Preservation Tour

Hershey History Center's

Saturday, September 30

Join us for our 12th annual Preservation Tour: The Tour Starts Here. Revisit the end of the Factory tours and taste our way through chocolate history. We’ll board the trolley and learn about the origins of the Cup (and Kup) Kings - HB Reese's "The Original" Peanut Butter Cup and Monty Stover's King-Kup.

Hear stories of other local chocolatiers, including Rippon, Murrie & Mars, and Klein, and taste samples from present day confectioners along the way.

View special displays for this day only, featuring the Factory tours that ended 50 years ago and Reese’s 100-year anniversary collection!

It doesn’t end there – enjoy chocolate pairings at the museum for a sweet and savory end to our one-of-a-kind tour.

Select from 3 different tour times. 10:00 am. 12:30 pm. 3:00 pm.

Cost: Members - $35. Non members - $40.

PURCHASE TICKETS

Capture the History

Chocolate-Word-Ride-pre1980

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CHOCOLATE FACTORY TOURS

From the early days of producing chocolate, touring the factory was a popular excursion. Tourists glutted the town with cars and buses in their desire to see how the chocolate they loved was made. Increasing numbers taxed both the factory and the town, leading to the end of the tours in 1973. The last year the tours were offered, over one million people went through the factory. Chocolate World opened the day after the last factory tour, presenting a ride that took tourists through a simulated version of the factory.

CANDY FROM DAYS GONE BY

D. J. Rippon

Rippon's Candies specialized in fund-raising programs and candy for vending machines as well as products like coconut and peanut butter eggs and Easter eggs.

King-Kup

King-Kup Candy Company was in Hershey, Pennsylvania and made their own kind of peanut butter cups until they were sued by Reese's for copyright infringement/trademark violation. This box is a cool surviving collectible from this long defunct company.

Stover Candies

Established in business partnership with Anthony "Nappy" Napolitan in 1947, changed its name to King-Cup Company in 1952 after a lawsuit brought by the Russel Stover Candy Company and sold the company to Napolitan in 1954. The company relocated to West Reading. Bachman Foods acquired King-Kup Candy in 1966, later divesting it from their line.