The Hershey complex is huge! There's an amusement park, a waterpark, an animal park, a beautiful hotel 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. read more

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By far the highlight of our visit to Hershey, the Historic Trolley Works tour provided us with such deep 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. read more

Hershey Trolley Works - Tours Near Me

What a way to tour Downtown Hershey in a replicate historical trolley & get a low down on the history of the various sites integral in the Hershey Legacy. For some reason I was thinking the trolley was an open air one, but it's not. The historic trolley ride is 75 minutes versus the other ride, which wasn't available at the time. I think the 45 minute tour is geared more towards kids & kids at heart. We purchased tickets online via one of the adventure bundles. I would strongly suggest to book way in advance during the summer or holiday season or if this is something you really want to do & don't want to chance it. Print your tickets or do a screenshot, I do both just in case, you know if technology fails or your battery dies. I would check in probably 15 minutes prior to your departure time or slightly earlier if you want to have a better choice of seats. To play it safe, I checked in at the admissions desk & they directed me to wait at the trolley stand, under the awning in front of Chocolate World. It was a Thursday in April & there was a school field trip. Initially everyone was waiting in the same line. Thankfully the trolley "conductor" organized the crowd by having the field trip step to the right while the general public stayed put. He announced that the field trip would have their own designated trolley. That was excellent planning on the company's part as I do value my peace & quiet & it would be quite challenging to listen to the history. Before anyone hates on me, children are a blessing, but sometimes you just want to hear your own thoughts. This goes for loquacious adults as well. ;-) The trolley makes stops throughout town, at their mansion, the bottom of the old factory, throughout the Hershey School Campus, & everything else established by Milton Hershey, even the Reese's factory! Yes, you read that correctly. There is a Hershey School, which is a private boarding school for those aged 4-15 that come from a low income family according to the Federal poverty level. I had no idea this school existed, but if you want to learn more about it & the admissions criteria check out mhskids.org. It's a beautiful campus. You can also take a free tour of Founder's Hall on your own time. While you don't get off the trolley at any time except to unload, it's a nice way to sit, relax & learn a quick summation of Milton Hershey & sample various Hershey kisses & hugs & to close the tour with a full sized Hershey bar. So get on board the information trolley! Check out the holiday trolley tours on their website. read more

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Highly recommend taking this tour. The "conductors" were were knowledgable and friendly. Very funny in their antics, and the show was fun as the one guy would change into different characters. Very informative about the history of Hershey, we learned quite a bit. And you get sample chocolates throughout the tour. A little long, but again, you get to tour the whole of Hershey and see the different buildings and learn how thye came about. read more

We took the trolly tour while visiting Hershey! We took the historical tour on a weekday morning. The tour group was small, which was nice! It was interesting to learn about the history of the town of Hershey and how the company came to be what it is today! During the tour we got to sample different chocolates that corresponded with what we were learning about. The man who was presenting during this tour was occasionally hard to understand as he would sometimes talk too fast. It also didn't help that his microphone kept going in and out so it made it hard to hear what he was saying. Depending on where you sat on the bus, you might have an obstructed view of the sites getting pointed out. We sat near the front and almost everything being pointed out was behind trees or hard to see from up there. Overall we were able to learn a lot of Hershey, and I would recommend this to people who are interested in learning more of the history behind the town and company! read more

This was a HUGE waste of money and time due to the conductor. If you get on the trolley and Chuck is your conductor, you can expect to not be able to understand a single word he says. Everyone on my trolley tour was disappointed, and it was a full trolley. After the tour I spoke with some of the other passengers, and they were not happy either. When he spoke it was rushed and garbled, and his eyes were always closed. We would pull up in front of a building, when we left we had know idea what the building was because we couldn't understand a word he was saying. It was just basically an expensive trolley ride with no narration, or should I say narration that you couldn't understand. I went up to the trolley registration desk and mentioned his name and stated that I couldn't understand a word he was saying, and she said they get a lot of complaints about him. My advice to anyone that pays to take this trolley tour, if Chuck gets on it, you get off of it and request a different trolley. read more

