List of former Hersheypark attractions
is an amusement park located in Hershey, Derry Township, Pennsylvania. The park was formally opened by Milton S. Hershey on May 30, 1906, and it became an entity of Hershey Estates when the Estates company was established in 1927. From its opening in 1906 until 1970, the park was an open gate park. In 1971, the park was gated and an entry fee charged. This was the first preparations for the renovation project designed by R. Duell and Associates that would begin in 1972. Since then, the park grew into the park it is today. Casualties of these different changes are the rides and attractions that were removed or replaced. Below is a list of the different rides and attractions Hersheypark has removed, which includes kiddie rides, thrill rides, roller coasters, themed areas, funhouses and other attractions of amusement.
The first ride the park removed was the first ride the park bought, a Herschell-Spillman carousel called the Merry-Go-Round. It was in the park from 1908 until 1912.
Past and cancelled roller coasters
Hersheypark has removed five roller coasters over its history, and cancelled two projects prior to being built. Each of the five roller coasters removed were notable as being a park first: The Wild Cat was Hersheypark's first roller coaster, Toboggan were Hersheypark's first steel roller coaster, Mini-Comet was Hersheypark's first kiddie coaster, and Roller Soaker was the park's only water coaster. The Wild Cat was reopened sometime in the future. The Mini-Comet was replaced by the Cocoa Cruiser, a kiddie coaster in the shadows of Storm Runner.Hersheypark's two cancelled roller coaster projects were a proposed coaster, a Flying Turns, and a proposed coaster named Turbulence. Flying Turns would have been opened in 1942, however America's entry into World War II effectively ended the project. 63 years later, Hersheypark was planning to open what would have been the park's eleventh existing coaster - Turbulence. Early in the project phase, a dispute arose between the park and the ride manufacturer. Initially postponed, the project never resumed and was cancelled.
| Coaster | Season opened | Season closed | Manufacturer | Type/Model | Ref |
| 1923 | 1945 | Wooden roller coaster | |||
| Former name: The Joy Ride | 1923 | 1934 | Wooden roller coaster | ||
| Toboggan | 1972 | 1977 | Chance Manufacturing Company | ||
| Toboggan | 1972 | 1977 | Chance Manufacturing Company | ||
| Mini-Comet | 1974 | 1978 | B.A. Schiff & Associates | Kiddie roller coaster | |
| Roller Soaker | 2002 | 2012 | Setpoint | Water coaster |
| Coaster | Season intended for opening | Manufacturer | Type/Model | Ref |
| Flying Turns | 1942 | Bobsled roller coaster | ||
| Turbulence | 2005 | Interactive Rides | 'Frequent Faller' drop coaster |
Past thrill rides
The first major ride Hersheypark purchased was a small, used Herschell-Spillman Company carousel, in 1908. This ride was always referred as a merry-go-round rather than a carousel. The ride operated from June 1908 through at least 1912. It was placed adjacent to a ballfield, one of the main attractions in the park at the time, and above the pool area, which was located below the ballfield in the hollow along Spring Creek. This location was chosen for the carousel because Milton S. Hershey, who founded the park, wanted to have a miniature railroad operate in the park. The miniature railroad would connect the main entrance of the park with the west end of the park where the carousel was.The Miniature Railroad was the second major ride Hersheypark purchased. It debuted in September 1910, and the grand opening occurred in May 1911. The railroad would operate from 1910 to 1971, with the east station remaining the same throughout the line's history. The west station was relocated twice - first in 1930 when it was moved into the hollow, the year after the pool was relocated and Mill Chute was constructed, and a second time in 1950, when the line was truncated due to the installation of twin Ferris wheels. Hersheypark was gated in the 1971 season, and put a portion of the Miniature Railroad outside of the gate - the segment between the east station and the 1929 Hershey Park Pool. The ride was closed during the 1971 season and never reopened; the track was eventually lifted and the train was put into storage.
