28
December
2018
|
09:00 AM
America/New_York

A Look Back at 2018 in Hershey

What a sweet year we had in 2018!

From new water rides and a new stage to anniversaries and our biggest announcement ever, here's a look back at some of our favorite moments at the Hersheypark Entertainment Complex:

Hersheypark

  • Our season officially began on March 30 with Springtime in the Park and we'll celebrate the end of 2018 with our Season Pass holders with a special event on New Year's Day, 2019. Be sure to grab a Season Pass with our free ticket offer to enjoy all 2019 has to offer!
  • There were plenty of new foods to try at the Park this year as we introduced food trucks and more sweet treats - what did you enjoy?
  • Did you know Great Bear marked its 20th anniversary delighting guests in May? Is it one of your favorites too?
  • Summer arrived with a splash as Memorial Day weekend marked the opening of two new family thrill attractions for The Boardwalk At Hersheypark water park – Breakers Edge Water Coaster and Whitecap Racer. Breakers Edge Water Coaster is the world’s first HydroMAGNETIC water coaster with flying saucer turns and the 14thcoaster at HersheyparkWhitecap Racer is the world’s longest mat racer. 
  • In August, we announced an exciting addition for next summer - Reese's Cupfusion! A brand new interactive dark ride, Reese’s Cupfusion merges the world’s love of chocolate and peanut butter with a dark ride experience and state-of-the-art, multi-level game player technology that has something for everyone. The new interactive attraction will be located in Founder’s Way and is slated to debut for Summer of 2019.
  • Hersheypark Christmas Candylane marked its 35th anniversary with new character experiences and family memories with 4 million lights, 45 rides and Santa's 9 reindeer. And Sweet Lights turned 15!

40 Years of ZooAmerica

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park celebrated its 40th anniversary the weekend of May 5-6 with various activities for the whole family. Founded in 1910 when Milton S. Hershey formally organized his Park’s growing collection of wild animals, the Hershey Zoo reopened to the public as ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park on May 7, 1978.

A New Stage

More than 60 incredible shows graced our diverse entertainment venues in 2018 and we rocked out on a new stage at Hersheypark Stadium. Read our full entertainment recap to relive the musical memories!

New Baby Arrivals

We were thrilled to welcome new additions to our family as a female Harbor Seal pup named Cocoa was born June 10 and we welcomed two sets of twin pronghorn at ZooAmerica

Hershey's Chocolatetown

In early October, we announced the largest investment in our company's history! Opening in summer 2020, Hershey’s Chocolatetown is a new region at Hersheypark where guests can eat, play, shop and gather year round as part of the development of 23 acres.

Hershey’s Chocolatetown will feature several marquee elements:

  • New Arrival Experience and Front Gate
  • 15th Coaster - Fastest, Tallest, Longest, Sweetest
  • Restaurant, Bar & Patio - Largest full-service themed restaurant in Hershey
  • Ice Cream Parlor and Confectionary Scratch Kitchen
  • 2,200-square-foot Starbucks® Store
  • Largest Kettle Corn location at Hersheypark
  • One-of-a-Kind KISSES Fountain
  • A new home for the Carrousel, turning 100 years old next year
  • Flagship Store with the largest collection of Hersheypark merchandise.

The investment of $150 million dollars into the 23-acre Hershey’s Chocolatetown development represents the largest capital investment and most transformative expansion in Hershey Entertainment & Resorts’ history.

We can't wait for 2019 and all the fun to be had - Happy New Year!