Hershey Gardens is a 23-acre botanical garden and arboretum in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on a hill overlooking Hersheypark near The Hotel Hershey. Established in 1936 at Milton S. Hershey’s direction and opened to the public in June 1937, it was created as a gift to the community and a tribute to his wife, Catherine. The gardens began as a formal rose display with 7,000 plants, then expanded into a broader botanical park with five themed garden areas. Roses remain central, with nearly 14,000 roses in about 800 varieties, linking the gardens’ present character to their origins and to Hershey’s legacy in the town.