There’s so much to learn

...and here are 25 incredible facts to get you started!

  1. Milton S. Hershey, the founder of The Hershey Company, purchased a ticket on Titanic, but was called back to the states early for a business emergency. Learn more about his life and legacy at The Hershey Story, Museum on Chocolate Avenue.

  2. The Appalachian Trail curves through the Hershey Harrisburg Region. The trail is 2,181 miles long, but we think our 28 miles are the best, along with our other beautiful hiking and biking paths.

  3. You can stand on the exact spot where President Teddy Roosevelt deemed the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building “the handsomest” building he’d ever seen. Guided tours around the complex are free and offered daily.

  4. Hershey Gardens was originally intended to be a “nice little garden of roses” for Milton Hershey’s wife Catherine. Today, visitors can wander through 23 acres of trees, flowers, and botanical beauty, and stop by the Conservatory and tropical Butterfly Atrium for a friendly flutter-by greeting.

  5. Harrisburg’s cherished Broad Street Market is the oldest continuously operating market in the country. During the Civil War, vendors at the market fed tens of thousands of Union soldiers who were stationed at nearby Camp Curtin.

  6. You know you’re in downtown Hershey when you see the street lamps shaped like Hershey’s Kisses, lining Chocolate Avenue.

  7. The Rockville Bridge in Harrisburg is the longest stone masonry arch railroad bridge in the world. 48 majestic arches measuring 70 feet each span the Susquehanna River.

  8. Hershey Bears® ice hockey team has won more Calder Cup Championships (12) than any other AHL franchise. (The Bear won #13 in 2024.)

  9. Milton S. Hershey founded another town – Hershey, Cuba – with a sugar mill and a refinery that produced the sugar needed for Hershey’s Milk Chocolate!

  10. The John Harris-Simon Cameron Mansion is one of Harrisburg’s oldest mansions. Its original owner was John Harris, Jr., Harrisburg’s founder and namesake, and was later owned by Simon Cameron, notable statesman and Secretary of War under President Abraham Lincoln.

  11. Wilt Chamberlain’s famous 100-point game was played in Hersheypark® Arena.

  12. The Pride of the Susquehanna Riverboat is one of the last remaining paddle wheel boats in America. You can find her cruising down the Susquehanna River May through October.

  13. The Susquehanna River flows 444 miles, the longest river on the East Coast. It runs from New York south through to the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Its waters are ideal for boating, paddleboarding, and kayaking.

  14. Inside the gates of Hersheypark® lies Founders Circle, which includes a fountain and a statue of Milton Hershey. It stands 5 feet, 7 seven inches – his actual height!

  15. The grand imperial staircase in the State Capitol’s main rotunda is similar to the famous Palais Garnier (Paris Opera House) in France.

  16. Milton Hershey built The Circular® dining room at The Hotel HersheySM with a round shape to avoid putting guests in a corner! 

  17. The Pennsylvania Farm Show is the largest indoor agricultural expo in the nation and welcomes half a million visitors to its weeklong show in January.

  18. Phil Guarno, owner of the historic Fenicci’s of Hershey restaurant, holds several Guinness World Records including one for the most roller coasters ridden in 24 hours – 74! He and three friends rode coasters in 10 parks in four US states, using helicopters to travel between them. The event, called "East Coasters for Kids" raised $40,000 for the Children's Miracle Network.

  19. The historic Fort Hunter Mansion & Park was once a self-sustaining frontier village, with a country store, a blacksmith shop, and a school. Fort Hunter has a total of 14 structures, including the impressive Centennial Barn, built in 1876 to house dairy cows.

  20. J.R. Tobias, the founder of Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Halifax, had the unique idea of touring herds of animals in their natural habitat and transformed retired school buses into “safari cruisers.”

  21. Tröegs Independent Brewing has a unique name. It combines the last names of founders Chris and John Trogner with kroeg, the Flemish word for pub.

  22. The gold statue atop the Pennsylvania State Capitol dome may look small, but don’t be deceived! It is actually 17 ½ feet tall and weighs 6,000 pounds. Her name is Commonwealth.

  23. The highest point in the city of Harrisburg is the National Civil War Museum at Reservoir Park. In addition to its scenic exterior, the museum houses thousands of artifacts and two floors of exhibits. It is also one of the largest museums in the world dedicated solely to the American Civil War and is the only museum in the nation to portray the entire story of the war from both sides of the battlefield.

  24. The sooperdooperLooper® at Hersheypark® opened in 1977 as the first modern looping coaster on the East Coast.

  25. The Indian Echo Caverns are a natural wonder. It took millions of years for water to flow through the limestone to the caverns you can see today. The first visitors to the caverns were likely the Susquehannock Indians who took refuge inside the caverns which maintains a constant 52 degrees year-round!