Boo Bounce” and Wildcat was given the name “Scaredy Cat.”

Another ride was Balloon Flite, which was called Balloon Flite during Creatures / HPITD. After the ride was reinstalled following it’s time in storage (2003-2004), the ride was given the name “Balloon Fright.”

Pony Parade was originally installed in Trailblazer Hollow before being relocated to Midway America in 1997. When Pony Parade was in this location when the “Sleepy Hollow” area opened in Trailblazer Hollow, the ride was called “Sleepy Hollow Horse Carts.” When the ride was reopened with Midway America in 2003 (except for Wildcat), it was renamed for HPITD – “Monster Movers.” The “Monster Movers” name had been previously used for Earthmovers, which had been removed after the 2002 season (it was relocated to Dutch Wonderland for the 2003 season).

When Whip was opened for HPITD, it was given the name “Spider’s Web,” which was the name given to Cyclops before it was removed from the park.

One ride was never renamed at all: The Howler. The practice of renaming rides for this event was discontinued after the 2014 season.

A list of all of the Halloween-themed names for rides can be seen here. A history of maps for Creatures of the Night and Hersheypark In The Dark are located in the Library Maps Database subsection of this website. There is also a timeline of Creatures / HPITD, which you can see here. Click the links to check them out.