Starting today, visitors to Hershey can take advantage of a great deal when they visit The Hershey Gardens and The Hershey Story.
To celebrate Milton Hershey's September birthday, both attractions are offering a "buy one, get one free" coupon for admissions between September 1 and October 15. Buy one admission to the Gardens and get an admission to The Hershey Story free—or vice versa. Click here to download a PDF version of the coupon, and enjoy a fun off-season day in Hershey!
In just a few weeks, the Milton Hershey School will launch a series of events to celebrate its 100th anniversary.
Well before his death, Milton S. Hershey and his wife Catherine decided to create a boarding school that would educate orphan boys. On November 15, 1909, the childless couple signed the Deed of Trust creating the Hershey Industrial School.
In 1915, Catherine Hershey died; three years after that, Milton Hershey made the decision to leave his entire estate to the school. The school was renamed the Milton Hershey School shortly after Mr. Hershey's passing, nearly three decades later. The Hershey Trust Company bears the responsibility of administering the trust for the school; the trust's assets are estimated to exceed $6 billion.
Today, the Milton Hershey School is thriving, educating and caring for more than 1,700 boys and girls from Pre-K through Grade 12, all of whom reside on campus. Alumni are fiercely loyal to the school and to Mr. Hershey's legacy.
Whether you're planning a vacation to Hershey or you just want to learn more about Chocolatetown, U.S.A., you'll want your own copy of Hershey: A Guide to the Town Built on Chocolate.
The book, which is available at Amazon (pre-order now for significant savings!), was penned by Patriot-News entertainment columnist Sara Bozich.
Milton S. Hershey was born 151 years ago today. To celebrate his birthday, Milton Hershey School students will be passing out cupcakes at Chocolatetown Square today from noon to 1:30 p.m. Fretwork will provide the birthday music.
Does anybody out there remember the New Coke fiasco?
Because The Hershey Company is making the same mistake, although in a less splashy sort of way. The company's chocolate products have been on a long trudge toward mediocrity lately as more vegetable oils and milk fat were added to replace the more expensive cocoa butter, and as PGPR snuck into the ingredients list.
There's been no Big Change and no expensive ad campaign trumpeting the different formulation. But more and more, people are noticing the Hershey bars and Kisses they buy today just don't taste like they used to. Cybele's troubling feature on CandyBlog illustrates the changes in bar weight and price, and addresses the ingredients changes as well. There's a depressing list of the recent changes in many Hershey products from chocolate to "mockolate," and a valid criticism of The Hershey Company's web site, which is rarely up-to-date and does an inadequate job of communicating to consumers.
But the most troubling paragraph in Cybele's analysis comes near the end:
In our house, where we have two chocolate-crazy kids (who are fourth-generation Hershey natives, by the way) and two foodie adults, we've stopped buying the inferior Hershey's products. We have chocolate in the house less frequently, but when we do, it's real chocolate. Sure, we stick with Hershey's products, but we end up paying the extra dollar for Dagoba or Scharffen Berger chocolates. We talk often about how the chocolate used to taste, and we wonder if Hershey would be better served to introduce a "Hershey's Classic" line -- Hershey bars and Kisses that recall the good old days, when chocolate was...well...chocolate.
What’s the building with the dome?
It’s a Hershey landmark, a curiosity to visitors and the symbol of Milton Hershey’s most important legacy. The building with the dome is Founders Hall at the Milton Hershey School, an imposing white marble structure that stands tall on the school’s main campus as a tribute to its founder.
Founders Hall was opened in 1970, constructed over a three-year period as a monument to the school’s founders, Catherine and Milton S. Hershey. As breathtaking as the building can be in daylight, Founders Hall is even more impressive after dark when its massive dome is lit.
In addition to its administrative offices and 2700-seat auditorium, Founders Hall is home to the MHS Visitors Center, a must-see for tourists to our town. The Visitors Center is open from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. year ‘round, seven days a week (except for school holidays). Visitors are welcome to roam the rotunda and view a 15-minute video about the school and its founder, and a host is on duty to answer questions. No reservations are required, and there is no admission fee.
