Hershey

What a full day of chocolate! We arrived as Chocolatetown opened and took a ride that shows how the candy is made. They give you a snack size Hershey bar at the end. Next we went to Hershey unwrapped where they handed you a tin of candy- not to be opened until instructed to do so! Using our five senses we were taught how to enjoy the flavor and taste.

The historic trolley ride showed us around town. We learned about Milton Hershey, a candy maker with tenacity and perseverance. Twice bankrupt, he risked everything on his caramel candies and sold that enterprise for 1 million dollars in 1900. He was sure the future was chocolate!

Unable to have children, he and his wife started a school for orphaned boys. It is the largest private residential school in the world. It is a k-12 school for underprivileged children. The Milton Hershey School is funded by a trust he set up and continues to provide for the students today. The students live in houses with house parents. By senior year the students are responsible for running the household.

Milton Hershey also established the local public schools and the trust continues to invest in them. He built community centers, pool, amusement park, zoo and gardens for his workers. He designed the town with a trolley system so people could get to work. He also convinced Penn state that they should have a medical school and have them 50 million to build it in Hershey. Anyway, an amazing man who cared deeply for those around him.

Anyway, back at chocolatetown, we had our final event which was to make your own candy bar!

You scan your ticket, enter your name and email on an iPad, the next station you choose up to three add ons.

We get to walk along the conveyor belt as the ingredients are added, chocolate entombs the bar and it is cooled. While it is cooling, we design the cover for the tin. The bar continues through the packaging area and is finally given to you. Really fun!! In typical factory setting, the line did break down at times.

All in all a delightful, delicious day!