Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 01:43 pm

Hershey’s chocolates are a fan favorite all around the world. But how many of you chocoholics have actually been to Hershey, Pennsylvania? Or, if you don’t live in the US, how many of you have even heard of the town of Hershey?

My guess would be, that you’ve already visited or probably thinking of visiting if there are kids in your family. However, in this blog post, allow us to show you all the fun things to do in Hershey which are not only fun for kids but for adults as well.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Where is the town of Hershey?

Hershey is located in the US state of Pennsylvania (PA). The best part about Hershey’s location is that it’s less than 3 hour’s drive from major cities on the east coast – Baltimore, Washington DC, NYC, Philadelphia, or Pittsburg – making it a perfect weekend getaway from either of these cities.

Things to do in Hershey, PA (in spring, summer, or fall)

We drove from DC on Friday after work and got back home on a Sunday night. A weekend was just the right amount of time to enjoy the top attractions in Hershey. We’ll start our list below with non-traditional activities before hitting on all the cliché chocolate adventures. So here you go –

1. Cocoa Kayaks of Hershey

Who would’ve thought of having some nature adventure in candyland? We sure did! When we found out about kayaking in Hershey, we had to jump in one. Ben & Debra’s family-owned Cocoa Kayaks offer a variety of kayak trips along Swatara Creek near Hershey.

We went on their morning 5-mile Tavern run in Swatara Creek. And honestly, while I was worried about being able to kayak for that long with my motion sickness, it turned out to be one of the most calming experiences ever. Swatara creek is a natural body of water that flows into the Susquehanna River. The serene reflection of lush green trees covering on each side makes me wonder how beautiful it would look in autumn. 

We’d definitely recommend you guys to go kayaking with Cocoa Kayaks when visiting Hershey. Cocoa Kayaks are open from mid-April to mid-November.

2. INDIAN ECHO CAVERNS AKA ECHO DELL

There’s more to Hershey than just chocolate and Indian Echo caverns is another excellent example. Having been to Luray Caverns in Virginia before we weren’t sure how different this experience would be. But here’s how it was different and why we loved it – Echo Caverns are smaller than Lurray and the tour guides control the lights inside the caves making it more adventurous. 

Give yourself about an hour for the guided tour inside the cave. Our 15-year-old tour guide was a funny and confident lady. The caves are always a cool 52°F, another great reason to visit on a hot sunny day. 

Entrance Fee: $18.50 for adults and $12 for kids. The cavern is open all year round.

Outside the ticket office, there is a picnic area and even a mini-farm animals petting area. We saw Billy goats, turkey, and peacocks.

3. TRÖEGS BREWERY

What started off as a small craft brewery in Harrisburg is now a one of America’s largest craft brewery located in Hershey. Tröegs offer a FREE self-guided tour of the brewery or for $10 you can take a 45 minute long guided tour which will start off with a beer sample of your choice and end with a Tröegs souvenir glass.

We really enjoyed the guided tour experience especially since Gauarv hopes to brew his own beer at home someday. They also have a food court on the ground level and a pizza parlor on the upper level.

4. VISIT HERSHEY HOTEL

Whether or not you are staying here, you cannot leave Hershey without visiting the iconic and one of the historic hotels in America, the Hershey hotel. The main courtyard will instantly transport you to a Mediterranean village.

We recommend stopping by here in the evening for dinner or drinks especially their signature chocolate martinis. You will find different kinds of chocolate martinis offered in their many bars but only Iberia lounge offers a dark chocolate martini.

If you go during the day in summer then you can also check out the rose garden near Hotel Hershey.

5. Hershey Story Museum 

Now let’s dive into some chocolate fun that this town is famous for. The Hershey Story Museum on Chocolate Ave (there is a Cocoa Ave in Hershey as well!) is a great place to learn the history of how Milton Hershey founded the company in the late 1800s. The museum walks you through the evolution of Chocolate in America but that is not all.

Our favorite part here was liquid chocolate tasting from around the world from darkest to milk chocolates. Then there is the chocolate lab experience where we not only learned a ton about cocoa seeds but we made our own choco bar. We both are die-hard chocoholics but never really realized what a laborious process it is to extract cocoa seeds. I’ll definitely say this was a learning experience for us along with all the kids in the room.

6. Hershey’s Chocolate World Attraction

This is a totally different attraction than the Hershey Museum mentioned above. I realized everything starts to sound similar after a point so don’t worry if you feel the same way. Hershey Chocolate attraction is in fact located right next to the Hershey amusement park and I won’t be exaggerating if I said that your kids will probably never want to leave this place.

There is a FREE ride in Chocolate World that takes you through the chocolate manufacturing process. In addition to that, there is a 4-D show and a theatrical chocolate tasting experience as well which kids will love. There also is a make your own candy bar class here as well. And finally, there is a huge shopping area and food court inside.

7. Hershey Amusement Park

If you and your kids really love rides then head to the amusement park. We skipped this to cover other adventures on top of this post that filled our weekend itinerary.

8. Adventure Sports in Hershey

Here’s a place to come with your kids for some adventure beyond the thrilling rides in the amusement park. The Adventure Sports in Hershey offers an outdoor mini-golf, go-karting, laser tag, driving range, and many other activities. They also have an indoor gaming arcade. 

9. Tanger Factory Outlets

Finally, if you want to take a break from all the activities then go ahead and indulge in some retail therapy. There is a Tanger factory outlet are right in the heart of Hershey town.

Where to eat in Hershey

There are a bunch of great choices to eat in Hershey, here’re a few we tried and loved –

• Iron Hill Brewery
• Devon Seafood
• Troegs Brewery pizza parlor
• Harper’s Tavern & Restaurant

Where to stay in Hershey

We were hosted for this weekend trip by Visit  Harrisburg & Hershey in Hilton TRU hotel which is a new budget-friendly property that recently opened. I have also stayed in Hotel Hershey in the past which gives you a luxurious alternative.

• Hilton TRU, Hershey Chocolate Ave
• Courtyard Marriott Hershey Chocolate Ave
• Hotel Hershey (Luxury accommodation booked directly via their website)

In closing, we hope this post inspires you to take a fun weekend getaway to Hershey as well. If you liked this post don’t forget to share along with friends & family.

We were invited to explore Hershey by Visit Harrisburg & Hershey tourism board. Some activities listed above and a part of our stay was covered by them, however, all opinions and recommendations in this post are based on our own experiences.

Happy Traveling!