Parks. Thrills. Nostalgia.
After the 1972 season, Hersheypark had to figure out what to do with the empty space created by the loss of The Lost River, the park’s Philadelphia Toboggan Company Mill Chute flume ride, which was destroyed in the flood of 1972, which happened in late June of that year. Park management favored installing an electric
On February 6, 2017, pictures from 2004 finally resurfaced. These were images of the removal of Giant Wheel, which occurred in November 2004. The pictures were uploaded to the Hersheypark History Group on Facebook. The pictures were originally uploaded to a Webshots album at this link: http://community.webshots.com/album/208350197uIEtoK (this link redirects to the Webshots main page because
The featured image seen on social media posts is courtesy of Debra Brooks. The picture is dated circa 1990. Hersheypark Balloonfest was an event held in October of every year between 1989 and 2002. This event featured approximately 50 hot air balloons that launched from a field adjacent to the parking lots of Hersheypark. Hometown Hot
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
NightLights was a laser show installed in Midway America before the start of the 2001 season. Guests were able to view the show in the empty grass field in the region, one of the undeveloped spaces remaining after the expansion of Phase 3 and Lightning Racer in Midway America. The laser show remained in the
In 1983, Hersheypark introduced a new ride which replaced the Monster – Tilt-A-Whirl. The park also introduced a new restaurant – Tudor Rose Grill. This was the season following the introduction of two new rides in Spring Creek Hollow and the CinemaVision theater in Odyssey Alley – both regions were new named areas for 1982, but not
Today’s article is about the Midway America expansion Hersheypark underwent over seven years (1996-2002). This article provides plans which are on file for the public at the Dauphin County Recorder of Deeds Office. This is an overview of the expansion; there will be future articles about the rides in this area that will provide more
In 1969, Hersheypark received a donation from Reading Railroad Company – a rare red caboose. This caboose, #92938, was built in September 1942 – when steel was only allowed to be used for the war effort during World War II. As a result, this caboose was made out of wood, a material not otherwise used
In 1984, Arrow Huss, Inc. (the successor company to Arrow Development Company when Huss purchased Arrow in 1981) introduced the Magic Room. A version of the Magic Room was purchased by Hersheypark in 1986, and opened for the 1987 season. This was placed in the CinemaVision building. The ride operated such that the walls of the room
In 1983, Hersheypark decided to add a new theme area to the park, continuing the expansion of the park beyond Dry Gulch Railroad, Cyclops, and CinemaVision, the area then named Odyssey Alley. The plan called for adding the new themed area over the following two seasons, adding some new rides and relocating some existing rides.