What a fun filled way to tour Hershey! Hershey trolley works offers two different kinds of tours. One is their historical tour of the town where you learn all about the life of Milton Hershey and the things he inspired. The other is the one my husband and I took from Hershey's chocolate world. It is called the Original trolley show and is a summer seasonal experience. This tour last 45 minutes and timed tickets must be purchased in advance. We had two tour guides. One was a lady who stayed with us the entire time and the other was Craig who kept disembarking the trolley at various scenic sight points in order to change "costumes" probably in the back for his roles as Milton Hershey's parents, a marine and other characters. All these characters played a role in the life of Milton Hershey. During the tour we drove around some of the places I intended to visit during my trip to Hershey including High Point mansion, Derry Church, the golf course, the original chocolate factory with its named brown stacks downtown Hershey with the Hershey story museum, Hershey Park, Zoo America, the Homestead, and of course the Hershey Hotel where we were staying. All along the way you would see engraved bushes that spelled out Hershey's Kisses, Cocoa or other things reminding you of the town. We learned a little of the life of Milton Hershey and his influence of what caused him to be a success and inspired Hershey's candy brand which we have come to know and love. However, this tour was family friendly in that we had a song sheet on our seats and we would sing various songs along the way. Craig came back as the different characters and each time he would bring a Hershey's treat such as a Hershey's kiss, a Reese peanut butter cup, a small Hershey bar. You can eat them as you travel but remember to discard the wrappings in the trash can as you exit. After the tour was over I went out to thank them both personally for all the hard work they put in to make this tour more enjoyable. The trolley departs from Hershey's chocolate world and brings you back there at the end of your visit. It is a great way to see and learn about Milton Hershey and the town that bears his name and have fun too. read more

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Bottom Line: A trip to Hershey without taking a trolley tour would be incomplete. My trip to Hershey included a stay at a luxurious hotel, indulging in fine food and chocolate at every turn and rejuvenating at the spa but my favorite part of visiting Hershey was the Historical Trolley Tour provided by Hershey Trolley Works!!! For that reason, Hershey Trolley Works earns the spot for my 2,200th Yelp review. Our conductor was Dirk and he was so phenomenal that I wanted to give him a hug, a real one, not one of those kiss shaped candies masquerading around in white chocolate. Dirk was sincere, engaging, informative and enthusiastic. He is absolutely an authority on the history of Milton S. Hershey, the chocolate factory, the town of Hershey and the Milton Hershey School. He also clearly has a real love and appreciation for all things Hershey. His Hershey spirit is contagious and I'm sure Mr. Hershey would be very proud. Throughout the 75 minute historical tour I laughed at his silly jokes and even tiered up when he spoke about the awe-inspiring Milton Hershey School. We enjoyed candy along the way and everyone spontaneously cheered when we passed by the Reese's factory. It was fun! We got to see parts of Hershey that are not accessible to private vehicles like the school and High Point, Milton and Catherine Hershey's mansion. Even though I had been studying Hershey, I still hung on every word spoken by Dirk and learned alot. It was an excellent experience and I can't imagine visiting Hershey without taking the tour at least once. While Hershey did once have a trolley system and even used it to move fresh milk to the factory, that system is long gone so the Hershey Trolley Tour uses buses disguised as trolleys. The seats were cramped and uncomfortable but once Dirk started narrating I forgot all it. The tour conveniently departs from and returns to Chocolate World. read more

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At the Hershey World, there are numerous of tourist activities that you can do and can purchase a la cart and also in a bundle/ package. The Trolley tour is one of those activities you can do. There are two types of tours you can do, both for the same price. One last 45 minutes that includes sing a longs (probably better for children) and costumed actors who will reenact some of the history of Milton Hershey's legacy. The other last 90 minutes that covers various history all over Hershey about Milton Hershey. Both tours provide chocolate during the tour and begin and end at Hershey World. You do not get off the trolley, which is an air conditioned bus that was made to look like a trolley. My husband and I opted for the 90 minute tour at 10 am on a Tuesday. We lined up outside at the trolley area and boarded shortly. Once our conductor came onto the trolley (with a few small baskets of chocolate too), our tour began as we drove away from Hershey World. Just to highlight some of the things covered in the tour, Milton Hershey was born in 1857 in Derry Township. He had an apprenticeship when he was 15 at a printer's shop. He later on become an apprentice for a candy maker, which began his passion for candy making. When Milton was 18 years old, he opened his first candy store in Philadelphia, after borrowing $150 from his aunt, but it failed. Later on he moved to Denver, CO to learn the art of caramel making. Then he moved back to Lancaster and started Lancaster Caramel Company. He made chocolate caramels in addition to other chocolate sweets. Later on he sold his caramel business so that he could focus on chocolate and the rest is history. Along this tour, you are taken to various places in Hershey that include two chocolate Hershey factories and the original location of the Hershey Industrial School. This school was opened by Milton and his wife Catherine after they realized that Catherine was unable to have children due to her health. Eventually the Milton Hershey School was found and endowed by the Hershey Company to help needy children across the world with housing and schooling, right here in Hershey, PA. Along the tour, you are also taken to Milton's parent's home, the home that he lived with while Catherine was alive (he lived about 30 years after her passing) and then the home he moved to after her passing. Overall, this is a great tour for those that are interested in getting to know more about Milton Hershey's life and the delicious legacy that he left for generations to come. read more