Hersheypark debuted a second carousel manufactured by the Denzel Carousel Company in June 1912. This carousel was larger, and was a newly built ride instead of being used. It was originally located in the west end of Hersheypark, near where the current main entrance of the park is located. Hersheypark called this ride Carrousel, misspelling the word carousel with two r's. In 1929, the carousel was relocated to a platform overlooking Comet Hollow, where it operated through the 1944 season. In 1945, Hersheypark had the opportunity to install a Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel; they sold the Dentzel carousel and installed the PTC ride, which operates in the park to this day.
Hersheypark has had a variety of other thrill rides which no longer exist in the park today. The full list of these rides is below.
| Ride | Season opened | Season closed | Manufacturer | Description | Ref |
| Carrousel | 1908 | 1912 | Herschell-Spillman Company | This was the first ride that was purchased for the park. Purchased used, this ride was always referred as a merry-go-round, rather than a carousel. | |
| Miniature Railroad | 1910 | 1971 | Ernest H. Miller | A narrow-gauge railway, and was the second ride purchased for the park. It did not open until the very end of the season in 1910, due to construction delays. | |
| Carrousel | 1912 | 1944 | Dentzel Carousel Company | The Carousel had 52 animals and 2 chariots. | |
| Skooter | 1926 | 1931 | Lusse Brothers | This was the first bumper car ride the park had. It was located near where the current bumper cars, Fender Bender stands. It was replaced by the Auto Skooters, which was located in Comet Hollow. | |
| The Pretzel | 1931 | 1963 | Pretzel Ride Company | An indoor dark ride, converted into the "Gold Nugget" in 1964. It was eventually converted into a shooting gallery. The building was torn down following the 1977 season and replaced with a new building that housed the Fender Bender bumper cars as well as a child's version called the Auto Skooter and later, a different kiddie ride called Rolling Rovers. | |
| The Bug | 1933 | 1981 | Traver Engingeering Company | A larger version of the still present Ladybug. Existed where Wave Swinger is today. | |
| Custer Car Ride | 1936 | 1945 | Custer Manufacturing Company | An electric-powered car ride manufactured by the Custer Company. The ride was located where Comet is today, having been installed behind the funhouse Whoops. The ride was removed to make way for the addition of Comet. | |
| The Whip | 1937 | 1975 | Mangels Company | A Mangels whip, it was located originally near the entrance to where the SooperDooperLooper is located today, and parallel to the loading-unloading station for the Electric Train. In 1973 it was moved to the area where Flying Falcon used to operate. After the 1975 season, the ride was removed, and Mini-Comet put in its location. In 1977, Himalaya was moved to the same location, and Mini-Comet was shifted slightly south of the Himalaya. Today, a similar ride exists in the Midway America section of the park, and a picture of the original whip can be found in the ride area, as well as one of the twin Ferris Wheels. | |
| Auto Skooters | 1938 | 1977 | Philadelphia Toboggan Co. | The second bumper cars ride the park had, it was located in Comet Hollow. The building still stands as the Hollow Famous Famiglia which serves pizza and other Italian food. Ice cream and Skyrush Slush is also served at the building's side windows. | |
| Aerial Joy Ride | 1941 | 1961 | Norman Bartlett | Bought from the New York's World Fair after it closed. It cost $25,000. Replaced by Klaus AeroJets in 1962. It was located where the Music Box Theater and Mr. B's Recording Studio is today. | |
| Cuddle Up | 1947 | 1977 | Philadelphia Toboggan Co. | It is similar to the spinning tea cup rides at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, except that the whole platform remained stationary. The ride was replaced by a coal themed version of the same ride called the Coal Shaker. The ride was located where the Frog Hopper and Red Barron children's rides are today. The old Wildcat roller coaster station was originally located slightly behind this area where the Convoy children's ride is located today. | |
