Our first cavern tour ever! Our tour guide Robin made it fun and interactive. We were grateful for…read morethe 52 degree temperature inside the caverns in contrast to the humid 85 degrees on the outside. Experiencing cave darkness was memorable and intense. My favorite area was where we could see the crystal clear pond in the cave floor. Next to the visitor center are some goats, alpacas, and a turkey. Also there's a cage with a blue and white peacock. I wish the peacocks had more space to roam, as mentioned by another Yelper.

PROS: very cool cavern! Huge, many tunnels, and history behind it is neat. Ian the tour guide was…read moreamazing! Loads of parking, affordable, big gift shop, walk-in's welcome CONS: you need to walk up and down a 70 step staircase which some people can't do OVERALL: unless you have a challenge taking on a large staircase I highly recommend coming here as it'll blow your mind!

I frequently visit Hershey and am always looking for new things to do, therefore I decided to go…read morecheck out the Hershey Archives. The Archives are directly underneath the Hershey Story and although appointments are not needed they are reccomended. Eventually, a staff member from the Archives came up to the front area of the Hershey Story and took me downstairs to the Archives. Once down there, I sat down in the Reading Room. Down there was a variety of books showing historical pictures and a collection of regular books that impacted Hershey as a town and the company. While in the reading room I saw a variety of pictures of Milton Hershey in a variety of places and places all around Hershey including the hotel, the Milton Hershey School and the zoo! While in the reading room the archivist got some other information for me about the more recent history of Hershey including the "Derail the Sale Movement." Altogether, the Hershey Archives are an amazing collection of historical information all about Hershey!

The Milton S. Hershey mansion which is known as High Point was built in 1908 and was the home of…read moreHershey Chocolate founder Milton S. and Catherine Hershey. It's the home that chocolate built. Compared to other wealthy industrialists, such as the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts, High Point, designed by Henry Herr was very modest in size with only 22 rooms and a large front porch. After Catherine's death in 1915, Milton didn't want to have much to do with the place and sold or gave away most all the furnishings, and moved upstairs to three rooms while the house was turned into the clubhouse for the local golf course. The funny thing is that he used to call those three rooms with his porch overlooking the grounds, Atlantic City, so when people would come by looking for him, he had his staff say that he was in Atlantic City. When the Hershey country club was founded in 1930 Milton Hershey donated the house to the club and it remained his primary residence until his death in 1945. Later the house was acquired in 1970 by The Milton Hershey school, then purchased by Hershey Foods for its corporate headquarters in 1977 then years later, purchased by the Hershey Trust Company, which now continues their business at that location. Tour tickets are released on the 15th of every month for the following month and tours are held only on Saturdays. The tickets are sold on a first come, first serve basis, so it's best to plan ahead to get your tickets. the tours typically last 60 to 75 minutes and will require a good bit of standing and walking and there is no seating available. The tickets are only sold online and must be purchased at least one day in advance and they are not sold at the mansion. There is a 10 guest maximum per tour and you need to arrive 10 minutes prior to your tour at the bottom of the front porch steps. There is free parking available in the adjoining lot and while walking the grounds and taking as many pictures as you'd like on the grounds is admissible photography is not permitted inside the building. The docent and volunteers that run the program are well-versed and quite knowledgeable in all aspects of Milton, Hershey and his wife, Catherine, along with all the artifacts, original and reproduction furnishings that are located throughout the house. They were able to answer all of our questions, and even gave us some food for thought concerning the building of the house, cost of the house when built and the current structure of the house as it is today. A visit to the mansion is a definite must for anybody that's interested in the history of Milton, Hershey, and how he brought chocolate to the masses.

The additional cocoa tasting offered here is what bumps my rating up to 5 stars. You get six…read morewell-sized samples sourced from around the world that shows the variety in flavor and helps you appreciate the blending process that goes into a chocolate. I whole-heartedly recommend the tasting either before or after the tour itself. The tour features what you would expect about the Hershey family and the company itself. I appreciated the treasure hunt sprinkled in for the kids to keep their interest. BTW, admission is free if you stay in the Hershey hotels, so keep that in mind when planning your trip.

This is a nice stop to make while you're here in Hershey! I wouldn't add extra time to my trip to…read morecome here, but it's great if you already have the time. The museum is nice but I enjoyed the additional experiences more. The museum cost me $16 and has some cool information about Milton Hershey's life. It has a few historical items, like Hershey's crib and his White Star ticket receipt. There are a few interactive exhibits that I think would keep a kid's attention. It mostly summarizes Hershey's time and his impact in the town he created. If I had limited time I would skip the museum and do the extra activities instead. The drinking chocolate tasting feels like a secret and was so fun! It cost me $13 and it comes with six different drinking chocolates from around the world. It's fun and delicious to try them all! I also did an experience in the Chocolate Lab. It cost $16 (although I got a combo museum- Chocolate Lab ticket for $28). You sit with your group at different tables and wear an apron and a hair net. You make a small chocolate item- we just poured chocolate into a mold and added sprinkles. Then the hosts give a great educational talk about how chocolate is made and answers questions. It's very informative and for the price I thought it was a steal! If you come, I would evaluate all of the options and don't feel like you have to do them all. However, for the prices any of them are a good value.

