When you visit the ‘Sweetest Place on Earth’, Hershey, PA make sure to include a visit to Hershey’s Chocolate World. A visit to Chocolate World should begin with the free chocolate factory tour ride. The ride explains the process of chocolate making, beginning with the harvesting of cocoa beans in the tropics to the end result of yummy Hershey’s chocolate bars. The ride is sure to delight your young ones as they watch the singing cows and feel the heat of the roasting ovens. At the end of the ride you even get a free sample of one of Hershey’s chocolate treats.
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Over the years, Chocolate World has grown to include other attractions as well, although they all have fees associated with them. Hershey’s Great Candy Expedition is a train-themed adventure in an immersive theatre. Create Your Own Candy Bar lets you choose ingredients and design a personalized wrapper for your own candy bar. Hershey’s Unwrapped is an interactive theater show where each participant receives their own official chocolate tasting kit. Hershey Trolley Works is a live show trolley tour through the town of Hershey. Each of these attractions requires a ticket. According to the website, tickets can be purchased in advance and may sell-out during busy times. You can save a little money by purchasing Reese’s Stuff Your Cup lets you stuff a one-pound peanut butter cup with mix-ins and fresh peanut butter. Reese’s Stuff Your Cup does not require you to pre-purchase a ticket. We have never spent the money for any of the additional attractions at Chocolate World so I can’t give reviews of any of them.
Chocolate World has a nice food court offering salads, sandwiches, soup, pizza, mac & cheese, tacos, milkshakes, baked goods, smores, slushies, and adult beverages. Before the new entrance to Hershey Park was built, Chocolate World was the place to buy Hershey merch outside of the park. When they built the new entrance area, they included a huge new gift shop but Chocolate World still has some clothes, stuffies, and other small items.
THE thing to shop for at Chocolate World is Hershey’s candy. They have every kind of candy that Hershey’s makes – including lots of kinds or sizes that are not available at ordinary stores. The last time we were there, they had two flavors of Hershey’s kisses that were Latin American exclusives.
If you are visiting Hershey Park, you can also visit Chocolate World but if you are just visiting Chocolate World be sure to follow the Chocolate World signs, which lead you to the free Chocolate World parking lot. Parking in this lot is limited to three hours, which is plenty of time to enjoy Chocolate World unless you are doing all the extras. If you are visiting all the attractions within Chocolate World, purchasing an Adventure Bundle will be your cheapest option and these bundles come with an all-day parking pass for the Chocolate World parking lot.
My Takeaway
If you are in Hershey, PA, you should definitely stop in at Hershey’s Chocolate World, take the Hershey’s Chocolate Tour, and stock up on some Hershey’s candy – both old favorites and new selections.