Hershey - The Sweetest Place On Earth

Over 70 Years of Entertaining Memories

There are over 70 years of memories in Hersheypark Arena; let's take a trip down memory lane and relive some of our best memories...

 

• December 19, 1936: The sports arena opens. Constructed by D. Paul Witmer and is connected to the western end of the old Convention Hall.
  
  
• December 13, 1937: M.S. Hershey's 80th birthday party is held in the Hershey Sports Arena. His employees present him with a yellow-gold octagon ring, with 18 blue-white diamonds set in platinum, enclosing the "baby in a cocoa shell" trademark of Hershey Chocolate Corporation.

• November 5, 1938: Hershey Bears play their first professional hockey game at the Sports Arena. The team originated in 1935 as the Hershey B'ars.
  
  
• February 10, 1941: The Ice Capades perform in the Sports Arena for the first time.
  
  
• October 13, 1953: A birthday party is held for President Dwight Eisenhower; the National Republican Party sponsored the party.

• March 2, 1962: Wilt Chamberlain scores a record 100 points against the New York Knicks in a game played in Hersheypark Arena.
  
  
• March 28, 1979: Hersheypark Arena serves as an evacuation center by about 150 people during the Three Mile Island nuclear emergency.
  
  
• April 11, 1987: Hersheypark Arena celebrates its 50th anniversary with a special show featuring George Burns, Patti Page and Mark Hart.
  
  
• May 1988: Hershey Bears set a professional Hockey record as the only team to go 12-0 in the playoffs and win the Calder Cup.
  
  
• October 1989: Hersheypark Arena celebrated 50 years of Ice Capades at The Hotel Hershey, the birthplace of the Ice Capades on February 14, 1940.
  
  
• September 13, 1995: First day of Issue ceremony at Hersheypark Arena to officially unveil the First Class United States Postage Stamp honoring Milton S. Hershey as a philanthropist.
  
  
• June 13, 1997: Hershey Bears win their 8th Calder Cup title and Mike McHugh is named the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs.
  
  
• 1998: Hersheypark Arena was ranked #7 facility with seats (5,001-10,000) ranked by Gross as compiled by Amusement Boxscores. That year, Hersheypark Arena also broke 9 facility records.
  
  
• 2000: Hersheypark Arena was ranked #4 facility with seats (5,001-10,000) ranked by Gross as compiled by Amusement Boxscores.