hershey, penn

[old feller]

Not too many things compare to Gettysburg ..American history wise....most times I see the husband loves it but,wives not as much.Your husband will thank you.Segway tours may be fun for all.Have dinner or lunch at Dobbin House( civil war time period building with theming.New visitors center very nice .Double decker bus tours or buy cd and tour in your car.Lots of shops.museums etc...

 

[MamaBelle4]

Not too many things compare to Gettysburg ..American history wise....most times I see the husband loves it but,wives not as much.Your husband will thank you.Segway tours may be fun for all.Have dinner or lunch at Dobbin House( civil war time period building with theming.New visitors center very nice .Double decker bus tours or buy cd and tour in your car.Lots of shops.museums etc...

If you do the Dobbin house, reservations are a must! My husband and I go every anniversary.

I would recommend a horseback tour of the battlefield. Even if you don't get a historic tour, there is something so powerful about riding the battlefield on horseback.

I've lived in the area my entire life. Personally, I'd skip chocolate world. I think your kids are probably outside the age it is targeted to. However, if you are contemplating the park, I definitely recommend.

 

[Positively Bashful]

For people with an interest in American history, Gettysburg really is one of the top spots to visit. I haven't been there myself for about 40 years and have heard that there's been a lot of tourist encroachment, but since the battlefield is still there that's reason enough to go (history geek here .)

We went to Hershey in 2014 with three young kids (8, 7 and 5.) I'm of two minds about Chocolate World, it's free to get in and so is the factory "tour" (ride) but it's mostly a giant souvenir shop. There are some classes and experiences there that are ticketed so the "free" aspect of the place can disappear pretty quickly. I see that only one prior poster has mentioned the Museum, but I really thought that was the better part of our visit. They have worked hard to make it interesting for all ages, there are several hands-on exhibits and they encourage everyone to take part. Check out the Chocolate Lab at the Museum, we did a chocolate class that ended with each of us creating a piece of chocolate art. Sorry I can't comment on Hershey Park but since we only had a day in town we didn't try to go there. Oh, don't miss the gardens! Most wonderful roses and plenty of other flowers, also a great view of the valley from up there.

You also mentioned that you were thinking of circling westward across Canada to return through Michigan. My sister and I drove from Buffalo around to Sault Ste. Marie several years ago and found it very interesting...but we like to go off the beaten track. I haven't encountered many places that fit that category as much as the route above the Great Lakes does. I always want to encourage people to make that trip, but since I don't know your tolerance for hours of unchanging scenery I'm not sure if I can. It is a lot of rock up there. I didn't really know what to expect when we went and wish I could go back and take a closer look.

 

[nhgirl]

I went there back in 1992. Hersey Park wasn't open yet because it was April. So we did Hersey Gardens. I really enjoyed the gardens. They were very nice. We also did Chocolate World. I don't remember much about it except the Giant Tour De France Chocolate Bar in the beginning.

 

[mrsap]

We will be back to Hershey Park in July. We started going as a hold over while we waited for our Disney trips! We've been several times and my little ones have always enjoyed it! They have fun rides geared for kids and adults (based on height), a water park area and a zoo! Chocolate world is fun to stop at too! You can get discounted tickets at Giant food stores. Hope you have a fun stop!!

 

[Ngwira]

I have us booked there during Veterans Day weekend. We are staying a night at the Hershey lodge and a second night at the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey. We have the museum and gardens included in our lodge stay. We also planned to do candy cane lane. Any other tips?

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

Have you ever visited Pymatuning? If you're planning to meander through Pennsylvania from the direction of Ohio it's good for a fun stretch-your-legs stop.

 

[Sagginit]

I have us booked there during Veterans Day weekend. We are staying a night at the Hershey lodge and a second night at the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey. We have the museum and gardens included in our lodge stay. We also planned to do candy cane lane. Any other tips?

What else would you like to do? There is a fair amount to do in the area and it also depends on the direction you are coming from (East vs West, North vs South) as some things may be on your path in/out of the area. I haven't been there in a while but when I have gone to Hershey I have also visited the Amish area (did a wonderful Buggy Tour once, its really lovely out there in the fall), did a petting zoo/corn maze at a farm, caverns to see underground caves, and even found a small winery in the area to do a tasting. There is a lot of family friendly activities and if you look some adult activities (like the few Vineyards out that way). I come from NJ via the Philly area so Lancaster is on the way out and we don't venture too far west of Hershey as that is farther to drive back.

 

[lorijohnhill]

I remember touring a pretzel factory when I lived near Hershey (Middletown) a million years ago. You might google that if it interests you.

 

[Ngwira]

What else would you like to do? There is a fair amount to do in the area and it also depends on the direction you are coming from (East vs West, North vs South) as some things may be on your path in/out of the area. I haven't been there in a while but when I have gone to Hershey I have also visited the Amish area (did a wonderful Buggy Tour once, its really lovely out there in the fall), did a petting zoo/corn maze at a farm, caverns to see underground caves, and even found a small winery in the area to do a tasting. There is a lot of family friendly activities and if you look some adult activities (like the few Vineyards out that way). I come from NJ via the Philly area so Lancaster is on the way out and we don't venture too far west of Hershey as that is farther to drive back.

We are coming from south jersey (12 miles from Philly). I wonder if the lights show (at Hershey) is worth it?