I've been visiting Hersheypark for over 30 years. Here are 12 things I do whenever I visit the Pennsylvania gem.

Aug 07, 2026 09:09 PM - 1 month ago 323

Composite of female pinch marshmallow cocktail smiling adjacent to interior of Chocolatier showing rides arsenic tables

I've been going to Hersheypark for complete 30 years and still emotion the attractions, food, and drinks. Carly Caramanna

Hersheypark is simply a monolithic amusement parkland nestled successful south-central Pennsylvania. It's sewage thrill rides, a water park, on-site resorts, and more.

It was founded by Milton S. Hershey and has tons of attractions and decor inspired, of course, by chocolate. I've been going to Hersheypark for complete 30 years, and emotion it.

Here are immoderate of my favourite things to do, eat, and portion whenever I visit.

One of my favourite parts of Hersheypark tin beryllium recovered astatine the entrance

Hersheypark measurement area

I commencement each travel to Hersheypark astatine the height-measuring board.  Carly Caramanna

Since I was a small kid, I've begun each sojourn astatine the park's height-measuring board.

Hersheypark uses different candies, including Twizzlers and Kisses, to people each tallness scope and find who tin thrust each attraction. 

It's ever a nosy photograph opportunity and a adjuvant measurement to fig retired what you tin thrust while successful the park.

The park's Dutch-style pretzels are immoderate of the champion baked equipment I've had

The writer holds a Hersheypark pretzel

The hand-rolled pretzels astatine Pretzel House successful Hershey are delicious.  Carly Caramanna

The Pretzel House snack barroom wrong Hersheypark has the best hand-rolled pretzels I've ever had.

They're soft and buttery, made from a classical Pennsylvania-Dutch recipe. The pretzels travel successful a assortment of flavors, including cinnamon sugar, and are accompanied by dips, from food to chocolate.

I emotion the classical plain pretzel pinch food dipping sauce. 

The Kissing Tower is an iconic extremity for immoderate visitor

Kissing building astatine Hersheypark

The Kissing Tower is visible while driving done Hershey.  Carly Caramanna

Hersheypark's Kissing Tower is 1 of its astir iconic attractions, and it's been astir for much than 50 years.

Standing astatine 250 feet, visitors tin spot it looming successful the region arsenic they attack the park.

The Hershey's Kiss-shaped windows supply a 360-degree position of the parkland and the surrounding municipality arsenic the enclosed compartment slow rotates precocious successful the sky.

Chocolatetown is simply a awesome parkland area, too

Chocolatetown entrance

Chocolatetown offers moreover much eating options and amusements.  Carly Caramanna

Inspired by the bequest of Milton S. Hershey, Chocolatetown is the largest description successful the park's history. It's attached to the taxable park, and paid admittance is not required for prime parts.

It's location to a fewer attractions, a ample merchandise store, positive respective eating options that salary homage to the chocolatier's history.

Milton's Ice Cream Parlor is my favourite extremity for its usage of 100% section dairy and its delicious, creamy, house-made treats.

Milton's crystal pick successful cups

Ice pick makes for the cleanable dessert while successful Chocolatetown.  Carly Caramanna

Chocolatetown besides features a vintage-car display, which is nosy to research and a awesome spot to threat a cool photo.

When visiting Chocolatetown, I ever eat and portion astatine The Chocolatier

The Chocolatier restaurant

The Chocolatier is carousel-themed.  Carly Caramanna

One of the champion eateries successful the parkland is The Chocolatier. With a carousel bar arsenic its centerpiece, the unsocial abstraction uses thrust elements arsenic decor and moreover arsenic tables for diners.

I usually bid the Cocoa Cuban, which uses Hershey's cocoa-rubbed pork shoulder.

A Cuban sandwich connected plate

The Cocoa Cuban is 1 of my go-to orders astatine The Chocolatier.  Carly Caramanna

I besides bask the restaurant's chicken and waffles. Plus, there's a wide assortment of nosy drinks astatine The Chocolatier bar

Drink pinch The Chocolatier menu

The Reese's Cupfusion Old Fashioned is different unsocial chocolate-themed treat.  Carly Caramanna

In summation to rotating seasonal cocktails, I emotion the Reese's Cupfusion Old Fashioned, which combines rye and peanut-butter whiskeys and is garnished pinch a Reese's peanut-butter cup.

I ever enactment astatine the Hershey Lodge

The writer astatine Hershey Lodge

I've stayed astatine the Hershey Lodge since I was a kid.  Carly Caramanna

Hersheypark houses 4 charismatic resorts: Hershey Lodge, The Hotel Hershey, Hershey Inn & Suites, and a camping retreat.

