a visit to The Hershey Story chocolate museum

In previous posts, I have highlighted an overview of the Hershey, Pennsylvania experience and the Hershey Trust, introduced you to some of the area’s finest hotels, and included a visit to the Hershey Gardens. In this post, I’d like to take you to the Hershey Story, a museum devoted to the Hershey Chocolate Company–the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America–and Milton S. Hershey, the man who founded it in 1894.

hershey-story
This captivating mural of Milton S. Hershey and children of the Hershey School is displayed at the Hershey Story Chocolate Museum on Chocolate Avenue in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The mural is done in the “Trompe-l’oeil” style.

As I’ve mentioned before, every chocolate museum is different. Some focus exclusively on geographic regions, some primarily on the history of cacao and chocolate, and others on the equipment used to make chocolate moulds and chocolates.

the hershey story is a chocolate museum and tribute to the man who made chocolate accessible to the american public

Opened to the public in January, 2009 and formally titled The Hershey Story, The Museum on Chocolate Avenue, The Hershey Story focuses primarily on the personal journey of Milton Hershey–from a child raised in the strict discipline of the Mennonite faith in small-town Pennsylvania, to the failures and successes of the talented entrepreneur who found a way to make chocolate accessible and affordable to all. It is a truly fascinating facility, and I would highly recommend a half-day visit to see the museum exhibits, partake in The Tastings, and make your own bar in The Chocolate Lab.

hershey-pennsylvania

It was so much fun tasting six different shooters of warm chocolate drinks featuring different origins of cacao in The Tastings room at The Hershey Story. We tried a 75% Tanzanian (East Africa), a 72% Venezuelan (South America), a 66% Mexican, a 40% Ghanan (West Africa), a 33% Java (Indonesia), and a 33% signature Hershey blend featuring local Pennsylvania milk. I loved the 75% Tanzanian, which featured an intense fruitiness coupled with floral notes.

hershey-story
The Chocolate Lab is a fun and educational activity at The Hershey Story at which you learn about chocolate origins and can create your own customized chocolate bar.

Hershey Chocolate has been the American favourite since Milton Hershey opened his chocolate/candy factory in 1905. It took two years to complete the massive facility, but Hershey Chocolate quickly became a hit and has remained a sentimental favourite with many chocolate lovers throughout the generations.

hershey-story
These giant silos were built to house the cocoa beans that Milton Hershey used to make his delicious Hershey Chocolate.

But just what makes Hershey Chocolate so good, and so different?

Milton Hershey invented the double condensed milk process that gives Hershey Chocolate its unique taste. Only fresh milk from local farms is used to make Hershey milk chocolate. The milk goes through a special processing that increases its butyric acid content. This creates a unique flavour and texture in the chocolate–so much so that other companies have been known to add extra butyric acid to their chocolate to try and replicate the Hershey flavour. Who knew?

hershey-story
This milk condensing cart exhibit at The Hershey Story was the secret to Milton Hershey’s special milk chocolate.

hershey-story

hershey-chocolate
The Hershey’s Golden Almond Bars are the luxury brand of Hershey chocolate bars made with super silky milk chocolate.

Visit this website to see all the different chocolate and candy products that Hershey produces.

92 thoughts on “a visit to The Hershey Story chocolate museum”

  1. Hi,
    ……..I can never say no to chocolate museums, factories and tours Hershey chocolates seem to have the kind of taste that I love……Thank You

  2. Chocolates makes my day and this article of yours too have. I would love visiting and learning at Hershey story. The shooters look interesting and those cocoa storage towers are huge. I felt that mural too is really beautiful

  3. For some reason, whenever I watched Charlie and the Chocolate factory, Hersheys is what I could relate to. Now after reading this post, I so know that is true. It was quite interesting to read abt it

    1. Hi Ami. I think that The Hershey Story Museum shows us that there is a social conscience to the Hershey Chocolate Company. That Milton Hershey was interested in building a community that would helps change the lives of children and their families through the opportunities that his school created, and the community program that his Trust has founded and supported.

