Milton Hershey School Touches Throughout Hershey's Chocolatetown

Hershey Entertainment & Resorts (HE&R) is proud to help fulfill the dream of our founder, Milton S. Hershey, by providing value to Milton Hershey School (MHS) in its mission of helping students lead happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives - just as Mr. Hershey intended. 

While many of our guests may know the special connection we have to MHS, they may not realize the new Hershey's Chocolatetown region at Hersheypark features special projects worked on in partnership with MHS students through the Hershey Project Pathways program (HPP).

Project Background

At MHS, students enroll in one of 12 career pathways as part of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. The pathways include Agriculture/Natural Resources, Business/Financial Management & Accounting, Electronic Media & Journalism, Culinary Arts/Restaurant Management Services, and Computer Science & Innovation. The CTE curriculum gives students the opportunity for hands-on work in the classroom, and via internships and apprenticeships. HE&R is proud to partner with MHS for the HPP program as students are matched with HE&R team members whose careers align with the CTE pathway.

Over the last two years, MHS students and their HE&R mentors have worked on projects with a focus on our newest region of Hersheypark, Hershey's Chocolatetown. Some of the HPP MHS students even joined us for the Hershey's Chocolatetown groundbreaking event!

Check out some of the work these students have completed in Hershey's Chocolatetown.

1. Ride Elements

This year, three new dining experiences opened in Hershey's Chocolatetown and if you look closely, you'll see work completed by the HPP students.

Guests visiting The Chocolatier Restaurant, Bar and Patio will notice some elements from the Hersheypark ride collection on the second-story patio. An antique car from the Twin Turnpike attraction and three Fender Bender cars were refurbished by automotive technology students. They are located next to the patio bar. Guests can sit in them and take photos while enjoying one-of-a-kind views of Hershey's Chocolatetown.

2. Carpentry Project

Additionally, carpentry students from MHS crafted a pair of 10' long tabletops from rough-cut white oak to create twin Founders Tables in the dining room of The Chocolatier. Guests can enjoy lunch or dinner from those tables, which are located near large arched windows that provide an incredible view of the Carrousel and the Candymonium hypercoaster.

3. Culinary Offerings

MHS culinary students, in collaboration with The Chocolatier Executive Chef Rick Larsen and his team, also created the Chicken & Waffles entree found on The Chocolatier menu. The signature dish is inspired by one of Mr. Hershey's favorite dishes when he used to visit the Park. It has quickly become a guest favorite since the restaurant opened on Memorial Day Weekend.

On the first floor of the building below The Chocolatier is Milton's Ice Cream Parlor, which is inspired by Mr. Hershey's early ventures in sweetness that came before his famous chocolate factory. Expert Ice Creamologists craft custom creations from 100% local dairy house-made ice cream, Hershey’s candy toppings, decadent sauces, and savory shareables. Guests can choose from more than a dozen ice cream flavors, including Malted Memories and Summer Peach - both Milton Hershey School recipes.

Did you know that MHS has a Spartan Ice Cream Center that is part of the school’s Agricultural and Environmental Education program? Students create 30 flavors, including Malted Memories, that are available on rotation throughout the summer. Guests can purchase cones and half gallons of ice cream.

4. Landscaping at our Front Entrance

Hershey's Chocolatetownfeatures a reimagined arrival experience with a beautiful new gate front proudly showcasing our pinwheel logo. MHS agricultural and natural resources students worked with our landscaping crews to determine the special horticulture to make the new region pop each season.

5. Kisses  Bell

As guests enter Hershey's Chocolatetown, they might see (or hear) the Kisses Bell located in the four-sided pitched roof tower on the front of the new Ticketing Services building in Tram Circle. The custom-designed bell is held up by a beam signed by students at MHS to commemorate their role in the development of key elements of the Chocolatetown project and at the heart of our core purpose at Hersheypark.

We commend Milton Hershey School for its innovative CTE programming and are proud to be part of it.