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Hershey is a charming town in central Pennsylvania that was built on chocolate and hospitality. Founded by Milton S. Hershey in the early 1900s, this company town grew into one of the most beloved family destinations in the United States. The streets are lined with Hershey’s Kiss-shaped streetlights, and the air carries the faint scent of cocoa from the nearby factory. Whether you are traveling with young children, seeking a romantic escape, or exploring solo, Hershey offers a sweet mix of amusement park thrills, cultural attractions, and natural beauty.
The town itself reflects Milton Hershey’s progressive vision and deep commitment to his workers and community. He built housing, schools, parks, and recreational facilities for employees long before such practices were common among American industrialists. Today visitors can explore that legacy at multiple museums and landmarks scattered throughout town. Hershey also serves as an excellent home base for exploring the rolling farmland and covered bridges of Pennsylvania Dutch Country just to the east.
Hershey began as a planned community centered around chocolate manufacturing when Milton S. Hershey broke ground on his new factory in 1903. Unlike many industrialists of his era, Hershey believed that happy, healthy workers produced better chocolate, so he constructed an entire town with modern amenities. He built affordable brick homes, a trolley system, schools, and a library for his workforce. The crown jewel of his vision was the Hershey Industrial School, now the Milton Hershey School, established in 1909 to serve orphaned boys and funded entirely by company profits.
The chocolate factory became the largest chocolate manufacturing facility in the world, producing iconic brands that remain household names. During the Great Depression, Hershey kept workers employed by launching major construction projects including the Hotel Hershey, the Hershey Theatre, and Hersheypark Stadium. These public works projects, funded personally by Milton Hershey, gave the town architectural landmarks that still define its character. During World War II, the factory produced the Field Ration D bar, a heat-resistant chocolate bar designed for American soldiers, as well as the better-known Tropical Chocolate Bar that could withstand high temperatures in the Pacific theater.
Hersheypark is the centerpiece of any visit, a sprawling amusement park with roller coasters, water rides, and family attractions spread across 121 acres. The park features more than 70 rides including Candymonium, one of the tallest and fastest hypercoasters on the East Coast, and Skyrush, which delivers an intense, floorless riding experience. The Boardwalk at Hersheypark offers a full water park with wave pools, lazy rivers, and towering water slides that are perfect for hot summer afternoons. During winter, the park transforms into Hersheypark Christmas Candylane with millions of twinkling lights, seasonal treats, and select rides.
Chocolate World provides a different kind of experience with the free Chocolate Tour ride that traces the journey from cocoa bean to foil-wrapped Kiss. Guests can also create their own candy bar, design personalized wrappers, and participate in a chocolate tasting experience guided by experts. For a deeper dive, the Hershey Story Museum on Chocolate Avenue uses interactive exhibits and rare artifacts to chronicle the life of Milton Hershey and the growth of his chocolate empire. At the museum’s Chocolate Lab, visitors of all ages can try their hand at pouring and decorating chocolate bars.
The Hotel Hershey is a grand Mediterranean-style resort that sits on a hilltop overlooking the town, originally built during the Great Depression as a make-work project. Its formal gardens, inspired by European palace gardens, are open to the public and provide stunning photo opportunities. The hotel houses The Spa at the Hotel Hershey, which incorporates chocolate into treatments like the signature whipped cocoa bath and chocolate fondue wraps. Across town, Hershey Gardens spans 23 acres and includes a Children’s Garden, a seasonal Butterfly House where hundreds of tropical butterflies flutter freely, and themed rose beds with more than 3,500 rose bushes.
The ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park is an 11-acre zoo adjacent to Hersheypark that focuses exclusively on animals native to North America. Its five regions represent distinct ecosystems, and visitors encounter black bears, gray wolves, river otters, mountain lions, and bald eagles in naturalistic habitats. The Hershey Theatre, with its elaborate Venetian-inspired interior, hosts touring Broadway productions, concerts, and classic film screenings beneath a ceiling painted to resemble a night sky.
Hershey’s natural setting in the Swartara Creek valley provides ample opportunities for outdoor activity. Hershey Rec Center maintains walking and biking trails that wind through wooded areas and along scenic creeks. Shank Park offers baseball and softball fields, tennis courts, and open green space for picnics and casual recreation. Just outside town, the Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area protects old-growth hemlock and hardwood forest with miles of hiking trails through quiet woodland.
Memorial Lake State Park, a short drive northeast, centers on an 85-acre lake ideal for kayaking, canoeing, and shoreline fishing for warm-water species. The park’s flat, well-groomed trail circles the entire lake and is popular with walkers, joggers, and birdwatchers. In winter, when conditions permit, visitors enjoy cross-country skiing and ice fishing on the frozen lake surface. Golfers can play the Hershey Country Club, where two championship courses designed by noted architects wind through tree-lined fairways with views of the surrounding hills.
Hershey is busiest during the summer months of June through August when Hersheypark operates at full schedule and the Boardwalk water attractions draw the largest crowds. The weather is warm and sunny with temperatures consistently in the 80s, though afternoon thunderstorms are common. September and October bring cooler temperatures and the park’s Hersheypark in the Dark Halloween event, featuring themed mazes and trick-or-treat trails through the grounds.
Late November through December transforms the town for Christmas Candylane and festive events at the Hotel Hershey, with millions of holiday lights and seasonal activities creating a magical winter atmosphere. March through May offers milder weather with fewer crowds and the blooming of Hershey Gardens, making spring an ideal window for visitors who prioritize a relaxed pace. Weekdays are quieter than weekends throughout the year, and arriving early in the day ensures shorter wait times for popular Hersheypark attractions.
Here are some of our recommended things to do in Hershey. Take your pick!
Hershey Gardens is a 23-acre botanical garden perched on a hilltop overlooking the town of Hershey, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a rose garden at the request of Milton S. Hershey in 1937, the gardens have since grown into one of central P…
Hersheypark opened in 1906 as a simple picnic and leisure ground for employees of the Hershey Chocolate Company , making it one of the oldest operating amusement parks in the United States. Milton S. Hershey envisioned a place where workers and thei…