| Twin Ferris Wheels | 1950 | 1974 | Eli Bridge Company | Two side-by-side Eli Bridge Company Ferris wheels which were 66 feet tall. The rides operated in Comet Hollow and was replaced by Himalaya. The space is currently the location of SooperdooperLooper's station. | |
| Turnpike | 1960 | 1973 | The Turnpike was installed in Comet Hollow and ran in an area now filled by a portion of Storm Runner. The loading station was located across from the Carrousel pavilion, and crossed the creek in two different spots. The cars were Streco Turnpike Cruisers built by Streifthau. The ride was otherwise designed by the Hershey Estates, through the Hershey Lumber Products division. A number of cars were damaged in the 1972 flood, but the ride survived through the 1973 season; the bridges used for the Turnpike course are seen in photographs from 1974 being used as walking bridges for pedestrian use. | ||
| Flying Coaster | 1964 | 1972 | Norman Bartlett | A Norman Bartlett-designed ride. The last known operating model is at Kennywood. It operated in what is currently the Minetown section of the park, in what is now a midway. | |
| Gold Nugget | 1964 | 1972 | Outdoor Dimensional Display Co. | Formerly The Pretzel, this was an indoor dark ride. It was converted into a shooting gallery beginning for the 1973 season, making it a game rather than a ride. The building was torn down following the 1977 season and replaced with a new building that housed a kiddie auto skooter and the Fender Bender bumper cars ride. | |
| Tip-Top | 1966 | 1979 | Frank Hrubetz & Company | A sit-down spinning ride, it was first installed in Comet Hollow after the Hershey Park Theatre and Laughland were torn down. In 1969, it was relocated in front of the Gold Nugget / Gold Nugget Shooting Gallery to clear space for the Magic Carpet Giant Slide. | |
| Paratrooper | 1967 | 1979 | Frank Hrubetz & Company | A paratrooper ride, where the Hersheypark Amphitheater stands today. | |
| Round Up | 1968 | 1977 | Frank Hrubetz & Company | A stand-up, circular spinning ride, it was located in front of the Gold Nugget / Gold Nugget Shooting Gallery in what is today Founders Way. | |
| 1969 | 1972 | Aero Mar Plastics | A large slide, it was removed after the 1972 season. It was located where Hersheypark Amphitheater currently stands. A similar ride, Merry Derry Dip stands adjacent to Laff Trakk. | ||
| Rotor | 1970 | 1994 | Chance Rides | The Rotor was added in 1970. After it was removed in 1995, it was replaced by the Tilt-A-Whirl, which was moved from Carrousel Circle. That, in turn, was replaced in 2012 by Skyrush. | |
| Monster | 1972 | 1983 | Eyerly Aircraft Company | A spinning Octopus style ride with sets of four spinning cars that were situated at the end of each "tentacle". It was replaced by Tilt-a-Whirl. | |
| Giant Wheel | 1973 | 2004 | Waagner-Biro | An Intamin-supplied ride replaced by the relocated Balloon Flite and Starship America rides following the 2004 season. | |
| Sky Ride | 1974 | 1991 | Giovanola | Transported riders on 30 cars between Rhineland and Minetown, with over 1,268 feet between each station. The Rhineland station is now used for Central PA's Kosher Mart, and the Great Bear's station now exists where the Minetown station once stood. The ride now operates at Dreamworld Park in Thailand and is called Cable Car. | |
| Himalaya | 1975 | 1989 | Reverchon | A Reverchon Himalaya. Originally located beside what is now the Hollow Famous Famiglia near where the Twin Ferris Wheels once were. The ride was moved in after the 1976 season and was rebuilt in the general vicinity of, what is, as of 2015, the Flying Falcon ride and park entrance to ZooAmerica. | |
| Coal Shaker | 1978 | 1989 | Philadelphia Toboggan Co. | This replaced Cuddle Up, which had been in the park for 30 seasons. It was in a very similar style to Cuddle Up, also with coal-themed cars. When the ride was removed in 1989, it was replaced by several kiddie rides – Convoy, Red Baron and Dinosaurs-Go-Round; Dinosaurs-Go-Round was eventually relocated to another area of the park and Frog Hopper took its place. | |
| Flying Bobs | 1978 | 1982 | Allan Herschell Company | Replaced the Twin Towers Toboggans. When it was removed, it was replaced by Balloon Flight. Mini-Himalaya currently occupies the same space. | |
