Educators had a special invitation in early November 2016. Teachers could receive free admission to Hershey Gardens and The Hershey Story’s Museum Experience on Saturday, November 5, and Sunday, November 6, by presenting their teacher identification at the admissions counter.
The offer gave teachers a chance to explore two of Hershey’s cultural attractions and, perhaps, to gather ideas for future field trips and classroom lessons.
Hershey Gardens
Along with a variety of fall displays throughout the grounds, teachers could visit the new indoor tropical Butterfly Atrium in the Milton and Catherine Hershey Conservatory.
The year-round atrium features hundreds of exotic and North American butterfly species flying freely in a tropical setting, complete with a water feature and a variety of tropical plants.
The conservatory’s Educational and Horticultural Wing adds four learning kiosks. They cover the importance of butterflies in the ecosystem, the butterfly life cycle and senses, migration patterns, and nature’s camouflage and mimicry. For science teachers in particular, the kiosks offered ready-made connections to classroom units on life cycles, ecosystems and adaptation.
Hershey Gardens is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. More information is available at HersheyGardens.org.
The Hershey Story Museum
Through a series of exhibits, the Museum Experience at The Hershey Story takes visitors on a journey through Milton Hershey’s life and legacy. Teachers could learn about the famous chocolatier’s humble beginnings, the chocolate factory he built, the model community he created and his philanthropy.
The museum displays personal artifacts that belonged to Milton Hershey and his wife, Catherine, along with original factory equipment. Interactive displays engage visitors of all ages throughout the experience.
Teachers could also see “Chocolate Workers Wanted,” a special exhibit focused on the first 20 years of the chocolate factory, from 1905 to 1925. Through film footage from the original factory, artifacts and equipment, the exhibit gives visitors a sense of what life was like for the people who worked there.
The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. More information is available at HersheyStory.org.
About the M.S. Hershey Foundation
Hershey Gardens, the Hershey Theatre, The Hershey Story and the Hershey Community Archives are operating divisions of the M.S. Hershey Foundation. The foundation exists to preserve and enhance Milton Hershey’s legacy and community vision, and to provide educational and cultural enrichment to residents of Hershey and visitors from across the region.
Why the offer mattered
Teacher appreciation days like this one serve a practical purpose. Teachers who experience a museum or garden firsthand are better prepared to plan field trips and to connect those visits to their curriculum. Seeing exhibits in person helps them judge which grade levels and subjects would benefit most.
The weekend also offered a well-deserved break in the middle of a busy fall semester. Teaching is demanding work, and a free visit to a tranquil butterfly atrium or a museum about one of Pennsylvania’s most famous entrepreneurs is a pleasant way to recharge.
Lessons from Milton Hershey
Milton Hershey’s story offers rich material for classrooms. His early business failures, his eventual success with chocolate, his creation of a planned town for his workers and his founding of the Milton Hershey School all raise questions about entrepreneurship, community and philanthropy.
For teachers in Lititz, a town with its own deep chocolate-making history, the Hershey connection is especially relevant. The two communities share a heritage that students can explore through local history.
Planning a visit
Teachers needed only to bring valid teacher identification to the admissions counter on November 5 or 6 to receive free admission. For educators across Lancaster County, it was an opportunity worth taking.