Hershey Trolley Works - $15.95 per adult for tickets - Tours Near Me

Fun tour. Informative as well. About 45 minutes. Milton Hershey and his wife were very generous to the community and truly cared about education. Learn about the business and community. Emma and Alex made the trip fun. Be prepared to sing! Different candies shared along the way. read more

We recently visited Hershey and took the Trolley tour. We thoroughly enjoyed it! Fred, our driver, did an amazing job! He was very interesting, knowledgeable and fun. We highly recommend Hershey Trolley Works as a must do when in Hershey! read more

We did the historical tour on a Saturday and it was so much fun! Our tour guide Jack was super informative and funny. They show you a lot of parts of Hershey that you may never see otherwise. The tour felt just long enough and the trolley was air conditioned! The candy was the cherry on top. read more

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour thanks to our guide, Dierks. He was very well spoken and clearly knowledgeable on the area and history. The tour was just the right amount of time, not too long, not too short. The story and legacy of Milton Hershey is an amazing one and very inspiring. This is a must during your visit to Hershey and you get chocolate at the end, what's not to like? We purchased tickets online the night before to reserve our spot and were able to show them on our phones to board. Very easy. Highly recommended. read more

Very informative tour about the Hersey Family and town of Hershey. Comfortable Trolley. Knowledgeable tour guides. Good for older children and adults. You will learn a lot. read more

I was VERY IMPRESSED with Hershey Trolley Works!! We bought 3 tickets for us the next day while staying in Hershey. We did the 10:45am tour. We got on just in time and immediately knew this was going to be fun. We drove all around Hershey learning about Milton Hershey, his childhood, his career, and his businesses. I had no idea he was such a philanthropist!! The tour is put together like a play of sort, and they did a fantastic job doing it! I will not go into detail for I do not want to spoil anything. This is so fun for people of all ages. Our son is 6 and loved it and I saw elderly as well. They are wheelchair accessible too. Wonderful thing to do if you get some time!! read more

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Craig was our conductor and he was funny, informative and all around nice man. The ride was a bit long and seats were quite uncomfortable. But all and all would recommend to adults wanting to see a bit more of the Hershey history and learn fun facts. Wouldn't think small kids would get much enjoyment unfortunately geared more towards adults. read more

Excellent tour! We really did have a fun and is one of the attractions that is made to be entertaining for more than families. We laughed at his jokes, enjoyed our guides knowledge of the area, and if we come back we will be doing it again. read more

If you are both a chocolate lover and a history buff, this tour is for you! I live relatively close to Hershey and have taken this tour several times during the HersheyPark off season when things are less busy. It is a bit different but no less excellent each time. You get to see some of the historic sights of Hershey that you may not otherwise notice or even get to see in some cases (like Milton Hershey's mansion). Each tour is led by an incredibly knowledgeable tour guide (shout out for my most recent tour guide Kim and driver Mitch for being fantastic). They feed you chocolate all along the way as relevant parts of the Hershey story come up. I would not recommend this tour for very young children. It is a little over an hour long and it geared toward older children and adults. Some of the younger children on my most recent tour got very restless about 30 minutes in. You can purchase your tickets at Chocolate World (where parking is free, btw), and the trolley leaves from and returns to that location. You do not get off the trolley anywhere else so please don't plan on using it as transportation into downtown Hershey. It's strictly a tour. At about $16 per person, this tour is a great value compared to many of the other Chocolate World ticketed experiences. read more

Had so much fun on the Hershey Trolley Works. After going through the Chocolate Factory and finding out how chocolate is made and processed, we took a trolley ride all round the Hershey compound to learn more about Milton Hershey and how he started his Hershey Empire. This is a tour not to be missed. The tour guides were excellent and share so much information about Mr. Hershey, Reeses, and the town of Hershey, PA. Amazing legacy that Mr. Hershey left behind and for generations to come. Chocolates from Hershey Kisses, Reeses, etc... being passed around during the tour. You will definitely, get your fill of chocolate fixings. Tour only cost- $14.95 per adult. read more