| Rodeo | 1978 | 2008 | Chance Rides | Originally named "Trabant". Rodeo was located at the present location of Tiny Timbers. Rodeo was moved to Pioneer Frontier in 1988 after removal of the Timber Rattler. Moved to Dutch Wonderland. It also spent time at Lake Compounce while that park was owned by the Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company. | |
| Former name: Trabant | 1978 | 1987 | Chance Rides | Originally named "Trabant". Rodeo was located at the present location of Tiny Timbers. Rodeo was moved to Pioneer Frontier in 1988 after removal of the Timber Rattler. Moved to Dutch Wonderland. It also spent time at Lake Compounce while that park was owned by the Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company. | |
| Cyclops | 1980 | 2002 | HUSS Maschinenfabrik | A Huss Enterprise, replaced by The Claw following the 2002 season. The ride currently operates at Calaway Park, near Calgary, Alberta, Canada. | |
| Conestoga | 1984 | 2002 | Arrow-Huss | A Huss Rainbow, it operated in Pioneer Frontier. The park removed the ride following the 2002 season, and was replaced by the Frontier Virtual Theater. That was replaced by a ride, The Howler, in 2008. Hersheypark sold the ride to Lake Winnepesaukah. | |
| Timber Rattler | 1984 | 1987 | Schwarzkopf | A Schwarzkopf Polyp ride. Replaced two years later by the Rodeo ride. | |
| Frontier Meeting House | 1987 | 1989 | Arrow Dynamics | Sharing the same building and the replacement for Cinemavision, the Frontier Meeting House was a special effect "turning room" attraction constructed in fall 1986 and winter 1987. It operated for three seasons. Due to low ridership, and difficult maintenance issues, the ride was scrapped and sold to an amusement park in China. The building is now known as the Playdome Arcade. | |
| Flying Falcon | Four arms suspend falcon-themed cars which spin in a sideways orientation, rising up to in the air. It was closed on September 5, 2016. | ||||
| Chaos | A Chance Chaos in Midway America. Replaced with Coastline Plunge in 2007, though the ride was removed following the 2005 season. | ||||
| The first competitive, interactive dark ride. Replaced by Reese’s Cupfusion in 2019. |
Past and cancelled water rides
| Ride | Season intended for opening | Manufacturer | Description | Ref |
| Belt-driven Boat Ride | Arrow Development | This was a ride proposed for the 1971 season which was never installed. A down payment was placed on the ride in 1970, and the ride was revived as part of the second Rhineland expansion in the R.Duell renovation plans. Due to economic and budget concerns, the second Rhineland expansion was cancelled. The ride would have operated on Spring Creek. | ||
| Rhine River Boat | Arrow Development | This was a ride proposed for the 1971 season which was never installed. A down payment was placed on the ride in 1970, and the ride was revived as part of the second Rhineland expansion in the R.Duell renovation plans. Due to economic and budget concerns, the second Rhineland expansion was cancelled. The ride would have operated on Spring Creek. | ||
| Shoot-the-Chutes | This was a 6 person boat shoot-the-chutes ride in a round raft that went through a winding course and up several lifts. The ride failed to receive necessary local approvals to be installed. As a result, this ride was canceled, and the Intamin river raft ride the park named Canyon River Rapids was installed in 1987. |
Past kiddie rides
Past funhouses
Past attractions
These are attractions which the park had throughout its history. The athletic field was the center of activities when the park first opened in 1906, until the Merry-Go-Round carousel was installed in 1908.| Attraction | Season opened | Season closed | Description | Ref |
| The baseball field actually predates the park itself. The day the park officially opened, a baseball game was played to commemorate the event. | ||||
| Hershey Park Pool | This was the park's first pool, located in what is, as of 2015, The Hollow area of the park. The bathhouse for the pool is approximately where Comet's station is today and was converted into a funhouse in 1930. This pool was made of earthen materials, and was completely replaced within two seasons with a concrete pool. | |||
