Inception
Historic Acres of Hershey has been the gathering place of many weddings and events since its inception in 2014. We’d like to share a little insight on how our venue came to be…
In 2014, two entrepreneurs, Kevin Freedman and Paul Hetrick, came together to start the process of opening a wedding and event venue. They recognized the need in Central PA for a special place that offers both rustic and elegant appeal.
The property was originally a working farm, dating as far back as the early 1900’s. It has changed hands several times over the last century. Most recently, the previous owner resided in the Farmhouse and ran a very successful antique co-op out of the Barn. The village-like feel that surrounds the venue today was the vision of the previous owner, which has been incorporated into the aesthetic of Historic Acres.
Many of the structures from the original farm still exist today. The Barn, Corn Crib, Coop, and Farmhouse have all be updated and transformed into exquisite event spaces. When the current owners came upon this property, they knew this was the place that would help make dreams come true, but it would take a lot of work and vision to bring it to fruition. All of 2014 was spent renovating the property. An old building foundation, left unfinished, was turned into a fire pit. The Farmhouse was turned into a beautiful space with a bridal suite, two guest bedrooms, and a lower level lounge area for grooms and their groomsmen. The patio was cleared, and sidewalks were added throughout the property to connect all buildings.
We began hosting a few weddings that year, both in the Coop and the Farmhouse. There was even a big tent wedding! In May of 2015, the Pavilion came to life, with its expansive glass doors, floor to ceiling stone fireplace, and larger than life chandeliers. A colorful, extensive, picturesque landscape also envelopes the property to complete the transformation.
Since then, we have been continuously updating the property, with both functional and cosmetic enhancements.
- In 2016, renovations were completed on our Barn, creating additional event space, including an option for indoor ceremonies.
- 2017 brought a change to our outdoor ceremony space: we excavated the site and regraded the area to allow better water drainage, which helps to keep the area dry after rain.
- In 2018, the brick sidewalk leading to the Farmhouse, as well as the wooden steps, needed some TLC, and we made that happen. A brick patio was added to the pergola in late fall.
- In 2019, large evergreen trees were added to the property to help block the parking lot from view.
- Finally, in early 2020, we replaced the brick patio with lovely gray flagstone and added a new stone wall, overhauling the space. Bistro lights across the entire patio are an additional option for your event. This massive project updated the center courtyard into a more elegant and functional space.
We continue to update and improve the venue and property, as we strive to make it aesthetically pleasing and functional for all types of events and celebrations!
