Two days after reopening from its winter season, Hersheypark closed significantly earlier than usual on one of the busiest Saturdays of the year. No public explanation was provided.
According to the park's own Instagram and Facebook posts, Hersheypark and its adjacent venues wrapped up far ahead of schedule on May 23. Hersheypark Supply Co. and Zoo America closed at 6 PM. The Chocolatier closed at 8 PM. On a normal Saturday, the park stays open until 9 PM. This particular Saturday was Memorial Day weekend, one of the highest-traffic dates on any regional theme park's calendar, and the first full weekend of Hersheypark's 2026 summer season after the park reopened on May 21.
The timing matters. The park has been at the center of a very public and unresolved labor dispute for months. Whether that dispute is connected to Saturday's early closure is not confirmed. What is confirmed is that 200-plus union maintenance employees are in an active and contentious negotiation with Hershey Entertainment and Resorts, that both sides have not yet reached an agreement, and that the park's ability to operate normally depends in meaningful ways on the skilled workers at the heart of that dispute.
Guests who drove to Hersheypark for a Memorial Day Saturday and found the park closing hours before they expected are owed an explanation. So far, one has not been offered.
What Is Happening With the Union
The labor situation at Hersheypark is the kind of thing that does not resolve quietly. Over 200 maintenance employees represented by Chocolate Workers Local No. 464 rejected what Hershey Entertainment and Resorts called its “last, best, and final” contract offer. That rejection happened one week before the May 21 summer season opening. It followed months of negotiations and a 60-day contract extension from mid-March that was supposed to create space for a deal.
It did not create a deal.
The union subsequently voted on whether to authorize a strike. The workers they represent are not peripheral to park operations. Carpenters, HVAC technicians, ride mechanics, electricians, plumbers, welders, painters, machinists, sign artists, laborers, central plant operators, garage auto mechanics, and utilities technicians are the people responsible for keeping the rides safe, the facilities running, and the infrastructure intact. A strike by this group would be felt immediately and operationally.
Their demands are not unusual for a skilled trades workforce: fair wage increases, more affordable healthcare, and higher pay for less desirable shifts. Their position is that working conditions and compensation have declined in recent years even as Hershey Entertainment and Resorts has expanded and performed well financially.
Union member Todd Tranquillo put it directly in a FOX43 interview: “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.”
Hershey Entertainment and Resorts issued a statement to ABC27 ahead of the season opening that committed to opening as scheduled while signaling that negotiations were ongoing: “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 did open on May 21. It closed early on May 23.
Why the Staggered Closing Schedule Is Interesting
The specific pattern of the early closure is worth examining. Hersheypark and its adjacent venues did not all close at the same time. The park and Supply Co. and Zoo America closed at 6 PM. The Chocolatier followed at 8 PM. That staggered structure suggests the closure was a coordinated operational plan rather than an emergency response to something unexpected.
If an emergency had forced a sudden early close, the timing would likely have been uniform rather than staggered across venues. A planned shutdown, on the other hand, typically involves exactly the kind of sequential wind-down that Saturday's closure resembled.
What the plan was responding to remains unexplained by the park.
The Impact on Guests and What It Means Going Forward
Memorial Day weekend represents one of the highest-traffic periods for any regional theme park. Families who planned the trip months in advance, who drove from across the mid-Atlantic region, who built their Saturday around a full evening at Hersheypark, had several hours of their plans removed without warning or public explanation.
The Boardwalk water park was also scheduled to open on May 23. Whether it operated normally on that day and what its current status looks like is something guests with upcoming summer plans should confirm directly with the park before they travel.
The union situation adds a real element of uncertainty to the remainder of the 2026 summer season at Hersheypark. If negotiations continue without resolution, the risk of operational disruptions grows. The park's skilled maintenance workforce is not easily replaced, and any work stoppage would have direct consequences for which rides and facilities can safely operate.
Hersheypark competes with Florida's major theme parks for mid-Atlantic family vacation spending. Guests weighing a Hersheypark summer trip against a Disney or Universal alternative should factor the labor situation into their planning. Not because a strike is certain, but because the outcome of the negotiations is genuinely uncertain and the consequences of a strike would be operationally significant.
Before booking or finalizing summer plans at Hersheypark, check the park's official channels for any updates on operating hours and the status of the union negotiations. The park committed in its ABC27 statement to communicate directly with guests if anything changes. FOX43 and ABC27 have been the most consistent sources for updates on the labor situation as it develops.