  4. I LOVE CHOCOLATE!!! Learning more about the history of Hershey’s chocolates is amazing information, too! Now I feel a bit more enriched whenever I put another piece of chocolate in my mouth :p

  5. What a fascinating museum. The Hershey story museum is definitely a must visit for all chocolate lovers. I am sure a visit in itself would be a homage of sorts to the Man who brought chocolate to all of us. The mural of Hershey with the children is so lifelike, couldn’t take my eyes off it.

  6. I can never say no to chocolate museums, factories and tours 🙂 Hershey chocolates seem to have the kind of taste that I love. I would definitely want to visit here. What a wonderful time you had

  7. I’m giggling that you made it to Hershey before this Pennsylvania native! It’s so great to read about an entrepreneur who also had a heart. Milton should be an example to a lot of others. I think I’d like the chocolate shot.

  8. Hershey’s is my favorite chocolate brand! I would love to go on this tour and maybe pick up a few chocolate treats in the end!

  9. Let me tell you Hershey is not just the Americans favourite but my favourite too! I have never seen them being sold in Indian shops but whenever someone visits America they bring Hershey chocolate for me! I love its taste, shape, smell and everything about it!

  10. I love Hershey’s chocolate! This is such a cool experience. I would want to eat so many chocolates haha. Learning about must put a whole different perspective on how you view the chocolate now. Glad you got to experience this fun activity and tour.

  11. I had no clue that Milton Hershey was a Mennonite. Though I know that general area has Amish and Mennonite communities. How interesting. It is amazing that there was a time not so long ago when chocolate bars weren’t everywhere. Kind of makes you understand Hershey’s major contribution to our culture.

    1. Absolutely, Erica! I think we have Milton S. Hershey to thank for making chocolate accessible and affordable to the average family. And it is cool how he created his foundation and the school and public trust. A true philanthropist and visionary.

  12. I could eat condensed milk with a spoon right out of the can. No wonder I love the taste of Hershey chocolate so much! It would be interesting to try the different flavors in a shooter. The deeper the color, the better for me!

    1. I’m usually that way, too, Alison, in preferring deep dark chocolate. But have you tried dark milk chocolate? I think it is my new fav. Some chocolate makers do it extremely well. They add a bit of milk to dark chocolate and the result is magic. I will write more about that in a subsequent post.

  13. I’m not a big fan of Hershey’s chocolate, not since I moved to Europe and discovered the joys of Belgian chocolates. (I haven’t tasted Hershey’s luxury line yet.) Nevertheless, I think I’d enjoy the museum, especially those tastes!

    1. Hi Evelyne: I agree. It’s nice when a chocolate museum or attraction focuses on the people, places, and customs vs just the chocolate itself. That’s what I always try and do in my work with Chocolatour. Makes it so much more interesting. Cheers!

  14. We visited this Museum in 2012. In fact, we were so fascinated by it, we did the tour twice, one after the other!

  15. This brought back some wonderful memories, I’m a Brit but my sister worked as a nanny in Pennsylvania for a several years when we were younger and she always came home for the holidays with Hershey’s

    1. It certainly is good chocolate if you enjoy that creamy texture. Living in the UK, I’m sure you were used to Cadbury as your go-to chocolate. Thx for sharing your experience with Hershey, Amanda.

      1. I must confess that I didn’t like Hershey chocolate at the time! It’s very different from British and European chocolate. Cadbury has changed in recent years and I don’t like it as much any more so I stick more to Swiss and German chocolate now 🙂

    1. Hi Kristina. I have indeed been to many destinations to explore their chocolate. I have many favourites, as each destination has its own special style of chocolate, and every chocolatier and chocolate maker does one thing particularly well. It’s like asking what is the best wine. There is no definitive answer.