I didn't explore this town at all as I was really only here for Hersey Park. Seemed like nice town…read morebut my guess is it is centered around Hersey.

You know you've arrived in Hershey when you see the signature Hershey's Kisses streetlamps. More…read morethan 107 lamps line Chocolate Avenue and appear around Hershey, alternating between wrapped and unwrapped chocolates. "The Sweetest Place on Earth" was purchased by Hershey in 1903, and the following year, a contest was held to find a suitable name for the town. Mrs. T.K. Doyle of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, came up with the winning entry, Hersheykoko. By the time the town was officially re-christened in 1905, "koko" had gone by the wayside and the town was named simply Hershey. Before that, the town was originally named Derry Church. Hershey chose to build his factory in this region of Pennsylvania because it was near his birthplace and near dairy farms to ensure a steady supply of milk. Full of places to shop, eat, explore the great outdoors, and even museums, it's definitely recommended to do more than the main attraction of the town (Hersheypark). The Antique Automobile Club of America Museum is a great spot to get your fill of the beauty of vintage cars. For any automobile enthusiast, this is one of the best options for what to do while you're in Hershey, Pennsylvania. It is even affiliated with the reputable Smithsonian Institution, so you know you can trust it. All sorts of different vehicles are proudly on display, including trucks, classic cars, and buses. If you're a foodie, Hershey has you covered as well. The historically restored old Curry Mill has been a restaurant since 2014 and not only is the building a piece of local history, but they use vendors to buy their food items so local farmers, fishermen and other local food makers are beneficial to that business making it a truly local business. There are so many local restaurants that are chalked full of historical relevance. Shopping is also very popular in Hershey. Embark on a shopping excursion during your getaway to Hershey by exploring more than a dozen unique shops, boutiques, and outlets across the town that offers everything from Hershey's products and souvenirs to designer apparel and accessories. Plus, specialty items you'll only find in Hershey! If you find yourself in Hershey for Hersheypark, but have extra time I highly recommend checking out the other great things the city has to offer.

My pictures are a mixture of new photos (butterfly exhibit) and old ones (that I apparently never…read moreposted from when my son was 13 and interviewed at the MHS he's now 17 and graduating high school this year lol). The butterfly exhibit alone was worth the repeat visit. The grounds are calming and the view of the amusement park from the gardens is spectacular.

Ok, now I have been to Hershey Gardens both in the winter and when, you know, there are actually…read moreliving plants. As expected, the gardens are beautiful and meticulously well kept. In the middle of all the beauty is a fairly robust play area for the little ones, including a big fake cacao tree! We had a hard time convincing the kids to leave. If you are heading here without kids, then my all means please enjoy a relaxing stroll through the grounds. Years from now I may join you! Also, the butterfly room is worth visiting every time.

The Hershey complex is huge! There's an amusement park, a waterpark, an animal park, a beautiful…read morehotel that was built in the early 30s, a campground/RV park, as well as an arena and even a stadium. One ticket that gets you into all three parks is $84.95 if you buy it by walking up to the gate. there are discounts for seniors/juniors/military/veterans, , or if you buy your tickets in advance online. You also get to come in for free the last two hours before closing the day before your ticket, , to give you a preview. Also, In town, is a Hershey Museum, that goes into the history of Milton Hershey in more detail. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to see it. At the center of it all, is Hershey's chocolate world. (separate review.) that has a lot of different activities, as well as lots of shopping. All except for one of the activities costs, so I decided to just do the trolley tour. The price of the trolley tour is reasonable. It's the same price for all ages, but they do offer military/veteran discounts. The trolley tour was lots of fun. It takes you throughout the town of Hershey, they tell you about the story of Milton Hershey, and you get to see different spots that are part of the Milton Hershey Legacy. It takes you past the Hershey mansion, which he built in 1906, for only roughly $50,000, not including landscaping or furnishings. Imagine that in today's money... It's a pretty little town, and there is just so much to see. The narration can get a little "hokey", but I'm not complaining, as it's "hokey" in a fun way. Plus, there's free chocolate! Mr. Hershey was a philanthropist, who believed in giving back to his community. He founded the Milton Hershey school, which continues to this day. It's for children 4 through 15, from low income families, and it is all free of charge. This is a short biography of Mr. Hershey, as well as more information about the school. https://www.mhskids.org/about/history/milton-s-hershey/ The tour is a lot of fun, and you will definitely learn a bit. It's well worth it.

