Hershey: Chocolate, Museum and Gardens

Travelers looking for hotels in Hershey can get a sense of the destination through specific experiences: the Butterfly Atrium brings together tropical plants and hundreds of butterflies, while the Hershey Story Museum is dedicated to five stages of Milton Hershey’s life in a permanent exhibition. Chocolate experiences range from a tour with a sample to a class where participants create their own designs. At Hersheypark, one ticket includes admission to more than 70 attractions. When planning, these offerings differ not only in theme but also in format: a walk, a guided group tour, an exhibition, a class, a tour with a sample and a park ticket each have a different focus.

Butterflies at the Butterfly Atrium

The Butterfly Atrium at Hershey Gardens is open year-round. Visitors can stroll through a tropical setting among hundreds of butterflies from around the world; colorful plants and a soothing water feature are also part of the experience. The visit combines a walk with a setting where plants and butterflies share the spotlight. Hershey Gardens also offers a guided Horticultural Highlights Tour in the Butterfly Atrium for groups year-round. It also leads visitors among tropical plants and hundreds of butterflies, but is subject to guide availability. If you are planning this particular guided format as a group, check guide availability before your visit.

Exhibition and Chocolate Lab at the Hershey Story Museum

A permanent exhibition at the Hershey Story Museum explores five distinct stages of Milton Hershey’s life. The exhibition gives the museum visit a biographical focus. The Chocolate Lab offers a different emphasis: this 45-minute educational class includes molding, decorating and tasting chocolate; participants create a chocolate artwork of their own design to take home. Tickets for the day are sold at the museum entrance. The museum therefore offers two clearly distinct ways to explore: a biographical look at Milton Hershey and a hands-on chocolate activity. The 45-minute duration gives the class a specific time frame; the fact that tickets for the day are sold at the museum entrance is another point to consider when planning your visit.

Chocolate as a tour or hands-on class

Another perspective on chocolate is offered by the free HERSHEY'S Chocolate Tour Ride at HERSHEY'S CHOCOLATE WORLD in Hershey. It shows how tropical cocoa beans become HERSHEY'S chocolate and ends with a sweet sample. Unlike the Chocolate Lab, the focus here is on the production process and the sample that follows; the class is about molding and decorating chocolate and creating a chocolate artwork. The two experiences therefore differ in the way visitors participate: the tour explains the production process and includes a tasting, while the Lab involves hands-on work and a creation to take home.

Hersheypark as another option

A ticket to Hersheypark includes admission to more than 70 attractions. Unlike an exhibition, a class or an individual tour, this describes the breadth of park access included with the ticket. This makes the park a distinct option alongside the specific garden, museum and chocolate experiences when considering Hershey as a destination.

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