Growing up, my grandfather used to work for the Nestle chocolate company in upstate New York. My grandparents always had a drawer full of Nestle chocolate available for us to get into....cuz, you know, sugar up those grandkids and send them home, right?? I think I Nestle'd myself out, though because after he retired, I couldn't look at a Nestle bar again. (Sorry, Butterfinger and Crunch bars!) From that point on, it was all about the HERSHEY! I decided that I needed to go to the birthplace of this chocolate nectar, so it was time for a ROAD TRIP!
Hershey's Chocolate World is located in the city named for the man, Hershey, Pennsylvania. Now....there are other "Hershey Chocolate Worlds" out there, there's one in Manhattan, NY, and one in Niagara Falls, Ontario, but this one is the OG, the one that started it all. Chocolate World is located right next to the Hersheypark amusement park. The first thing I noticed when I stepped out of the car was the SMELL. Now, I know you're probably all going to think I'm gonna say it smelled like chocolate, but you would be WRONG! Due to the fact that Hershey's chocolate is made with fresh milk, it has a unique, almost cheesy smell to it...and that's the first thing you smell. Yes, the hint of chocolate is there too, but the more noticeable smell is the dairy smell.
When you step up to the front door, you are greeted with the famous Hershey logo and some sweet looking mascots. Then, when you step inside.....it's a chocolate lover's DREAM.
They have everything from single sized candy bars to beach towels with the logo of your favorite Hershey's brand. The World's Largest section is home to arm length Twizzlers, half pound Reese's cups, and 5 pound Hershey bars. You can pick up some Hershey Kisses socks, a Jolly Rancher backpack, or even a Twizzler Funko Pop. They are usually running some sort of special on their bags of chocolates, when we were there it was a buy 4 for one low price for the share size bags. It's a little more than what you may pay when they're on sale at Walmart or a grocery store, but you know it's a lot fresher because it was made right there. I like to think I can taste the difference between chocolate purchased there and chocolate purchased in my home supermarket, but it's probably just my imagination. Either way, I like looking around and mixing and matching all of my favorites!
Chocolate, candy, and merchandise are not all you can expect at Chocolate World....there are also activities! Take a free ride on the Hershey's Chocolate Tour to see how the magic happens....and be rewarded with a mini sized chocolate bar at the end! This is a must do for us when we go, and we have been known to take the tour multiple times while we're visiting. This ride is a continuous motion ride, meaning that it doesn't stop to let people on and off. I thought this was going to be an issue one trip while visiting with a person who has a mobility issue, but they were very kind, and helped us get her on the ride! All you have to do is let the person sitting at the entrance know that you have a mobility impaired guest with you and they will take care of you! There are also experiences you can pay for....take a ride on the Great Candy Expedition to help save the candy cargo and get it delivered, or find out how you can use your senses to experience chocolate tasting in a new way! You can create your own Hershey bar or stuff your own Reese's cup if you want a sweet souvenir to take home. The create your own Hershey bar is pretty cool because you can personalize the wrap that the bar goes in, too! I have to say, though....all of those things were a lot of fun, but my FAVORITE experience was the Hershey Trolley Works. I took a trolley ride through the city of Hershey. Got to see the factories, and learned about the history of the town and of it's founder, Milton Hershey. Toward the end of the tour they took us to the top of this hill on the grounds of the school that Mr. Hershey and his wife founded, and we had a BEAUTIFUL view of Chocolate World, Hersheypark, and a lot of other Hershey sites. I really enjoyed learning all about the history. Did you know that Milton Hershey had a ticket to be on the Titanic? He ended up changing plans and didn't board the boat, but if he had...the chocolate landscape could look very different! I'm a huge history nerd, though, so that's why that was my favorite part.
Now...let's talk food. Inside Chocolate World itself, there are a few places to get some food that isn't just chocolate. However, the food choices are extremely limited (pizza, mac and cheese, chili, beef sliders, and then pretzels and some grab and go salads and sandwiches) and they are all really overpriced, for what they are. But again, you're paying for the experience, so it's expected. There are plenty of other food options in and around Hershey, so we tend to grab a sweet treat (they have AMAZING milkshakes!) from Chocolate World and plan to eat our meals elsewhere.
Overall, this is always a wonderful experience. Chocolate World is clean, they have restrooms in the front and in the rear of the building, the staff is always super helpful and very kind, and the easy access to the amusement park makes it really convenient for all you thrill seekers who want to fill up on chocolate and then try to keep it down while riding some of the craziest roller coasters in the country. I've made the trip several times now, with several people, and there's always something new to do, and, of course, something new to taste! Even if you're not a chocolate lover, with non chocolate brands like Twizzler, Jolly Rancher, Ice Breakers and Skinny Pop Popcorn, there really is something for everyone.
Hershey's Chocolate World is definitely a HIT and gets a Kariviewed rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars
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