Following up on the Spotlight on Hershey, Pennsylvania – The Sweetest Place on Earth post, here are Globetrotting Mommy’s Top 10 Family Friendly Things to do in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
1) Visit Hersheypark. No visit to Hershey is complete without a trip to this famed amusement park. More than 65 kiddie rides, amazing roller coasters and water park attractions await visitors of all ages.
2) Take a Hershey Trolly Works Tour – All aboard for a historic journey through the town built on chocolate. This 60-minute trolly tour is great for kids of all ages. You’ll visit Milton Hershey’s childhood home, the acclaimed Milton Hershey School, downtown Hershey and other sights while enjoying chocolate samples. This is a great end of day activity. Don’t forget to look for the Hershey Kiss shaped street lamps.
3) Shop till you drop. Kids love to shop and boys and girls of all ages will find a wide array of gifts, stuffed characters, t-shirts and customized chocolate goodies. I found chocolates I never even knew existed at Chocolate World like Reese’s White Peanut Butter Cups for my white chocolate loving husband. And, how cute is Miss G’s little Hershey’s Kiss necklace?
4) Hershey’s Great American Chocolate Tour Ride at Chocolate World – This free ride is a great introduction to chocolate making. Guests follow cocoa beans on a journey from the tropical rainforest to Hershey, Pennsylvania complete with singing cows, automated candy making machines and chocolate scents wafting through the air.
5) Try the Children’s Scavenger Hunt at Hershey Gardens. Located at The Hershey Hotel, Hershey Gardens is a scenic respite featuring 23-acres of gardens (think roses, signature trees, butterflies and more). The hands-on Children’s Garden offers a Children’s Scavenger Hunt that will keep little ones busy and entertained.
6) Hershey’s Create Your Own Candy Bar Attraction at Chocolate World – Gear up and get ready to custom design your own chocolate bar. Select a chocolate base, ingredients and toppings and watch as your customized bar travels down the conveyer belt. Once complete, you get to design your own graphics for the gift box. So. Much. Fun!
7) Visit Zoo America – If you are visiting Hersheypark, your ticket includes free admission to Zoo America. The 11-acre walk-thru zoo is adjacent to Hersheypark and features more than 200 animals from five regions of North America.
8) Take photos with the giant Hershey candy characters. This is THE place to get adorable family photos with you and and a giant Hershey Bar, Reeses Peanut Butter Cup and Hershey Kiss so don’t forget your cameras. The characters can be found around Hersheypark (including a Character breakfast) and some hotels like The Hershey Hotel and Hershey Lodge schedule character appearances on site.
9) Visit The Hershey Story’s Museum Experience – This museum has several interactive exhibits that explain how Milton Hershey built his famed empire. Along the way, guests can view antiques, vintage advertisements, testimonials and more. Kids will especially enjoy the chance to make their own personalized newspaper pages and create candy in the museum’s Chocolate Lab.
10) Save room for dessert. Vacations are made for special treats and a trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania means lots of opportunities to indulge that sweet tooth. You and your kids will love trying specialty cookies and cupcakes available all over town, ice cream specialties, S’mores, chocolate infused meals, chocolate butter and of course chocolate martinis for the grown ups. Yum.
Read on for one last post on family friendly tips for visiting Hersheypark.
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