It was one of Milton Hershey’s first international ventures.

Mr. Hershey’s Cuba: A sweet venture in sugar is a new special exhibit at the Hershey story museum, opened in March 9, 2018, focuses on Milton Hershey’s influence in Cuba, learn how sugarcane was grown and harvested, a tour of a sugar mill, the model industrial that he created and the admiration from Cuban communities.   

At the new exhibit in Hershey story museum, you will explore the artifacts that related to the Hershey Cuban, the town of Hershey in Cuba and the life of sugar mill employees and the Cuban Communities.

Also the honoring of Cuban communities to Milton Hershey. According the Hershey foundation, Milton Hershey had founded a baseball team in Cuba called Hershey.

“The exhibit will take you closer look to the impact that Mr.Hershey had on Cuba and its people, also his manufacture and sugar venture” said Zoe Pecchio, a visitor experience manager at the Hershey story museum.

Visitors to the new exhibit will be transported to the time period when Milton Hershey arrived in Cuba, 1940, 14 years before he created the town.

They will learn about how the sugar was grown, harvested, milled and turned into refined sugar. Families and kids will enjoy the displays and some machines that they can try.

“Kids can enjoy and the machines that we brought such as a filtration system, spin a centrifugal and see sugar with close up look by using a video microscope.” said Valerie Seiber, collections manager.

Kids will be able to enjoy Operating a filtration system, Spinning a centrifugal machine, Placing sugar samples under a video microscope, allowing children to marvel at various types of sugar crystal structures on a high-definition screen, and Creating their own model town using colorful building blocks.

Milton Hershey is best known for confectioner, philanthropist and the founder of Hershey chocolate company. He also had a Cuban sugar venture and influenced the town of Hershey, Cuba, which still exists today.

According to the Hershey community archives, Milton Hershey visited Cuba in January 1916 and fell in love with it. He was influenced by the immense sugar plantations in Cuba.

After that he decided to buy sugar plantations and mills in order to supply his own sugar for use in his Hershey chocolate factory in Pennsylvania.

Mr. Hershey’s presence and manner of doing business is contrast to most foreigner businessmen who tried to exploit the country and its people. Cuban praised and honored Mr. Hershey by many awards: “Grand Cross of the National Order of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes” by Cuba’s president in 1993. It was the highest honor Cuba could bestow upon to a foreigner.