Hershey PA was founded by candy magnate Milton S. Hershey who envisioned a sort of utopian township where healthy, educated, and well-paid workers lived and worked in safe and happy communities and when you visit Hershey PA you can understand why some consider it “the sweetest place on earth”. It’s truly that wholesome!
Milton was an orphan who worked hard and eventually established a successful caramel business. He became interested in chocolate after attending the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 and declared that “the caramel business is a fad”. In 1900, he used the $1 million dollar proceeds from the sale of his caramel business to purchase farmland northwest of Lancaster PA that had large supplies of fresh milk needed to produce fine milk chocolate. He didn’t invent milk chocolate but his genius was in perfecting a recipe that could be mass produced in unprecedented quantities that then made it affordable for everyone! By 1903 he began construction on what would become the world’s largest chocolate manufacturing company.
Milton was also part of a group of forward-looking entrepreneurs who believed that providing better living conditions to workers, resulted in better work. He believed that building a community with good schools, good housing at affordable prices, and creating places for outdoor recreation, and enjoyment of the arts (theater, music, and art) nurtured workers and their families, which in turn nurtured business.
As profits poured into Hershey’s chocolate business, he built a model city around the rural factory – tree lined streets, handsome homes, public transportation, and first-rate public schools. He built the nation’s largest private zoo, a sports arena, beautiful botanical gardens, a community theater, and sponsored sports teams. For Milton and his wife, developing the Hershey PA community became a lifelong passion along with their orphanage called the Hershey Industrial School. He died with very little personal wealth by establishing trusts that continue to support the town and the Hershey Industrial School which to this day, offers superb boarding-school education to more than 1800 elementary and secondary students. A major medical and medical teaching center was also built in Hershey from the endowment.
There are so many things to see and do in Hershey including:
- Hershey’s Chocolate World – A massive candy store and mock factory tour.
- The Hershey Story Museum – Milton Hershey’s personal story, including the creation of Hershey Chocolate, the development of Hershey PA, and his philanthropic endeavors.
- Hershey Park – A large amusement park with over 70 different rides including a roller coaster and amusement park.
- Zoo America – An 11 acre zoo with of over 200 animals.
- Hershey Gardens – 23 acres of botanical gardens, which also includes a butterfly atrium.
- Hershey Theater – This venue hosts musical acts, Broadway productions, dance shows, etc.
- Hershey Symphony Orchestra – Symphony concerts are performed here.
- Giant Center and Hershey Park Stadium – These two large venues have sporting events and shows.
- Hershey Trolley Works – This downtown public transportation trolley also has historic tours.
As part of our Harvest Host membership, we stayed at the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum. This is a vintage car, motorcycle and bus museum affiliated with the Smithsonian. The museum is very reasonably priced, could easily take you a half-day to get through, has wonderful displays, unique cars including a special display of Tuckers, and a quiet, flat, picturesque place to park your RV for an overnight stay to boot! It wasn’t Milton Hershey’s creation, but put it on the must-do list!
RV – New & Old 
Overnight Spot
Not knowing how many activities Hershey had to offer, we scheduled just over 24 hours in the area, so decided to use our time to visit Hershey Chocolate World (to “taste the love”) and the Hershey Story Museum so we could learn about Milton Hershey’s town concept and philanthropy.
After visiting Hershey, I felt like Milton achieved his utopian dream. The town is friendly, cheerful (or at least full of pathologically outgoing people), clean, bright, has Hershey Kiss street lamps, and yes, I would conquer, is “the sweetest place on earth”. Good job, Milton Hershey!