| Hershey Park Pool | This was the park's second pool, located in what is, as of 2015, The Hollow area of the park. This is the second version of the pool in this location. Made of concrete, the pool was roughly 100 feet by 50 feet and between three and six feet deep. | |||
| This was the park's third pool, located in what is, as of 2015, The Hollow area of the park. On the outset of constructing the new pool, the Park completely demolished the old pool before building the new one. This pool remained in operation through the 1928 season. It was replaced by a much larger pool in 1929, which was located further west of the area. The area where this pool sat was redeveloped and immediately replaced with Mill Chute. The Shoot the Chute toboggan slide was added two years after the pool was built. | ||||
| This was a shooting gallery located where Fender Bender is today. It was replaced by The Pretzel, when it was installed for the 1931 season. | ||||
| Hershey Park Bowling Alley | The bowling alley was built in 1909 and was located along Park Avenue. The bowling alley, located in the basement of the building it was in, was closed after the 1921 season. The building remained in use until 1945, when it was torn down and replaced by Funland, which opened in 1946. The area of the park it was situated was on a hill; this area gained the nickname "Bowling Alley Hill," at the time. As of 2014, this area of the park is known as "Kissing Tower Hill." | |||
| Hershey Park Bandshell | This is the well known bandshell which stood in the park from 1910 until 1972. The bandshell was going to be re-themed in the Rhineland section of the park; however, due to age of the structure, construction crews determined they could not move the bandshell without severely damaging it. Additionally, the Coal Cracker, which had been purchased by the park in 1971, was going to be installed in the same location of the bandshell for the 1973 season. As a result, the bandshell was torn down, and effectively replaced by Hersheypark Amphitheatre. | |||
| Hershey Park Ballroom | The ballroom opened on May 21, 1913, built by Hershey Improvement Company head James K. Putt. The venue was easily capable of hosting various big bands and jazz bands. This included some of the larger acts during the times the ballroom was open. After the close of the 1956 touring season, the ballroom was completely renovated and was considered a new venue by the park. | |||
| Hershey Park Pool | This pool was located on the western end of the park, at the intersection of Park Boulevard and Derry Road, across from the Convention Center. The pool was closed in 1971. It was torn down in 1972 when Park Boulevard was relocated, part of Hersheypark's plans to become a theme park. | |||
| Miniature Golf Course and Driving Range | This miniature golf course and driving range was located on Derry Road on what is now Chocolate World. | |||
| Electric Fountain | This was a fountain located in Spring Creek, in an area of the park known as the Sunken Gardens. The fountain was produced at a cost of $75,000, by General Electric. At the time, this was the second kind of electric fountain General Electric made, their first being in Schenectady, New York. | |||
| Starlight Ballroom | Formerly Hershey Park Ballroom, the building was overhauled and completely renovated; the park considered the Starlight Ballroom a new venue which replaced the Hershey Park Ballroom. It debuted to the public on June 1, 1957. Most significant of all the changes was that a section of the roof was cut out, so people could "dance under the stars." This is where the name for the new ball room originated. | |||
| Fairways Miniature Golf | This miniature golf course was installed on the concrete surface of the outdoor rink next to Hersheypark Arena. It was manufactured by Fairways Miniature Golf Company. | |||
| Little Red Caboose | An antique Reading Railroad caboose, which was originally used for birthday parties, before the park began using it as the "Lost Children's Caboose" in the 1970s. The Little Red Caboose was removed from the park following the 2013 season and donated to the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum. | |||
