The Ultimate Hershey, PA Summer 2022 Guide
Things to Do in The Sweetest Place On Earth This Summer
If you’re planning a trip to Hershey, Pa. this summer, you are in for a treat. This sweet town is filled with attractions and activities the whole family can enjoy. Keep reading to discover the non-stop fun happening across our destination all summer long.
Where to Stay
Guests looking to spend a night (or a few!) in The Sweetest Place On Earth can book a sweet getaway at one of three Official Resorts of Hersheypark, which offer something for every summer traveler.
The Hotel Hershey
The Hotel Hershey is known for its refined elegance, signature service and abundant amenities. The Forbes Four-Star and AAA Four-Diamond award-winning property is situated across the street from Hersheypark and high atop the town of Hershey. Hotel guests can enjoy a variety of recreation and activities, with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a sports complex, miles of hiking trails, falconry, and much more. To learn more about this historic property, check out The Hotel Hershey summer guide.
Hershey Lodge
Warm, welcoming, and distinctly Hershey, Hershey Lodge provides convenience and comfort for families and guests of all ages with sweet hospitality and chocolate around every corner. A guest favorite, Hershey's Water Works indoor water complex features a Reese's Water Walk, Twizzlers Twists water slides and a zero entry pool for unlimited family fun. Families will also enjoy recreational amenities and activities like miniature golf and chocolate bingo. To learn more about this kid-friendly property, check out our Hershey Lodge summer guide.
Hersheypark Camping Resort
Hershey is also home to Hersheypark Camping Resort for guests looking to stay in a log or deluxe cabin, park an RV at a partial or full hook-up site or pitch a tent along the creek. More than 300 open and shaded sites are situated among 55 acres of emerald hills. During the summer, campers can experience splashes at two pools and a kiddie pool, as well as fun-filled activities like animal encounters hosted by ZooAmerica. To learn more about camping in Hershey, check out the Hersheypark Camping Resort summer guide.
Summer Packages and Resort Benefits
Guests can save on a multi-night stay with popular summer packages, including the 2-Day Stay & Play Package and 3-Night Sweet Stay Package at The Hotel Hershey and Hershey Lodge or the Hersheypark Summer Camping Package at Hersheypark Camping Resort.
The sweetest part about choosing to stay at The Official Resorts of Hersheypark is the FREE Resort Benefits, including extra hours at Hersheypark with Sweet Start available through Sept. 5 (Labor Day) and Preview Plan, and free front-gate shuttle service to the exclusive resort drop-off location at Hersheypark.
Guests of one of The Official Resorts of Hersheypark also receive complimentary access to a variety of resort amenities and activities. Each resort plans fun things to do like s’mores roasts, Hershey Character appearances, chocolate bingo, and arts and crafts for guests during their visit.
Head to Hersheypark
Hersheypark, an iconic 121-acre amusement park in Hershey, Pa., is open daily for the summer season through Sept. 5. Summer tickets include admission to three parks in one with a wide variety kiddie rides, family-friendly attractions and 15 mild to wild coasters at Hersheypark; an 11-acre water park located inside Hersheypark called The Boardwalk At Hersheypark; and ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park when entered via the Hersheypark bridge during posted park hours.
New this summer, Hersheypark debuted two Jolly Rancher-themed rides that can only exist in Hershey. Guests can take a flavor ride on Jolly Rancher Remix, a newly reimagined coaster for the senses, and enjoy spinning 360 degrees on Mix’d Flavored By Jolly Rancher, an all-new family ride located next to Jolly Rancher Remix.
Given the incredible value included with a Hersheypark ticket, guests often choose to spend multiple days at Hersheypark to ensure enough time to experience all of the summer fun. There are a few options for purchasing Hersheypark tickets.
For people planning to spend more than three days at the Park, a Season Pass is the best value. A Bite Size Season Pass is essentially a three-day ticket with 50 percent off parking, while Full Size and King Size Season Passes includes free parking and additional perks like 1-hour early access and discounts on food, beverage and retail.
Guests can save 25 percent on 1-day Hersheypark tickets when purchasing them on Hersheypark.com with the current offer. Two-day tickets offer the best ticket value and do not need to be used on consecutive days. To provide flexibility for guests, 2022 tickets purchased online are valid any day during the 2022 public operating season through Jan. 1, 2023. As a reminder, resort guests receive the best price on Hersheypark tickets.
Make A Splash at The Boardwalk At Hersheypark
Park-goers can beat the heat this summer by cooling off at The Boardwalk, a water park inside Hersheypark with one million gallons of water and 16 water attractions. Guests can shoot through one of six water slides at Coastline Plunge, take a ride on Breakers Edge water coaster, float down a lazy river, catch a wave in the 378,000 gallon wave pool, play with 600 interactive water features in East Coast Waterworks or race friends on Whitecap Racer.
Families with young children can splash and play all day at three kiddie attractions in the water park. Sandcastle Cove features water slides, cannons, water curtains, jets, and a pool that reaches depths of 18 inches. Shoreline Sprayground is a water playground with misters, bubblers, dancing fountains, spraying jets, water curtains and a drenching tipping bucket. Bayside Pier is a great attraction for the youngest guests with a zero depth entry ramp and splash area.
See Animals at ZooAmerica
ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park is an 11-acre, walk-through zoo that cares for more than 200 animals representing over 60 species from five regions of North America. Guests can see black bears, wolves, river otters, Canada lynx, elk, an American alligator, an ocelot and many other animals native to this continent.
