Founded in 1906 by Milton S. Hershey as a leisure park for Hershey Chocolate Company employees, Hersheypark grew from a company-town recreation area along Spring Creek into Pennsylvania’s most visited theme park. It opened to the public with sports, music, and festivities, then gradually expanded from early attractions such as a carousel, miniature railroad, and roller coasters into a major regional destination. A large redevelopment in 1970 reshaped it as a modern theme park, and later growth added major coasters, a water-park section, and ZooAmerica. Still owned by Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company, it remains closely tied to Hershey’s chocolate identity and original civic vision.