The Hershey Story, The Museum on Chocolate Avenue

For well over 100 years, the word “Hershey” has been synonymous with the Great American Chocolate Bar. Now, The Hershey Story takes visitors on an inspirational journey through the life of Milton S. Hershey, the man, his chocolate company, the town that bears his name, and his generous legacy.

The Hershey Story explores the rags to riches accomplishments of an American entrepreneur who used his personal wealth to enrich the lives of others. Hear never-before-shared stories of his innovation and determination. Find out how Mr. Hershey revolutionized the process of making milk chocolate. Discover how the Hershey Industrial School’s orphan boys became heirs to his fortune.

Museum Day tickets are good for free admission to the Museum Experience and the special exhibit gallery. Separate admission fees apply to the Chocolate Lab and Tastings: Chocolate From Around the World.

Exhibits

Mr. Hershey's Cuba: A Sweet Venture in Sugar 1916-1946
Discover the “other” model town Milton Hershey built in Cuba!
Also named Hershey, this town supported a sugar mill and refinery rather than a chocolate factory. After all, sugar is an essential ingredient in Hershey’s Milk Chocolate.
The exhibit explores how sugarcane was grown, harvested, milled and turned into both raw and refined sugar. Take a trip on the Hershey Cuban Railway, learn about sugar and discover how Hershey, Cuba was different from other Cuban communities. Through hands-on activities, guests can experience the process of filtration and how a centrifugal machine works. A fascinating videomicroscope will let visitors magnify sugarcane and various kinds of sugar crystals on a high-definition TV screen.
Milton Hershey’s influence on the island was so significant that he was awarded the “Grand Cross of the National Order of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes” by Cuba’s president in 1933. It was the highest honor Cuba could bestow upon a foreigner. Visitors can see the medal, sugar processing tools and equipment, Hershey’s sugar bags, a Cuban baseball uniform and much more in this new exhibit.

Participation in Museum Day is open to any tax-exempt or governmental museum or cultural venue on a voluntary basis. Smithsonian magazine encourages museum visitation, but is not responsible for and does not endorse the content of the participating museums and cultural venues, and does not subsidize museums that participate.