Are you looking for "A Happy Experience!?" Then perhaps you should visit Hersheypark USA in 1976. Today we're taking a look at the brochure for Hersheypark from back in the year 1976. The colorful swirl logo that is used on the front of this brochure is still used today at the park, even though the ride that originally had the logo, The Giant Wheel, was removed from the park several years ago. The ride on the cover is the world famous Kissing Tower, which still takes guest up 250 feet in the air for a spectacular view of the Hershey Foods Plant parking lot. Speaking of parking, back then there was something called Free Parking. Nowadays it will set you back $8.00 to park your vehicle for the day. But if you blew all your cash at the Disco the night before, you were still ok! According to the brochure: "Bank Americard, Master Charge, Diners Club, and American Express Cards are honored." If you whipped out your Diners Club card now to pay for an amusement park admission you'd probably get a stare like you were from another planet!
Check out the entertainment that awaited guests 31 summers ago. I find it interesting that as recently as 1976 an Ironsmith was commercially promotable entertainment at an amusement park. The site where that photo was taken is now probably home to a Dippin' Dots booth or a game where you can win a giant stuffed Shrek. It also appears that Hersheypark once had a petting zoo or some sort. They now have Zoo America which is a large zoo with Grizzly Bear and all sorts of wild animals from North America. When I worked at Hersheypark a few years ago, the monorail (also pictured) broke down right over the Wolf section of the zoo. A couple dozen guests were stuck in their open air monorail cars several hundred feet above blood thirsty wolves. There's a thrill you can't get on a roller coaster!
This year Hersheypark opens for their 100th season on May 4th.
1 comment:
great blog. i went to hershey park in 1976 and it was fun. i would like to see a preview of all the rides there in 1976. do you know of any websites that might be able to give me that info. again great the park brochure brings back memories. i was only 6yo at the time but i remember and we have 8mm film taken of our trip.
vince
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