April rain makes 28,000 tulips sparkle at Hershey Gardens

While a sunny day is the perfect time to visit the annual Hershey Gardens tulip display, a stray April shower can provide an alternative soothing moment of soft light with fresh color highlighted by reflective droplets as it did with these photos on April 13.

For 2026, the Hershey Gardens display features 28,000 blooms with 45 varieties.

There are 17 new cultivars with names like ‘Pretty Princess,’ ‘Lasting Love,’ ‘Bella Blush,’ ‘Aveyron,’ and ‘Blue Diamond.’

The tulip tradition dates back to 1942.

According to the garden’s website, Milton S. Hershey was approached to sponsor a national rosarium in Washington, D.C. Instead, he decided to create a garden in Hershey with the idea that the community could enjoy a floral display at home. Hershey Gardens began with Hershey’s request to “create a nice garden of roses.”

The original 3-and-a-half acre rose garden opened to the public in 1937. By 1942, Hershey Gardens expanded to a 23-acre botanical garden.

In the backdrop of the tulip garden, spring is coming alive with the flowering trees and other ornamental color along the winding trails of the garden.

You can learn more about the garden at its website hersheygardens.org.