Storm Runner with the Kissing Tower in the background Canyon River Rapids was built and added in 1987 (replaced by Intercoastal Waterway and The Shore wave pool in 2009). Smaller sized rides, including the Cyclops (replaced by The Claw), Pirate, Wave Swinger, Conestoga (replaced by the Frontier Virtual Theater and later the Howler), and Timber Rattler (replaced by Rodeo) were added. The 1980s brought big changes to Hersheypark. Twin Toboggans, Hersheypark's third roller coaster, built in 1972, was removed in 1977. SooperDooperLooper opened on July 4, 1977, just a year after Revolution at Six Flags Magic Mountain opened as the first modern looping coaster. This five-phase project was orchestrated by Randall Duell. A one-price admission plan eliminated the pay-as-you-ride policy. In 1946 the wooden roller coaster Comet replaced Wild Cat.ДЄ five-year redevelopment plan was started in 1971 to convert the regional amusement park Hersheypark into a large theme park called Hersheypark, as it is known to this day. The Dentzel carousel was replaced in 1945 by a carousel built by Philadelphia Toboggan Company in 1919, which still operates in the park today. More attractions were added to Hershey Park each season, and by 1945 the park contained more than two dozen rides. Renovations were made to Wild Cat in 1935 to build up the dips and to more steeply bank the curves. While no rides were yet installed, amusements included music in the pavilion dance hall and band stand, two baseball games on the athletic field, and tennis courts to play various games. On Memorial Day (also called Decoration Day), May 30, 1906, Hershey Park formally opened to the public. The newly formed Hershey Athletic Club's baseball team quickly staked out a location for a permanent athletic field a grandstand was built and the field opened on May 5, 1906. In February 1906, Hershey and Nissley came to an agreement in which Hershey purchased nearly all of the land along Spring Creek, which included the land the park occupies today. It was built on the edge of the hill, overlooking the Spring Creek hollow, and several paths were constructed to connect the pavilion to the roads closest to the center of town. (Pat's Hill is where The Hotel Hershey and Hershey Gardens were eventually constructed, as well as Catherine Hall (previously known as Senior Hall) of the Milton Hershey School.) The park's first pavilion, a building which existed until 1989, was constructed and opened in the fall of 1905.

This land was what later became known as Comet Hollow, as well as the land from where Hersheypark Arena and Stadium were built up to the base of Pat's Hill. Once the factory was considered complete in 1904, construction within the new town of Hershey was able to begin in earnest.Дuring the summer and fall of 1905, several bridges were constructed over Spring Creek, connecting land Hershey owned with land which was owned by John ('J.H.') H. Little work was put into the park at that time, as focus of most of the work was on completing the chocolate factory. An area to the northwest of the town square, just beyond the railroad tracks, was designated for the park.

Of the 800 acres, one portion that was surveyed was a site along the small creek named Spring Creek that would be suitable for a park. Hershey, founder of the Hershey Chocolate Company and Hershey Entertainment & Resorts (originally named Hershey Estates), announced that he had purchased 800 acres of land and had begun constructing a chocolate factory in an attempt to build a new town just outside of two small towns, Derry Church and Spring Creek.

1.3 The Hersheypark Years: 1971-present.

Log flume ride at hershey park