While visiting Hershey, PA with my family recent, we decided to stay at Hershey Lodge. I am so glad that we decided to do this because there are so many perks that make it more than worth it. When we go back to Hershey (because we will definitely be back), we plan to stay here again. If you are planning a Hershey trip, I cannot recommend Hershey Lodge enough – it is a great place to stay!
Free Tickets to Hershey Story Museum
When you check in at Hershey Lodge, you are given free tickets for your entire party to the Hershey Story Museum. For well over 100 years, the word “Hershey” has been synonymous with the Great American Chocolate Bar. But before the world fell in love with his chocolate, Milton S. Hershey was a struggling entrepreneur determined to make a difference. The museum presents his legacy in permanent displays and special exhibits that change periodically. We spent the better part of our Sunday morning here before heading home. It was so much fun. My young daughters were able to become factory workers and earn a job at Hershey by performing four tasks that workers would have done back when the factory started. We also learned a lot about Hershey, his road to becoming who he was, and so much more. If you go with your family, be sure to do the tasting tour and sample delicious chocolates from around the world.
Free Tickets to Hershey Gardens
You will also get tickets to Hershey Gardens when you check in to the lodge. Hershey Gardens opened in 1937 with Milton Hershey’s request to “create a nice garden of roses.” More than 75 years later, the 3 1/2 acre rose garden has blossomed into 23 acres of botanical beauty providing visitors with unique experiences and enriching opportunities. Overlooking the town of Hershey, Hershey Gardens features a breathtaking assortment of flowers and shrubs, a stately collection of rare, signature trees, and various programs designed to delight visitors of all ages. Indulge your senses in the color and variety of our brilliant seasonal displays and explore themed gardens, including our charming hands-on Children’s Garden. In the summer, walk among hundreds of fluttering butterflies in the outdoor Butterfly House. We didn’t make it to the gardens during our trip, but my mother has been before and raves about the beauty of it all.
Free Shuttle to Hershey Park (and 1 hour early access to select rides)
The most convenient thing about staying at the beautiful Hershey Lodge is that they have a free shuttle that will drop you off right at the front of the park. They run consistently throughout the day and right up until closing time. If you are staying at Hershey Lodge (or Hershey Hotel) you can get in to the park and on select rides an hour before anyone else. This was the best perk and we ended up going on about 10 rides in a row before the park opened to the public.
The Restaurants
Having two young girls, one of the most important things to take in to consideration is the food. Luckily we do not deal with any food allergies – however, my girls can be picky when they want to. This was not anything we had to worry about at Hershey Lodge. There are several different restaurant options (six to be exact) right in the lodge – and we tried out three. For both of our dinners we went to The Bear Den. We were so pleased with our dinner (and service) the first night, that we knew we had to go back our second night. For breakfast the first day we grabbed a quick bite at Cocoa Beanery before we hit the park. It was just the right amount of food and gave us a great start to the day. Our second morning we had a buffet style breakfast at Lebbie Lebkicher’s and it was delicious as well! A hearty meal before we hit up the museum and then drove home. Neither of us had even the smallest complaint about our food experience at Hershey Lodge.
Water Works
My girls are little fish. They love to swim and play in water as much as possible. So we were thrilled to hear that Hershey Lodge not only has an indoor pool – it is more like a mini-water park! There’s sweetness around every corner with 30,000 square feet of family fun including a strawberry slide down Twizzlers Twists water slides and a chocolate peanut butter adventure across Reese’s Water Walk! Plus, enjoy sweet interactive water features for the whole family including a zero entry pool, sand castle spray zone, lighthouse tipping bucket, basketball hoops, and more! Our whole family had a blast here! We spent a couple hours here after a long hot day at Hersheypark. It was a great way for us to cool off and unwind before bed. Read more about Water Works here.
Be sure to check out my 5 Reasons to Have Your Family Vacation at Hersheypark!
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.