Every year I try to get my kids down to Hershey’s Chocolate World for a visit. We live 30 minutes away, but avoid the area during the summer tourist season. If you go during the tourist season it’s extremely busy. When I say busy…I mean it! You’ll have to park multiple rows away from the entrance and inside the facility it’s packed with long lines. We live local, so we go during the off-season when we visit.
Hershey’s Chocolate World offers free and “paid” family-friendly activities. My kids like to get on the “free” chocolate factory tour ride. The ride takes less than 10 minutes of time. You get into a car (looks sort of like a bumper car) which comfortably holds 4-5 people. You stay seated the entire time.
The factory tour ride gives you a history of how Hershey’s Chocolate is made…from bean farm harvesting, to roasting it, turning it into chocolate and then into your favorite chocolate candies. There’s videos, music and a recorded voice guide giving you all of the history along the way. At the end of the ride you’ll be given a free Hershey’s miniature chocolate bar for taking the tour. My kids always enjoy it.
After the ride we head downstairs so I can do some shopping. I like to stock up on Hershey’s candy and baking products while we’re there. You’ll find hundreds of different type’s of candy, gifts, souvenirs, apparel, toys, etc. There’s a food court down there if you want to pick up something to eat.
Our visits typically last an hour or so. We get in and get out. We’ve done all of the “tourist activities” located inside so we don’t do those anymore. If you want to participate in those activities you’ll want to allow at least 2 hours in your schedule for those.
I have never gone to Hershey’s World , but I would love to go there with my family. I am sure that the grandkids would love it.