Pennsylvania
Hershey is the rare American town built around a single idea: that a chocolate maker could also be a town maker.
Milton Hershey laid out streets named Chocolate Avenue and Cocoa Avenue, built a park for his workers in 1906, and set up a school and a grand hotel on the hill, and more than a century later the whole thing still runs on that logic. This guide covers the sweet core, from the free factory-style ride and the candy-bar workshop at Hershey's Chocolate World to Hersheypark, the botanical gardens, the zoo and the story museum, then adds the Lulu the Trolley food tours that turn the town into a tasting route. It also reaches out to the day trips that make a Hershey base so useful: Gettysburg battlefield, Amish farmland around Lancaster, the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg and the caverns of Hummelstown. Then it matches you to a bed, from the hilltop Hotel Hershey to practical chain hotels a few minutes from the park gates.
Hershey Trolley Food Tour Experience (Lulu the Trolley)
A guided ride on a vintage-style red trolley that links Hershey restaurants into one long tasting lunch, with small plates, paired drinks and a dessert finish. The best way to eat in a town people mostly know for candy.
Hershey's Chocolate World Trolley Works Tour
A guided trolley ride from Chocolate World through the streets of Hershey, with stories about Milton Hershey, the factory and the planned town he built. The quickest way to see the town beyond the gift shop.
Hersheypark
A theme park that began in 1906 as a picnic ground for chocolate workers and grew into one of the Northeast's big coaster parks, with more than a dozen roller coasters, a water park and candy-themed streets.
Oktoberfest Food Tour on Lulu the Trolley
A seasonal autumn trolley food tour that swaps the usual route for German-style comfort food and fall flavors. A fun excuse to visit Hershey when the park crowds thin and the leaves turn.
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
A guided ride on a vintage-style red trolley that links Hershey restaurants into one long tasting lunch, with small plates, paired drinks and a dessert finish. The best way to eat in a town people mostly know for candy.
A seasonal autumn trolley food tour that swaps the usual route for German-style comfort food and fall flavors. A fun excuse to visit Hershey when the park crowds thin and the leaves turn.
A morning trolley tour built around brunch: pancakes, pastries and specialty coffee at local Hershey eateries, with the chance to meet the people behind the counter. A sweet-tooth friendly start to the day.
A guided trolley ride from Chocolate World through the streets of Hershey, with stories about Milton Hershey, the factory and the planned town he built. The quickest way to see the town beyond the gift shop.
The town's chocolate hub: a free factory-style ride, giant shops, food courts and ticketed hands-on workshops, including designing and wrapping your own candy bar. Unmissable for anyone with a sweet tooth.
A theme park that began in 1906 as a picnic ground for chocolate workers and grew into one of the Northeast's big coaster parks, with more than a dozen roller coasters, a water park and candy-themed streets.
Milton Hershey's botanical garden, begun with a rose garden in the 1930s and now home to themed gardens, mature trees, a children's garden and a butterfly atrium. The calm counterweight to a park day.
A compact, walkable zoo devoted to North American wildlife, from wolves and bears to owls and river otters. Easy to finish in a couple of hours, which suits families with small children.
The museum that tells how a failed caramel maker became a chocolate magnate and the founder of a model town. Includes a hands-on chocolate lab where you can make treats under guidance.
A hillside resort spa known for chocolate-inspired treatments, quiet lounges and garden views. A grown-up counterweight to a candy-and-coaster trip.
One of professional hockey's oldest minor-league teams, playing in the American Hockey League since the 1930s. A loud, affordable winter night out in a hockey-mad town.
A 1930s Art Deco performance hall with a grand lobby and a full season of Broadway tours, concerts and family shows. An evening out in one of the town's most striking buildings.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
Hilltop above Hershey
Milton Hershey's Mediterranean-style resort on the hill above town, opened in 1933, with gardens, a spa, formal dining and terrace views. The signature stay for a special occasion.
Check rates →Near Hersheypark
A large, family-focused resort hotel close to Hersheypark, with pools, on-site dining and the facilities of a conference property. The practical pick for a park-centered trip.
Check rates →Hummelstown / Hershey
A dependable chain hotel in the Hummelstown and Hershey area, positioned for quick trips to the park and the town. Good value for families who want a simple room and breakfast.
Check rates →Hummelstown
A budget-friendly Hummelstown hotel on the road between Hershey and Harrisburg. Handy for travelers who split time between the park, the Capitol and nearby day trips.
Check rates →Hershey
A suite-style resort in Hershey, suited to families and groups who want more space and a kitchen. A good choice for a longer stay.
Check rates →Harrisburg / Hershey corridor
A full-service Sheraton on the Harrisburg side of the corridor, with a restaurant, a pool and easy highway access. A good business-and-leisure compromise.
Check rates →East Harrisburg
An all-suite hotel east of Harrisburg with kitchens and living areas. A comfortable home base for longer stays and families who prefer to cook some meals.
Check rates →Downtown Harrisburg
A downtown Harrisburg Hilton near the Capitol and the river, a solid urban base for history, museums and restaurants with Hershey a short drive away.
Check rates →Grantville
A highway-side Hampton Inn in Grantville, handy for the interstate and for road-trippers who want a straightforward, good-value base within reach of Hershey and Harrisburg.
Check rates →A three-day plan that gives the park a full day, spends a calm day on gardens, museums and a trolley food tour, and saves a day trip for history or Amish country.
A guide to choosing between the grand Hotel Hershey, family resorts and chain hotels near the park, and Harrisburg-side hotels that suit mixed itineraries.
How to eat well in a chocolate town: the three trolley food tours, what to look for in Pennsylvania Dutch cooking and how to plan meals around a park day.
A family guide to Hershey: which attractions suit toddlers, school-age children and teens, how to pace a park day and where to rest.
A season-by-season guide to Hershey: when the park is busiest, when the gardens peak, when hockey and the fall trolley tour run and how to save money.
How to turn Hershey into a base for Gettysburg, Lancaster County and Harrisburg, with drive times, tours worth booking and sample one-day plans.