  16. When I was growing up, my parents worked at a camp near Hershey, PA every summer, so we frequently went on trips to the town. This would include a visit to the amusement park and to the Hershey chocolate factory. I loved that the town actually smelled of cooking chocolate. Back in the day, the tours of the factory actually had us wandering around the actual operation—no glass partitions—-and always, a Hershey’s kiss at the end.

    1. Hi Suzanne. Thx for sharing your Hershey memories with us. Yes, I’m sure that factory tour you had as a child was very impactful. The whole Hershey experience has truly changed in the past 10 years with the addition of The Hershey Story museum, the chocolate spa, and the butterfly garden. Have you taken in any of those newer attractions?

  17. Given Hershey’s prevalence in the chocolate market, a visit to their museum would be a must when in the area. To me it would be like visiting the Coca Cola museum, I don’t use the product, but it’s cultural significance can’t be denied.

    1. Hi Debra. You cannot take tours of the Hershey factory. But you can explore Chocolate World, where you get to visit parts of the old factory and see how chocolate is made. And you can visit the Chocolate Story and learn all about the history of the company and about chocolate. Really worthwhile trip for all chocolate lovers.

    1. HI Carole. Hershey is definitely a company devoted to milk chocolate. Interesting to note that they are also making dark chocolate bars as well. But there is no doubt that the vast majority of Hershey customers are looking for milk chocolate.

    1. That is definitely part of the Hershey Legacy, Sue. As TammyJo said in her comment, education and adult activities were not part of the Hershey environment 20 and more years ago. But I think that has definitely changed in the last 10 years as consumers really do want quality chocolate and they want to know where it’s coming from and that the cacao has been sustainably sourced.

  18. The Hershey Story Chocolate Museum is on my and my mother’s bucket list. We really want to get there soon! It sounds like such an interesting museum to visit, definitely a history I’d love to learn about!

    1. Kaylene, be sure that you and your mother schedule a chocolate treatment or two at the Chocolate Spa at the Hershey Hotel. You can read about it in one of my previous posts. But it is a “do not miss” for all mother/daughter groups to the area! 🙂

  19. I love stories about how people and products are designed and made.
    This story is a very sweet one about a man and an idea that is still working and producing a favourite treat today.
    Thanks

  20. Now that I have a friend who lives in PA, I need to figure out a way to stop here. I LOVE chocolate and while I would love to taste (eat) it, I also like learning, so this would be a great visit.

    1. Absolutely, Janice! I, too, have friends in PA and had hoped to visit with more of them. But my tight timeline and the fact that I didn’t make it to Philly limited my opportunities. Hershey is a destination into itself. I’m glad I had the opportunity to meet with at least one writer friend while there.

    1. Absolutely, TammyJo. There is a lot of educational activities at The Hershey Story and the Butterfly Garden. Hershey Chocolate World is a bit more hectic with children and merchandising. But the museum, the butterfly park and the chocolate spa are all really worth experiencing. 🙂

  21. I would not mind a tour in a Hershey factory!

    Hershey bars taste quite different to chocolate in the UK. I would say they are sweeter.

    I should have guessed one of the ingredients in Hershey bars is condensed milk. Condensed milk is used by UK bakers/confectioners to make caramel and fudge – oh so sweet and oh so tasty!

    1. Hi Phoenicia. The Hershey Story is not a factory tour. It is a chocolate museum. Chocolate World is another Hershey experience that gives chocolate lovers a chance to see some of the chocolate making equipment in action. But there are no tours to the new Hershey factory which is located a few miles away.

  22. That would be fun to taste shooters of different warm chocolate drinks :-). We actually love condensed milk on its own – can eat it right from the can :-). Very British… Didn’t know that it goes into making Hershey chocolate!

    1. Hi Janice. I’ve never heard of drinking condensed milk on its own!

      Yes, it was great doing the Tastings flight at Hershey. They really do have something for everyone and all tastes.

      As Hershey is quite secretive about the process it uses to make its chocolate, I still am not quite clear on the procedure. They would not allow me to tour their factory!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top