I've ever enjoyed staying astatine the Hershey Lodge. Though the converted centrifugal lodge has been upgraded passim the years and now has upscale amenities, it's still cozy.

Adorned pinch welcoming nooks and fireplaces, the edifice offers respective eating options, including Fire & Grain, arsenic good arsenic an indoor h2o park.

I emotion ending the time pinch a cocoa martini astatine the barroom and enjoying Hershey treats upon check-in.

It's besides nosy to extremity by the glamorous Hotel Hershey

The Hotel Hershey

The Hotel Hershey is simply a luxurious lodging option.  Carly Caramanna

The Hotel Hershey is simply a beautiful historic, luxury resort complete pinch a Spanish garden-inspired courtyard and a assortment of eating options, including the Iberian Lounge.

The Hotel Hershey artwork

The artwork astatine the Hotel Hershey is stunning.  Carly Caramanna

Inspired by Milton S. Hershey's travels astir the globe, the Iberian Lounge features stunning artwork, internationally inspired bites, and a action of complete 100 whiskeys.

My travel isn't complete without trying tons of chocolate-infused drinks and dishes

Chocolate-infused chickenhearted wings

Even the chickenhearted wings astatine Hersheypark are chocolate-infused.  Carly Caramanna

At Hershey, cocoa is incorporated into cocktails, saccharine snacks, and moreover savory dishes.

From cocoa-barbecue wings to the Yuengling Hershey's Chocolate Porter, moreover those without a saccharine bony tin find thing to enjoy.

Some of my favourite dishes see dark-chocolate s'mores fondue from Fire & Grain astatine Hershey Lodge and the location short-rib flatbread from The Chocolatier successful Chocolatetown. 

No sojourn to Hersheypark is complete without 1 of its chocolate martinis, which are served successful edifice bars and restaurants.

The writer pinch a cocoa martini and a portion connected a table

I ever bid a cocoa martini erstwhile I'm successful the area.  Carly Caramanna

It's disposable successful respective variations, but my favourite is the signature cocoa martini made pinch cocoa and vanilla vodkas and achromatic crème de cacao. 

ZooAmerica is attached to Hersheypark and included successful admission

ZooAmerica entrance

You tin spot your favourite type astatine ZooAmerica.  Carly Caramanna

Admission to Hersheypark besides includes ZooAmerica, a walk-through parkland pinch complete 200 animals.

At 11 acres, the over-100-year-old zoo is dedicated to conserving North American wildlife, including uncommon and endangered species. 

Visiting Chocolate World is an absolute must

Chocolate World entrance

I for illustration to extremity astatine Chocolate World correct extracurricular the Hersheypark entrance.  Carly Caramanna

Hershey's Chocolate World, a Willy Wonka-esque building, is located extracurricular the Hersheypark gates.

The attraction includes a chocolate-inspired nutrient court, the world's largest Hershey's unit store, and an interactive tasting lab.

Definitely cheque retired the free, slow-moving thrust that walks passengers done how cocoa is made.

The Reese's Stuff Your Cup acquisition feels for illustration a bucket-list offering

Reese's Stuff Cup

Custom-making your ain immense Reese's Peanut Butter Cup is simply a delicious experience.  Carly Caramanna

Located successful Hershey's Chocolate World, my favourite paid acquisition is the Stuff Your Cup. It lets guests transmission their soul Willy Wonka and create a 1-pound custom-stuffed Reese's peanut-butter cup.

There are a ton of mix-in options, and each larger-than-life concoction uses caller Reese's peanut butter.

Lastly, I emotion visiting Hersheypark during Christmastime to spot the ray displays

Hersheypark Christmas lights

Hersheypark looks beautiful dressed up successful lights during the holidays.  Carly Caramanna

Hersheypark is besides nosy to sojourn during the vacation season. Several of its rollercoasters stay successful operation, and the park's decorations are delightful.

Visitors should wholly cheque retired Christmas Candyland's Hershey Sweet Lights drive-thru spectacular, wherever they tin bask astir 2 miles of hundreds of light-up displays from their car.

This communicative was primitively published connected February 13, 2022, and astir precocious updated connected August 7, 2026.

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Carly Caramanna is simply a freelance writer who has been visiting taxable parks regularly for complete 3 decades. Growing up successful the carb-filled onshore of bagels and pizza by the portion (aka New Jersey), her parents instilled a emotion of each things adventure, food, and Walt Disney World. After attending NYU, she has spent her master profession successful New York City, Nashville, and Los Angeles. An master connected each things wining and eating astatine taxable parks, she knows wherever to find the champion Burrata successful Disney World (hint: it's astatine Wine Bar George) aliases wherever to drawback a nightcap aft your time astatine Hersheypark. Follow her connected twitter @CarlyCaramanna aliases Instagram @AdventuresByCarly

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