Hershey Gardens

Hershey Gardens Hershey Gardens is a 23-acre botanical garden and arboretum in Hershey, Pennsylvania, founded by confectioner and philanthropist Milton S. Hershey. The site functions as a public garden, tourist attraction, and cultural institution closely associated with local landmarks and institutions in Dauphin County. It connects to museum, hospitality, and educational entities serving visitors from nearby metropolitan centers and regional parks.

History

Milton S. Hershey established the gardens in the 1930s as part of his broader philanthropic initiatives tied to the Hershey Community, contemporaneous with projects like the Milton Hershey School and urban planning efforts in the company town. The development of the property intersected with trends in American landscape design promoted by figures associated with the American Society of Landscape Architects, and the gardens evolved alongside regional attractions such as the Hersheypark amusement complex and the Pennsylvania State Capitol. Over subsequent decades governance and stewardship involved institutions including The Hershey Company, The Hershey Trust Company, and Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company, while the site engaged with nonprofit partners, municipal bodies in Dauphin County, and statewide cultural agencies. Renovations and expansions reflected influences from botanical institutions like the New York Botanical Garden, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and Longwood Gardens, and fundraising and donor recognition mirrored practices seen at museums such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh.

Gardens and Collections

The site features themed plantings, seasonal beds, and specialty collections comparable in scope to curated displays at the Chicago Botanic Garden and the United States Botanic Garden. Prominent features include a rose garden with heritage and hybrid varieties, an arboretum with specimen trees, and a conservatory housing tropical and subtropical collections similar to those maintained at Kew Gardens and the Missouri Botanical Garden. The rose collection showcases cultivars recognized by the American Rose Society, and the perennial borders include species highlighted by institutions like the Royal Horticultural Society. Other collections emphasize native plants of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic region, with interpretive signage reflecting standards used by the Smithsonian Institution and the National Park Service. Themed beds and seasonal displays are curated to coordinate with events at adjacent venues such as the Hershey Theatre and the Hershey Lodge, and the grounds incorporate landscape elements found in classical and contemporary public gardens across the United States and Europe.

Visitor Information

Visitors access the gardens from routes serving the Harrisburg metropolitan area and travelers using Amtrak and Interstates connecting to Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New York City. Hours, admission, and amenities are administered in partnership with regional tourism bureaus and hospitality partners including Visit Hershey Harrisburg and local hotel operators. The site offers visitor services comparable to those at municipal gardens and cultural destinations like the Franklin Institute and Gettysburg National Military Park, with wayfinding aligned to standards used by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Accessibility accommodations, group tour options, and seasonal programming are coordinated with school districts, community organizations, and travel operators serving Lancaster County and Cumberland County. Parking, gift shop, and event rental facilities support special events similar to community weddings and corporate gatherings hosted at nearby conference venues, civic centers, and performing arts spaces.

Education and Programs

Educational programming spans school field trips, adult lectures, and family workshops modeled on outreach frameworks used by botanical education departments at institutions such as the Missouri Botanical Garden, Chicago Botanic Garden, and New York Botanical Garden. Curriculum-linked experiences align with state standards for science and environmental literacy employed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and local school districts including Hershey High School. Internships and volunteer programs mirror career pathways promoted by university cooperative extension services and horticultural departments at Penn State University and Temple University. Public programs include lecture series, demonstration gardens, and seasonal festivals coordinated with partners like the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, local master gardener chapters, and regional land trusts.

Conservation and Research

The gardens participate in plant conservation, living collections management, and propagation protocols akin to practices at botanical research centers such as the Arnold Arboretum and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Collections management uses accessioning, provenance documentation, and pest management approaches consistent with standards advocated by Botanic Gardens Conservation International and the American Public Gardens Association. Collaborative projects involve local conservation organizations, university researchers at Penn State and Temple, and state agencies responsible for native plant preservation and invasive species control. Research activities include trial plantings, phenology monitoring, and public citizen science initiatives similar to programs run by the Audubon Society and the National Phenology Network, contributing to regional biodiversity knowledge and landscape resilience efforts.

Milton S. HersheyThe Hershey CompanyHersheyparkHershey TheatreHershey LodgeHarrisburg, PennsylvaniaDauphin County, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania State CapitolMilton Hershey SchoolThe Hershey Trust CompanyHershey Entertainment and Resorts CompanyNew York Botanical GardenBrooklyn Botanic GardenLongwood GardensChicago Botanic GardenUnited States Botanic GardenKew GardensMissouri Botanical GardenAmerican Rose SocietyRoyal Horticultural SocietySmithsonian InstitutionNational Park ServiceVisit Hershey HarrisburgFranklin InstituteGettysburg National Military ParkNational Trust for Historic PreservationLancaster County, PennsylvaniaCumberland County, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania Department of EducationHershey High SchoolPenn State UniversityTemple UniversityPennsylvania Horticultural SocietyBotanic Gardens Conservation InternationalAmerican Public Gardens AssociationArnold ArboretumRoyal Botanic Gardens, KewAudubon SocietyNational Phenology NetworkPhiladelphia Museum of ArtCarnegie Museums of PittsburghAmtrakInterstate 76Interstate 83Mid-Atlantic United StatesUnited States National ArboretumBrookline, MassachusettsPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaBaltimore, MarylandNew York CityHersheypark ArenaLebanon County, PennsylvaniaHershey Country ClubPennsylvania Dutch CountryMilton S. Hershey School's campusHershey CommunityDerry Township, PennsylvaniaChocolate industryConfectionery industryTourism in PennsylvaniaCultural institutions in PennsylvaniaHospitality industryEnvironmental educationCitizen scienceNative plant conservationInvasive speciesSpecimen treesConservatory (greenhouse)Perennial plant