We need to talk about what happened at Hersheypark on Saturday because something does not add up and guests deserve to know about it.
May 23. Memorial Day weekend. The first full weekend of the 2026 summer season at Pennsylvania’s largest theme park. Two days after the park reopened from its winter break. One of the most important Saturdays on the entire Hersheypark calendar.
The park closed early. No explanation.
Hersheypark’s own Instagram and Facebook posts confirmed the early wind-down. Hersheypark Supply Co. and Zoo America closed at 6 PM. The Chocolatier followed at 8 PM. On a normal Saturday, the park runs until 9 PM. On a Memorial Day Saturday during opening weekend, you would expect that schedule to hold if not extend. Instead, guests who had plans for a full evening at the park had hours of their visit cut short without any public statement from the park about why.
Now, we want to be fair here. Hersheypark has not confirmed why the park closed early. We are not going to tell you definitively that the early closure was caused by the ongoing union dispute. What we are going to do is give you the full context, because without it, Saturday does not make sense.
The Union Situation at Hersheypark Is Real and It Is Ongoing
We covered this earlier this month and it is worth revisiting now.
Over 200 union maintenance employees at Hersheypark, The Hotel Hershey, and Giant Center are represented by Chocolate Workers Local No. 464. One week before the May 21 season opening, these workers rejected what Hershey Entertainment and Resorts described as its “last, best, and final” contract offer. That rejection came after months of negotiations and after a 60-day extension from mid-March that was supposed to give both sides more time to reach an agreement.
They did not reach an agreement.
The union voted on whether to authorize a strike. The workers involved are not support staff in the generic sense. They are the people who keep Hersheypark physically operational: carpenters, HVAC technicians, ride mechanics, electricians, plumbers, welders, painters, machinists, sign artists, laborers, central plant operators, garage auto mechanics, and utilities technicians. If these workers walk out, the question of which rides can safely operate and which facilities can function is not theoretical. It becomes immediate and real.
What they are asking for is not unreasonable. Fair wage increases. More affordable healthcare. Better pay for less desirable shifts. Their argument is that Hershey Entertainment and Resorts has expanded significantly and performed well financially while working conditions and compensation for skilled tradespeople have gone in the other direction.
Union member Todd Tranquillo said it plainly to FOX43: “The next step is to potentially strike. Nobody really wants to, but we’re hoping that they’ll come back to the table and give us a more amicable agreement. The company does really well. The town has been doing amazing. We’re constantly expanding and growing, and we want to make sure it’s going toward the betterment of everyone. We’re all ready to work hard. We just want to make sure we’re met with the same energy.”
That is a worker trying to avoid a strike while making clear that they have a real dispute with a real grievance. We think that deserves to be heard clearly.
Hershey Entertainment and Resorts issued a statement to ABC27 before the season opened: “Hersheypark is preparing to open for the 2026 summer season as scheduled on May 21. We are focused on delivering the experience our guests expect, and we look forward to welcoming them. We continue to engage in contract negotiations with Local 464, and we have been in discussions with union leadership about a time to reconvene for further discussion. We value our long standing relationship with our union-represented team members and remain committed to the bargaining process. We are not going to speculate on outcomes, but we can confirm that our opening plans are proceeding on schedule. We will communicate directly with our guests if anything changes.”
The park opened May 21 as promised. Two days later, it closed early on one of the most important days of the season and did not explain why.
The Detail About the Closing Times That We Keep Coming Back To
Here is what sticks out to us: the closures were staggered. Hersheypark and Supply Co. and Zoo America at 6 PM. The Chocolatier at 8 PM. Not all at once, but in sequence.
An emergency closure tends to happen suddenly and uniformly. Everything stops at the same time because something happened that required an immediate response. A planned early closure, on the other hand, looks more like a staggered wind-down where different venues close at different points in a coordinated sequence.
Saturday looked like the second thing. Which means whatever caused the early closure was likely known in advance and organized accordingly. What the cause was, Hersheypark has not said.
What This Means If You Are Planning a Hersheypark Visit This Summer
We cover theme parks for people who love them, and our honest advice right now is to pay close attention to how the Hersheypark labor situation develops before you finalize summer plans.
The park’s skilled maintenance workforce is the backbone of safe ride operation. A work stoppage by that group would not be a minor inconvenience. It would affect which rides can be safely certified to run, which facilities can be properly maintained, and how much of the normal Hersheypark experience can be delivered to guests.
The Boardwalk water park was scheduled to open on May 23, the same day as the early closure. What happened with that opening and what its current status is for the summer is something we would strongly recommend confirming directly with the park before you build a trip around it.
If you have already booked a summer visit, watch the park’s social channels and the local ABC27 and FOX43 coverage closely. Hersheypark committed in its official statement to communicate directly with guests if anything changes. Hold them to that.
And if you are choosing between Hersheypark and another theme park destination this summer, the uncertainty around the labor situation is genuinely relevant information for that decision. We are not saying do not go. We are saying go in with accurate information.
Follow Hersheypark’s official Instagram and Facebook pages for operating hour updates and check ABC27 and FOX43 for the most current reporting on the union negotiations. Before finalizing any summer Hersheypark plans, call or check the park’s website directly to confirm attraction and facility availability. The park said it will keep guests informed. Make sure you are in a position to receive that information when it comes.
