Pennsylvania's Largest Amusement Park Is A Unique Family-Friendly Utopia With Unlimited Thrills

Milton S. Hershey is best remembered as the founder of Hershey chocolate — the brand responsible for Hershey's Milk Chocolate, Reese's, Hershey's Kisses, and more — which has become a favorite sweet treat in the United States and beyond since 1905. But during his lifetime, Hershey was also responsible for a number of other developments near the town (today known as Hershey, Pennsylvania) where his chocolate factory was founded. The Hotel Hershey, one of the best hotels in America for chocolate lovers, opened in 1933 and remains one of the state's most luxurious resorts. Meanwhile, the Milton Hershey School has offered quality education to children in the local area for generations.

Apart from these creations, Milton S. Hershey's most famous achievement is undoubtedly Hersheypark, which in 1906 started out as a recreation area and boating lake for his factory employees before gradually evolving into the major theme park it is today. Packed with thrilling rides of all shapes and sizes, Hersheypark is a dreamland for rollercoaster lovers, with meticulously-designed rides, including many for small children, that will keep you and your family amused all day.

But there is so much more to Hersheypark than rollercoasters and chocolate. Reviewers note that the food on offer is a draw in itself, and there are a ton of other attractions to enjoy for those who aren't planning to hit as many high-octane rides as possible.

Like any amusement park, the most impressive and must-do aspect of Hersheypark is the huge range of rollercoasters that tower over the park. While Hersheypark may have arrived half a century later than Lake Compounce, the oldest amusement park in America, it is still the home of some historic thrill rides. The earliest of these include the Comet, which opened in 1946 and gives a sense of what the park must have been like in those early days. The popular Wildcat's Revenge, a remodeling of the classic Wildcat rollercoaster, is a feat of engineering and design that maintains the first drop from the original. Additionally, Wildcat's Revenge has been hailed as having the largest underflip in the world, rolling riders 270 degrees.

More rides visitors can't afford to miss include Candymonium, a 4,600-foot rollercoaster designed to offer maximum airtime across seven hills, and which experts argue is Hersheypark's best ride. There's also Skyrush, a soaring coaster with enough twists and bends to have you feeling the g-force for hours afterward, and Fahrenheit, which boasts a 120-foot beyond-vertical drop and six inversions — the perfect ride for thrill seekers.

Hersheypark's attractions are so numerous that many visitors choose to stay at The Hershey Hotel (or one of the other Hershey-owned accommodations) to make the most of their trip and experience the park's 121 acres over several days. Eleven of those acres are dedicated to ZooAmerica, which specializes in caring for and housing North American animal species (admission is included in your Hersheypark ticket, though zoo tickets can also be bought separately).

Hersheypark's main season is from Memorial Day through Labor Day, when visitors have the chance to visit The Boardwalk, an immense water park that contrasts thrilling rides such as Whitecap Racer — the world's longest mat-racing slide — with deckchair areas to relax and unwind. It's usually busy, but simply can't be missed. Hersheypark is also open for select hours during the holiday season, offering spooky fun at Halloween and a Christmas Candylane celebration from mid-November through January 1. 

The park welcomes approximately 3.3 million people per year, and it can get crowded. Visitors note that Saturday is typically the busiest day to visit Hersheypark, so try to plan your trip for a weekday and arrive as early as you can to make the most of your time there. If you're looking for other amusement parks in America (that aren't Disney World), Redditors are fans of Dollywood and Knott's Berry Farm.