| Dancing Waters | A light show and water pageant, performed on Spring Creek across from the Comet. This was installed after the 1972 season, replacing the Lost River which had been damaged beyond repair in the flood of 1972. This was a jeux d'eau water display and a continuation-in-name-only of the Electric Fountain display in the Sunken Garden, closed after 1971. Dancing Waters is a specific type of water show, sold by Harold Steinman, which is based on a European version created by Otto Przystawik. 19 motors powered the water, propelling the water jets from a varied height between 15 and 150 feet in the air. There were over 1,800 jets of various sizes. The show was removed after the 1974 season, and the location is currently occupied by the loop of Great Bear. | |||
| Gold Nugget Shooting Gallery | After the 1972 season, the Gold Nugget dark ride was converted into a shooting gallery and named Gold Nugget Shooting Gallery. The building was demolished and replaced by the Fender Bender bumper cars after the 1977 season. | |||
| Light Arcade | This was a plaza built in 1973 near the Carrousel in Carrousel Circle. It was re-themed in 1979, as the Starlight Arcade, and was subsequently considered neither part of Carrousel Circle or Rhineland, becoming its own themed area. | |||
| Dogpatch Dawgs | An audio-animatronic band of five dogs that appeared in a gazebo in Pioneer Frontier. The gazebo remained for a number of years, but it was eventually removed. | |||
| Encyclopædia Britannica Booth - Der Deitschplatz | This started out as a park information booth, and then became sponsored by Encyclopædia Britannica. Located where Reese's Xtreme Cup Challenge is today. | |||
| Encyclopædia Britannica Booth - Minetown | This was a park information booth located near Coal Cracker and the Minetown Vittles restaurant. | |||
| Shooting Gallery | This was a shooting gallery located in Rhineland. It was converted into Alpine Arcade, and today is used for the park's Hospitality Services. | |||
| Cinemavision | A theater attraction which was a geodesic-domed theater showing panoramic films on a floor-to-ceiling screen. | |||
| Miniature Golf | A small mini golf course next to the SooperDooperLooper. It was removed to make way for Great Bear, and is different from another miniature golf course that was part of then Hershey Park in the 1950s and 1960s. | |||
| Blacksmith's Shop | Located next to Whistle Stop in Pioneer Frontier. Is currently a face-painting booth. | |||
| Sweetest Parade on Earth | A daily parade of Hershey's characters and musicians throughout the park. It started on July 1, 1993 as part of the 20th anniversary celebration for Chocolate World. The parade was used for the remainder of the season in the park, and continued through the 2004 season. | |||
| Nightlights | A laser light show that took place in Midway America. There were several shows that ran throughout the years, including Halloween and Christmas versions. Due to the powerful lasers used in the performance, the park had to get an FAA clearance before every show. | |||
| Frontier Virtual Theater | A virtual reality game, it had three rows of seats where people sat and stomped with their feet, etc. It replaced Conestoga after it was removed following the 2002 season. When it was removed, it was replaced by The Howler spinner ride. | |||
| Haunted Harvest | A Halloween walk-through attraction which featured live actors. Existed in the Wild Cat, Tidal Force and Canyon River Rapids catering areas. |
Past park regions
Hersheypark only began having themed areas in 1972 as park management was converting the park into a contemporary theme park. However, the park did have one specific area with a theme in years prior - Kiddieland. Since then, the park has had 20 different kinds of named areas within the park, some which were considered official themed areas and others which were not.One example is when Hersheypark renovated an area of the park around the Comet and Spring Creek. The Bug was replaced with Wave Swinger and the area beautified. The area was also given a name: Spring Creek Hollow. However, since the area didn't gain any theming, only beautified, the park did not list it the themed areas of the park. This has happened on several different occasions, shown below. The list is broken into two sections: former officially themed areas and former named areas the park used.