This was fun and very informative, it was a cold and rainy day so i was thrilled to see the trolley was enclosed and heated. We got to see the outside of the mansion, the factory, the school, the reese's building and several other locations. The trolley boarded right outside of Chocolate World, very easy and convenient, would highly recommend read more

We took an excellent trolley tour during our stop in Hershey! The narrator and driver were both excellent, and we learned a lot about Milton Hershey and the town. Loved seeing the sights and learning about them at the same time. The tour guide also passed Hershey candy around for passengers to sample. :-) read more

Skip this tour! It was a rainy cooler day in September when we paid $20 to take this tour. The A/C was broken, or the driver didn't know to turn on the A/C at a higher temp, or perhaps the trolley was designed incorrectly because we could not see out the windows because of condensation! Inside the trolley was hot and humid. We went through a packet of purse tissues trying to wipe the windows. As soon as we wiped, they would fog over. The speaker made an announcement to hold all questions til the end of the tour because it was a memorized speech and he was new and questions would throw the tour timing off or he would forget what he was saying. He also spoke incredibly fast. Rushed. But because of this, no one dared interrupt him and ask him to have the driver turn the AC on. Aside from the passengers not seeing anything on the tour, it also became dangerous when the speaker was also wiping the front window for the driver!!! Crazy!!! read more

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We have been taking the Hershey Trolley tour with "Wilbur" for years! This year we were a bit disappointed. It didn't seem like there was as much "history" provided as in previous years. Felt a bit rushed as we basically drove past a few places. "Timmy" wasn't as cute and funny as in the past and "Chef" (one of the funniest characters on the tour) was also omitted. read more

This was SO much fun! The trolley picks you up at Chocolate World and you take a fun ride throughout Hershey and learn so much about the history of the town and, of course, Milton Hershey himself. You get to see so many little sights of Hershey that you didn't know existed - or I didn't know even though I live here. The staff is friendly and entertaining and you end the tour with a kiss - chocolate of course! I'd recommend this for families or large groups. They do special events during the holidays that I plan to check out for sure! read more

After living in the Hershey area for the last year, we decided it was time to take the Trolley Tour. We took the tour with Dirk, the conductor, and Norm the driver. Dirk was knowledgeable and personable. And gave the impression that he loved doing these tours. The tour was great. Got to see and learn a number of things about the town and the area, but especially about the life of Milton and Kitty Hershey. I would definitely do this again. read more

This is a tour that promised holiday music and festive holiday lights to put you in the holiday spirit. It did anything but that. At a cost of $12 per person, 23 members of our family sat for almost 2 hours of slow moving traffic through what seemed like an eternity of a mediocre light display of the 12 days of Christmas, the enchanted forest and other so called out dated themes that held no ones interest. They passed around 3 trays of Hershey kisses as we all looked at each other in amazement how were all getting ripped off as we stared at brake lights the whole way through. We saw better light displays after we left this tourist trap by the residents of Hershey on our way to a local restaurant for dinner Avoid this trip back into the 1960"s type display , you'll be glad you did. read more

We have been here twice and have taken the trolley tour twice. It is so informative, fun and they actually do mini skits. This is a must when in the area. read more

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A must do! We had so much fun would repeat it again if we could. My kids also loved it. I keep on hearing "Wilbur" Great job Hershey! read more

We've been on the Holly Jolly Trolley tour twice (2016 and 2014) and I couldn't recommend it more highly! There are surprise visitors during the trolley ride including Santa with a gift for everyone! If you're going to Hershey the trolley ride is worth the time!. read more

They went out of their way to help my 90 year old handicapped mother be able to take and enjoy this tour. Tour was interesting, informative, and the the staff were so nice and accommodating. I'm really glad we took this tour...we'll worth the money! read more

10 of us were paid to ride the history trolley. Purchased tickets on line. No mention of road construction on the ordering pages. Tried calling several times to get directions since we were lost but told to go to web site. After getting through traffic we found the place. Walked through an extremely large parking lot to find out tour was cancelled. One person told us the trolley broke down while another employee told us it was too hot. That did not make sense since the a skit based trolley was still running. We were suppose to get a 90 minute educational trolley but instead we received a 45 minutes trolley with 2 wonderful actors. We learned the same info as we could have from the Hershey web site. My friends would give the tour 5 stars because they like theater and singing. I was truly disappointed. Hershey gave us a free dessert to make up for the change so that was something. read more