Experience The Beauty of 3,000 Blooming Roses at Hershey Gardens
New This Year: The Catherine Hershey Rose
June is National Rose Month, and what better way to celebrate than to visit Hershey Gardens—and experience 3,000 blooming roses?! In celebration of National Rose Month, individuals whose name is Rose will receive free admission during June with presentation of ID. Rose can enjoy the roses—and so can everyone else!
The Catherine Hershey Rose
Among the 115 stunning varieties on display, visitors can get a glimpse of the recently introduced Catherine Hershey Rose. The rose honoring Milton Hershey’s wife, Catherine “Kitty” Hershey, was a joint collaboration between Hershey Gardens and the Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning (CHS). Fitting for an individual who had a penchant for horticulture, the Catherine Hershey Rose pays tribute to an influential woman in Hershey history whose compassion for children led to the creation of the Hershey Industrial School in 1909, which is now known as Milton Hershey School (MHS). With regard to establishing the school, Milton Hershey was often quoted as saying, “It was Kitty’s idea.”
*Photos courtesy of Hershey Community Archives
Long blooming and pest resistant, the Catherine Hershey Rose is a pale peach color and emits a spicy citrus scent; it is featured in the Historic Hershey Rose Garden and alongside the M.S. Hershey Rose in the M.S. Hershey Tribute Garden at Hershey Gardens. The American Rose Society honored Milton Hershey and his support of roses by naming a rose after him in 1940. The Catherine Hershey Rose will also be planted at all CHS locations and on the MHS campus.
“Mr. Hershey created a rose garden in 1937 for his community to enjoy,” said Amy Zeigler, senior director of Hershey Gardens. “And now, for the first time, it features a rose that’s named after his beloved wife. The Catherine Hershey Rose, with its peach-pink petals, looks beautiful next to the vibrant red M.S. Hershey Rose. Like the two individuals they represent, they’re a great complement to each other.”
Besides these two special rose varieties named after Mr. and Mrs. Hershey, there’s a vast assortment of floribunda, grandiflora, shrub, climber and tea roses at Hershey Gardens—all of which are a sight to behold and in bloom all summer long.
Hershey Gardens Butterfly Atrium
During your visit, be sure to step inside the indoor tropical Butterfly Atrium, where you’ll experience hundreds of colorful butterflies from around the world. Hershey Gardens is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the summer. For tickets and additional information, please visit HersheyGardens.org.
