Hershey Park - Hershey, Pennsylvania - Amusement Park

Hershey Park is situated at Hersheypark Drive in Hershey, Pennsylvania and was opened in 1907 as a leisure park for the employees of \o "TheHershey Company" the Hershey Chocolate Company . Later, the companyopened the park to the public, which now has over 110 acres and oversixty rides and attractions. Daily parking fees of $10 per vehicle and$15 per camper are charged with overnight parking not permitted, and atram service runs from the parking lots to the park entranceapproximately every 15 minutes.

The park has many rides for visitors to enjoy including a number of roller coasters, which vary in thrill levels from moderate to aggressive based on the park's own rating system. There are also over a dozen water rides with the centerpiece attraction to the Boardwalk being the East Coast Waterworks. This has 54,000 galloons of water, 7 slides ranging from 6 feet to 4 stories high, 2 crawl tunnels and nearly 600 interactive water toys.

There are a number of rides suitable for children, including the aforementioned East Coast Waterworks. Some attractions are specifically designed for kids such as a log flume called Tiny Timbers and Mini Pirate ship that swings guests back and forth. The whole family can also enjoy traditional rides such as the carousel with moving and stationary horses or the Ferris wheel soaring nearly 100 feet in the air.

Further entertainment is provided in the form of music with strolling bands and singers. The park amphitheatre also stages a series of concerts in the summer months with many well known performers from the world of music booked each year. Various characters can also be found wandering around the park such as a life-size Hershey's Bar or Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, giving parents an opportunity for fun photographs to be taken of their kids.

The admission fee for the park also entitles visitors to take a look round the nearby ZooAmerica, which has over 200 animals and is open all year except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. There are over 75 species of animals from five regions of North America. Birds, Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians, Fish and Invertebrates from the Great Southwest and Southern Swamps to the Eastern Woodlands and Northlands can all be found here.

Visitors cannot bring food in to the park but they can take a picnic to designated sites near the restrooms along the tram route in the Parking Lot. Picnic tables are also available in the Stadium and on the patio above the Season Pass Office. The Tudor Grill Restaurant serves breakfasts and lunches and is in Tudor Road just outside the park entrance, and there are many other bars and restaurants nearby.

There are several souvenir shops on site selling gifts as well as roaming souvenir photographers. Chocolate currency can be purchased and used as cash within the park. Smoking is restricted to designated areas located conveniently throughout the park. The Boardwalk at Hershey Park is completely smoke-free and pets are not allowed in the park.

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