By far the highlight of our visit to Hershey, the Historic Trolley Works tour provided us with such…read moredeep insight into the origins of Hershey and Milton's life mission and school. Our guide was so insightful and so funny - we spent a lot of time laughing, learning, and enjoying our 90 minute tour of Hershey, PA. There were plenty of candy surprises along the way, from kisses to Reese's cups to caramels, and the time flew by as we experienced all Hershey had to offer. Cannot recommend this tour enough - it really was so well developed and so well done, and while it's a bit pricey, it's worth every penny to gain a newfound appreciation for all of Milton Hershey's work and legacy.

My girlfriend, 11-year-old son and I did a weekend trip to Hershey and Harrisburg, and after…read moredragging my son to several history museums, we decided to appease him by bringing him to a chocolate museum. We came on a Sunday afternoon in November, and he was on cloud 9 the whole afternoon. We did both the main museum and the chocolate lab experience, ($78 for the three of us) and I wanted to do the chocolate tastings of chocolates from around the world, but the lab and museum were already expensive enough. I love museums and thought the museum portion was particularly well done. Very informative, well laid out and easy to follow. Lots of interesting information about Milton Hershey's life and the empire he built. The chocolate lab experience was 45 minutes and a little hokey. "Making chocolate" amounted to a quick arts and crafts project using melted milk and white chocolates, followed by a power point presentation on how chocolate is made. The museum store has a lot of fun things for purchase that I assume you can't find outside of Hershey, such as chocolate colognes. Overall we had a good time and would recommend it as a fun place to spend and afternoon with kids.

Lots of bigger size candies here, Hershey bars, Reese's, Twizzlers too…read more There are lots of dark chocolate versions of Reese's thins, Rolos too. Cute makeup kits for those that love Hershey. $25. The packet of dark chocolate Reese's is $6.

Tip: This arena can handle over 8,000 hockey fans…read more Hersheypark Sports Complex contains Hersheypark Arena, which is a multipurpose indoor arena. It used to be the home of the Hershey Bears, which is the American Hockey League (AHL) farm team of the Boston Bruins. The Bears have an amazing winning record. The Hershey Bears play out of Giant Center. These days, the Hershey Cubs from the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) play at this arena. It's roughly a seven-minute drive between Hersheypark Arena and Giant Center. It's cools that both arenas are a part of this sports complex. This arena has a capacity of over 8,000 hockey fans. It's a decent hockey arena. I have never seen the Hershey Cubs play. Whenever I'm back in Hershey, I will try to see the Cubs here. (353)

Great atmosphere. Easy access to parking and seating. Ushers and servers are all respectful and aim…read moreto please.

The 2nd annual Choctoberfest (CF) took place yesterday in ChocolateTown Square on a perfect autumn…read moreday. The music from local bands was playing, beer was being poured, bites were being eaten and -most importantly- the chocolate was sweet. All of those things came together for a family-friendly fall festival. I heard about the event on Yelp and decided to check it out. I'm glad we went on such a gorgeous day. Admission was free and parking was easy at the lot across from the theater. One of the nice things about a small festival is that you don't have to walk for miles to see everything. The area for listening to the bands was a great spot for viewers; they had haystacks for seating and tall tables throughout the park for drinking and eating. The lights strung from the trees were a nice touch. However, the tents area was cramped, crowded and not where I wanted to be. I wish they had a better space to spread them out. Luckily, once people got their items, they were able to move over to park area. The lines weren't too long, thankfully. I didn't eat any of the bites, but I did try one of the beers and it was good. In the back, they also had some activities for the kids. There was a bounce house, chalk drawing, free pumpkins and bags to paint, Frisbee Toss and a few others. They also had some portable toilets along with a hand washing station, which was good for those chalky fingers! I would definitely go back next year and I bet they will continue to grow. It seemed like a well-organized event and Hershey is a nice town to visit. I'm not a fan of festivals in general but CF is my type of small-town festivals. I'll be back!

From the owner: oin us for Choctoberfest 2023: A celebration of bands, beers, bites, and chocolate!…read moreThe 8th annual Choctoberfest will be held on Saturday, October 14, 2023 from 11:00 am – 6:00 pm in ChocolateTown Square Park, located at the corner of Chocolate and Cocoa Avenues in Downtown Hershey. Join us with family and friends for a fall afternoon full of great live music, local craft beer, delicious food from downtown restaurants, and, of course, chocolate! Choctoberfest offers an array of activities for all ages to enjoy and is free and open to the public, with food and beverages available for purchase. Check back as we detail more of the events for the day!