Lancaster and Hershey's Chocolate World

While we were in Amish country we went into Lancaster and (at the recommendation of a couple we met at the Amish feast) Hershey’s Chocolate World.

Lancaster has several decorated pianos around the streets, a bit like sculptures but anyone can play them.  It's a fantastic idea!

A sweet garden scene in front of one of Lancaster's many churches.

The Lancaster Central Market building.

                                           This stall only sold edible doggie treats.

Many of the stalls were run by the Amish.

Next day we went to Hershey's Chocolate World which really is very interesting.

We took a little train ride around to see how chocolate is made.  These gorgeous girls were part of it.

This trolley bus took us around the town to tell and show us the Milton Hershey story.  He was an amazing man.  After amassing a huge fortune making chocolate, he set up a school for under privileged children from all over America, then left his whole fortune for its future.  It is basically a private philanthropic boarding school and one of the wealthiest schools in the world.  There are more than 1800 children from Pre-School to Year 12.   

This is Milton's home.  Quite modest really.

This is the magnificent hall at  the school.  It is based on the Pantheon.  By the way, Milton Hershey also donated heavily to the local high school so everyone around had equal opportunities.  

The marble floor.

This is one of the hundreds of lovely houses in which the the children from different states live.  They have about six to eight children, with two house parents.

Milton Hershey' workers were also well looked after, with cheap housing etc and even  entertainment parks and a zoo.  Don't think it was quite this fancy in Milton's day.  The factory is in the background.