The Ultimate Hershey, PA Summer 2023 Guide
Things To Do In The Sweetest Place On Earth This Summer
Whether you are local to the area or visiting for the first time, Hershey is filled with many amazing year-round attractions to keep your entire family engaged and having fun. Come with us as we dive into what is new for 2023 and show you just how fun a summer spent in Hershey can truly be.
Where to Stay
What could be better than spending the night at The Sweetest Place On Earth? Booking a sweet getaway at one of our three Official Resorts of Hershey is the perfect way to kick off your summer!
The Hotel Hershey
Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2023, The Hotel Hershey - opened by chocolatier Milton S. Hershey in 1933 - is known for its refined elegance, signature service and abundant amenities and is a recipient of the Forbes Four-Star Award and the AAA Four-Diamond Award. The Hotel is right across the street from Hersheypark and situated high atop the town of Hershey. Guests at the hotel can experience a variety of recreational activities, including indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a sports complex, falconry and miles of hiking trails. To learn more about The Hotel Hershey, join us for one of our history tours every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m. For more information about this beautiful and 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. Celebrating its 60th-anniversary summer, the campground offers more than 300 open and shaded sites 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. 10 and Preview Plan, and free front-gate shuttle service to the exclusive resort drop-off location at Hersheypark.
Head To Hersheypark
Hersheypark, an iconic 121-acre amusement park in Hershey, Pa., is open daily for the summer season through Sept. 4. 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. Plus, guests can cool off at an 11-acre water park located inside Hersheypark called The Boardwalk At Hersheypark and see dozens of animals at ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park when accessing the Zoo from the bridge inside Hersheypark during posted Park hours.
Wildcat's Revenge
New this summer, Hersheypark debuted Wildcat’s Revenge, a steel and wood hybrid coaster built by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC). Officially opened to the public on June 2, 2023, Wildcat’s Revenge boasts many one-of-a-kind thrilling features, such as the World’s Largest Underflip. Guests can experience the power of the 140-foot lift hill, the four inversions and the top speed of 62 miles per hour all summer long only at Hersheypark.
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.
A Season Pass is the best value or people planning to spend more than three days at the Park. A Bite Size Season Pass is essentially a three-day ticket with 50 percent off parking, while Full Size and King Size Season Passes include free parking and additional perks like 1-hour early access and discounts on food, beverage and retail.
Guests can save on Hersheypark tickets when purchasing them on Hersheypark.com with our current offers. Two-day tickets offer the best ticket value and do not need to be used on consecutive days. To provide flexibility for guests, 2023 tickets purchased online are valid any day during the 2023 public operating season through Jan. 1, 2024. 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.
Visit 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 Sept. 5. Regular admission to ZooAmerica is $15 plus taxes and fees. Juniors ages 3-8 and seniors ages 62+ are $13 plus taxes and fees. Children 2 and under are free. Hersheypark tickets include ZooAmerica only when accessing the Zoo through the bridge inside Hersheypark during posted Park hours. The Zoo is the perfect place for families visiting Hersheypark to take a quick break from the thrills.
Enjoy First Class Entertainment
A summer of unforgettable entertainment is in full swing as part of the Hersheypark Stadium Summer Concert Series presented by Highmark.
From comedians and Broadway musicals to rockstars and country music sensations, the sweetest entertainment destination around offers something for everyone this summer at Hersheypark Stadium, GIANT Center and Hershey Theatre.
Concerts this summer at Hersheypark Stadium:
- Zac Brown Band, July 1
- Big Time Rush, July 2
- Luke Bryan, July 13
- Jason Aldean, July 28
- Outlaw Music Festival, August 4
- Pantera, August 5
- The Chicks, August 10
- Guns N’ Roses, August 11
- Nickelback, August 27
- Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top, September 9
- Red Hot Chili Peppers, September 27*
*Not a part of the Highmark Blue Shield Concert Series.
Shows this summer at GIANT Center:
- Bill Burr, June 22
- Falling In Reverse, June 29
- 3ICE, July 5
- Kidz Bop Never Stop Live Tour, August 12
- Yellowcard, August 15
Shows this summer at Hershey Theatre:
- SIX The Musical, June 13-18
- Diana Ross, June 27
- Tori Amos, July 6
- Jerry Seinfeld, July 7
- Disney Junior Live on Tour: Costume Palooza, September 1
Dine Outdoors
The Chocolatier
With fun indoor booth seating themed around Comet and Tilt-A-Whirl and an outdoor patio offering one-of-a-kind views of Candymonium, the iconic Kisses Fountain and our 103-year-old Carrousel, The Chocolatier is a visual experience like no other. An open kitchen serves up classic family fare with a fun Hershey twist. Indulge in a Reese’s Take5 Chicken Sandwich, Heath Bar Crusted Salmon or Hershey’s Cocoa Barbeque Ribs along with your Hershey's candy-inspired milkshakes, sundaes and desserts. One thing is for certain, a trip to The Chocolatier is sure to be as fun as it is delicious.
Don't miss Breakfast with the Hershey Characters select weekends this summer! For summer reservations and dining information, visit The Chocolatier page here.
Houlihan’s Restaurant + Bar and Devon Steak + Seafood
Summer means outdoor dining in Hershey is in full swing. Visitors to Hershey can head downtown and enjoy the views of the Hershey’s Kisses-shaped street lights from the patios of Devon Seafood + Steak and Houlihan’s Restaurant + Bar. With a wide array of menu items and signature drinks, a night under the Hershey’s Kisses will surely be as beautiful as it is memorable.
For more dining inspiration during your time in Hershey, take a look at our summer guide to outdoor dining in Hershey.
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 bring back a guest favorite, the 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 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 Hershey Story Museum can learn the story of our founder and chocolate pioneer, Milton S. 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 or sip chocolates from around the world during Chocolate Tastings.
Open daily, The Hershey Story tickets are included with your stay at The Hotel Hershey and Hershey Lodge and discounted with a stay at Hershey Camping Resort. Tickets may also be purchased at the museum's main entrance.
HERSHEY'S CHOCOLATE WORLD
Hershey’s Chocolate World is open daily this summer and celebrating their 50th Anniversary all year. Check their website for hours and availability. This summer, experience the brand new HERSHEY'S Great Candy Expedition. This one-of-a-kind train-themed adventure will take you and your family on a fantastical journey through colorful lands inspired by all your favorite Hershey candies, and you get to help choose its path! Do not forget to make your candy dreams a reality at the Create Your Own Candy Bar experience or indulge in some of the delicious food and drink offerings Hershey's Chocolate World has to offer.
Remember to share all your summer fun with us on social media using #HersheyPA!