Back in December I met up with some friends from school in Hershey, PA. December is cold, so obviously we stuck with indoor activities. One of the places we decided to visit was Chocolate World!
On the drive in, especially from points east, it becomes very obvious when you are approaching Hershey. You can see the factory smoke stacks from several miles out. When it doubt, just drive in that general direction! Or just follow the Hershey Highway signs on route 422 to "The Sweetest Place on Earth." When we arrived and got our parking ticket, we discovered that you only paid for parking if you stayed longer than 3 hours, which was nice.
The first positive point of Chocolate World was that the attraction is entirely free. Everyone likes free activities! That being said, Chocolate World is definitely laid out in such a way to try to force you to spend money. The line starts near the front of the building, but the ride ends near the back. This allows them to plant thousands of pieces of Hershey merchandise between you & the door. Since we went at Christmas time, many people definitely were purchasing the Hershey hats, tshirts, and overpriced, oversized candy bars.
The second positive point of Chocolate World was the ride itself. The lines for the ride can become very long, but they also move quickly. We managed to squeeze 4 of us onto the backseat of our car for the ride. The ride takes you through a display of how Hershey's makes their chocolate. There are singing cows that emphasize "It's the milk chocolate!" The ride even turns your car in the correct direction you need to look. The only effort required on your part is to manage to get into the car itself safely (the floor nearby spins & creates an optical illusion that can easily make you sick). The ride itself lasts about 8 or 9 minutes and is a great way to see a theoretical version of the Hershey factory.
In the past, if you were to visit Hershey in the summer, it would smell so badly of chocolate you would become nauseous. However, they don't make nearly as much chocolate on site anymore so the smell is tolerable, if not absent during most of the year.
Hershey is a great family attraction with year round events. They decorate for Christmas but their main attraction is Hershey Park in the summer months. Your best bet would be to lump the Chocolate World Tour in with a visit to the amusement park. (It would also probably give your skin a break from direct sunlight if you burn easily!). So next time you are in Dauphin County, and need something to do, just swing by chocolate world and relax to the sound of singing cows.
For more information on the places mentioned in this blog:
* Hershey's Chocolate World
* Hershey, PA - The Sweetest Place on Earth
Sorry, no pictures! (Youtube has this place pretty well covered).
