Hershey Park
Hershey, Pennsylvania
One of America’s oldest theme parks has its roots in a community created by a famous candy-maker.
“HersheyPark was built in 1907 by Milton Hershey, the chocolate magnate,” said Kathy Burrows, public relations manager for Hershey Entertainment and Resorts. “It was built as a picnic and pleasure grounds for his employees and people of the town. All of the people that work here are dedicated to the legacy of Milton Hershey.”
During the century-plus since then, the pleasure park has expanded beyond a local attraction to become a full-fledged theme park. There are 65 rides on the 110-acre site, including 16 roller coasters. The Boardwalk at HersheyPark has 12 water rides and slides of varying intensity. The park is also home to the 11-acre ZooAmerica, which has more than 200 animals.
The grounds of the park are divided into numerous themed areas, each of which includes a major thrill ride, several family rides, food stands and retail shops. Burrows said this means groups don’t have to split up to visit their individual areas of interest.
Visitors will also notice that some of their favorite Hershey’s products have a presence throughout HersheyPark.
“We don’t want people to think that we’re a chocolate theme park,” Burrows said. “But we sell chocolate in all of our gift shops. And our characters are our products — the Hershey bar, the Reese’s, the Hershey Kiss.”
Groups that visit HersheyPark can stay in one of two hotels operated by the company; both offer free transportation into the park. Guests staying overnight at the upscale Hotel Hershey also get early entrance to the park, giving them an hour of time to enjoy the attractions before the general public is admitted.
Kentucky Kingdom
Louisville, Kentucky
When Kentucky Kingdom opened in Louisville over Memorial Day Weekend, it became the newest theme park in the country — sort of. The park originally opened in 1990 and was sold to Six Flags in 1998. Six Flags closed the park in 2010.
Now, some of the original owners and administrative staff have regrouped and reopened Kentucky Kingdom.
“We put ourselves on a fast track to redevelop Kentucky Kingdom,” said director of marketing and communications John Mulcahy. “Many of the members of this team were here in 1990, and this has helped us tremendously over the past year. We know the property and the infrastructure intimately. We put in 20 new rides and attractions and brought back several of the favorites that had become legendary in the industry.”
Visitors familiar with the prior incarnations of Kentucky Kingdom will recognize Thunder Run, a wooden roller coaster that has received a $1 million refurbishment this year, and the signature Mile High Falls, a water spill ride.
Among new attractions at the park is Lightning Run, which uses innovative concepts in coaster design to create thrills for riders.
“It has aerodynamically designed trains that run very close to the rails,” Mulcahy said. “The ride has many twists and turns and about 10 dramatic encounters with air time, when you feel like you’re going to fly out of the seat.”
The company has also reopened the on-site waterpark, Hurricane Bay, and installed 10 new water slides and an “adventure river.”
“The one that is the talk of the industry right now is Deep Water Dive,” Mulcahy said. “It’s America’s deepest body dive. You free fall at about 44 miles an hour for 50 to 60 feet before the trough catches you.”
