Hershey's Chocolate World

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Hershey’s Chocolate World (opened June 30, 1973) is the name of Hershey’s visitor center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States. Open year-round, Hershey's Chocolate World offers marketplace shops and restaurants, specializing in Hershey's chocolate products. Attractions include the Really Big 3-D show, the Hershey Trolley Works, Factory Works Experience, and a free Chocolate Tour ride.

The entrance to Chocolate World

Hershey's Chocolate World is located off of Hersheypark Drive, and is in an entertainment complex which also includes Hersheypark, Hersheypark Stadium, Hersheypark Arena, Hershey Museum, and GIANT Center.

Although Hersheypark and Chocolate World are in the same complex, both operate independently of each other. Chocolate World is owned by The Hershey Company while Hersheypark is owned by Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company (HERCO). However, The Hershey Company and HERCO are both owned by the Hershey Trust Company.

Parking is available via a separate lot which is free for the first 90 minutes only, or via the Hersheypark parking lot, when the park is open, which offers a tram service to and from Hershey's Chocolate World. While the facility is open year-round, hours vary depending on the season, ranging anywhere from 9 am to 11 pm.

1 History
2 Current Attractions
3 External links
4 References

[edit] History

Hershey's Chocolate World was built as a replacement of the Hershey chocolate plant tour. This tour was discontinued as it was no longer able to handle the large numbers of visitors per year. In fact, a sign remains telling visitors to go to Hershey's Chocolate World for a Chocolate making tour. The newly-opened facility took inspiration from World's Fair pavilions.^[1]

In 1979, a mosaic from the original Hershey Creamery was moved to Chocolate World.^[1] It was placed next to the entrance of the ride, and lasted until 1999, when the retail area named Everything Hershey's was opened. Over the years, the tour ride has gone through several revisions and renovations, the first of which took place in 1978 to add a series of nostalgic shops to the building. On June 1st, 1986, the visitor's center welcomed its 20 millionth visitor.^[1]

A $4.5 million update to the chocolate-making tour ride opened in 1988, featuring a curious robot for a host.^[1] In the mid-1990s, the ride saw numerous revisions on a small scale, including the removal of several show elements. The last renovation occurred in early 2006 when several scenes in the chocolate tour ride were replaced with singing, animatronic cows. Today, there are still portions of the ride that have changed very little from the 1978 updated version, including the sorting and cleaning, roll refining, and chocolate conch scenes.

[edit] Current Attractions

A memorable sequence from the ride, where cars travel inside a roaster with special effects

Chocolate Tour - A free 12-minute Omnimover dark ride tour shows a simulation of the chocolate making process, and includes a complimentary Hershey's treat at the end (typically a recently released Hershey product). This ride is an original attraction, which opened on June 30th, 1973, and has been updated numerous times.^[1] A photo is taken near the end of the ride and is available for purchase.

Factory Works Experience - Primarily for kids, this 2004 interactive experience is a chance to be a factory packaging expert by collecting Hershey's kisses in decorative plastic containers. Kids get a free yellow, orange, and red hat for participating, and a factory photo is available for purchase.

Really Big 3-D Show - Added in 2002, this is an animated 3-D musical show presented in a 250-seat theatre several times throughout the day. Current admission is $5.95 for adults (13-61 years), $4.95 for children (3-12 years), and $5.45 for senior citizens (62+ years). The show features the actor John O'Hurley, and the voice of Danny DeVito. The show was designed by Landmark Entertainment.

Hershey Trolley Works - Most commonly spotted on the streets of Hershey is the fern green, old-fashioned trolley. Added in 1988, the trolley, with singing conductors, departs for a round-trip tour of Hershey, pointing out historical and cultural observations along the way. Shows leave throughout the day and paid admission is required for this attraction.

The rest of Hershey's Chocolate World contains various shops selling Hershey souvenirs and chocolate, and several counter service meal locations (Kit Kat "Give Me a Break" Café, Hershey's Courtyard Food Court, Artisan Confections, and Hershey's Ice Cream Shop). The main candy store is one of the largest stores of its kind in the world selling Hershey's products including new items not widely released and recently acquired premium chocolate brands like Scharffen Berger Chocolate and Joseph Schmidt Confections.