Hersheypark Arena is the home of the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League.
Built in 1938, Hersheypark Arena is one of the last great hockey arenas left in the United States, at least that I know about. It's a wonderful place that immediately transports you back to an earlier era.
The wooden seats are cramped and pitched steeply. Iron railings in front of each row keep the fans from careening forward when they leap to their feet to celebrate a goal. Seats are squeezed into every possible corner in all sorts of unusual combinations. At the end of the rink is a large, manually operated board displaying the current AHL standings.
The dominant feature, however, is the roof. It's a massive, art-deco, arched concrete structure that soars over the ice and comes down seemingly on the heads of the people in the back row. It gives the place a feeling of watching a game in a giant WWII airplane hanger. It's a wonderous sight.
The arena is wonderfully maintained. It is very clean and powerfully sturdy and looks like it could easily stand for another 63 years.
Another interesting item is that the upper level is completely seperated from the lower level. They have seperate entrances from the outside and there is no way to get from one to the other. The concession stands are shoe-horned into the corners made by an oval arena being put into a rectangular box and the tunnels that link these corners are low and claustrophobic.
There is no giant TV screen or message board or any of the other silly modern distractions. There is just this great old building, the boisterous and enthusiastic fans that don't need to be told when to cheer, and the Hershey Bears on the ice. Who needs more?
One more historical note of interest: Hersheypark Arena is the venue where Wilt Chamberlain became the only man in NBA history to score 100 points in a single game against the New York Knicks.
These photos were taken in March, 2001