ZooAmerica is open daily this summer from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Labor Day. Regular admission to ZooAmerica is $13. Juniors ages 3-8 and seniors ages 62+ are $11. Children 2 and under are free. Hersheypark tickets include ZooAmerica only when accessing the zoo through the Hersheypark bridge during posted Park hours. The zoo is the perfect place for families visiting Hersheypark to take a quick break from the thrills.
Dance the Night Away at A Summer Concert
There is nothing like riding coasters during the day and seeing a concert under the stars at night. The summer concert season at Hersheypark Stadium kicks off on June 24 with the return of country artist Thomas Rhett on the “Bring The Bar To You” Tour.
Hersheypark Stadium will host 10 summer shows, including eight that are part of the Highmark Blue Shield Concert Series. The lineup spans various musical genres from country to rock and pop, with something for everyone.
- June 24 - Thomas Rhett
- July 12 - Def Leppard & Motley Crue
- July 30 - Pitbull with Iggy Azalea
- Aug. 6 - Santana and Earth, Wind & Fire
- Aug. 12 - Imagine Dragons
- Aug.14 - Zac Brown Band
- Aug. 20 - Rod Stewart
- Aug. 27 - Chris Stapleton
- Aug. 28 - Lady Gaga
- Sept. 24 - 105.7 The X Presents Five Finger Death Punch
Dine Outdoors in Hershey
The summer season means that outdoor dining in Hershey is in full swing. Visitors can head downtown to enjoy views of the Hershey’s Kisses-shaped street lights from the patios at Devon Seafood + Steak and Houlihan’s Restaurant + Bar. We recommend giving these guest-favorite menu items a try at Houlihan’s.
Summer reservations are available at The Chocolatier Restaurant, Bar + Patio inside Hershey’s Chocolatetown. The Chocolatier offers fun indoor seating options at Comet and Tilt-A-Whirl booths and an outdoor patio with one-of-a-kind views of Candymonium hypercoaster, the iconic Kisses Fountain and the 103-year-old Carrousel. An open kitchen serves up classic family fare with a fun spin and hints of chocolate with everything from a Reese's Peanut Butter Crunch Burger, Heath Bar Crusted Salmon and Hershey's Cocoa Barbeque Ribs to over-the-top Hershey's Milkshakes and a Jolly Rancher Sorbet Sundae. Be sure to check out the top 10 menu items to try during your next visit.
For more dining inspiration during your time in Hershey, check out some of our favorite over-the-top eats and sweets found across the destination, and don’t miss out on new additions to the summer menus at Hershey Lodge.
Relax At The Spa
Indulge in summer relaxation at The Spa At The Hotel Hershey resort spa and MeltSpa by Hershey day spa with signature chocolate treatments and seasonal treatment collections. Summer packages at The Spa At The Hotel Hershey include the Vacation For A Day Package, Citrus Sensation Package, Sweet Summer Sampler and Gentleman’s Spa Getaway. MeltSpa by Hershey is excited to introduce the all-new Summer Strawberry Collection featuring a Summer Strawberry Body Scrub, Immersion, Manicure and Pedicure. These seasonal summer packages and treatments are available through Aug. 31.
Looking to have a spa day the Hershey way? Guests can revel in one-of-a-kind chocolate spa treatments at The Spa At The Hotel Hershey with sweet treatments like the Chocolate Fondue Wrap, Cocoa Massage and Whipped Cocoa Bath. Or, they can head to MeltSpa by Hershey day spa for their exclusive Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Treatments. Treatments such as a body wrap, sugar scrub, immersion, manicure and pedicure are infused with Hershey’s dark chocolate and will leave spa visitors feeling refreshed and smelling sweet.
Explore Other Hershey Must-Sees
Hershey Gardens
Guests can embrace the summer season by visiting 23 acres of beautiful blooming plant life at Hershey Gardens. Open daily, Hershey Gardens is home to 11-themed gardens, seasonal displays, and an assortment of flowers, shrubs, and trees for guests of all ages to enjoy. Kids can immerse themselves in the Children’s Garden and Butterfly Atrium, or get up close and personal with crawling creatures inside the Conservatory’s Zoology Zone.
Tickets to Hershey Gardens are included with a stay at Hershey Lodge and The Hotel Hershey and discounted with a stay at Hersheypark Camping Resort. Visitors can purchase general admission tickets.
The Hershey Story Museum
Visitors to the museum will learn the history of the life of chocolate pioneer, Milton Hershey, his wife Catherine, and the town of Hershey through exhibits, artifacts, and interactive experiences. Visitors can also make and decorate chocolate in the Chocolate Lab for an additional fee and sip chocolates from around the world during Chocolate Tastings.
The Hershey Story Museum is open daily. Tickets are included with a stay at Hershey Lodge and The Hotel Hershey and discounted with a stay at Hersheypark Camping Resort. Other visitors can purchase tickets at the museum for entry.
HERSHEY'S CHOCOLATE WORLD
HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE WORLD Attraction is open daily this summer. Guests can participate in the World’s Largest HERSHEY’S KISSES Decorating Workshop, available daily from May 28 through Sept. 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and a Chocolate & Wine Pairing Experience on Saturdays and Sundays from June 4 to Aug. 21 at 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Don't forget to share all your summer fun with us on social media using #HersheyPA!