Having multiple children doesn’t allow for much ‘alone time’ let alone a weekend away with just one child. If that time found itself into your schedule, you would be like me - lucky (and a bit surprised amiright?!)
Hershey/Harrisburg area has everything you need to make an amazing weekend itinerary for a girls trip, weekend adult getaway, or family road trip. A less than 2 hour drive gets you into the heart of all things Hershey - World of Chocolate, Hershey Park, Zoo America. This we know right - but Harrisburg has so much to offer.
For our special trip together my daughter and I had a blast just far enough to sleep over and close enough to home that the drive was convenient for a weekend away. We stayed at the Best Western Premier Central Hotel and Conference Center. Check in was easy, coffee in the common areas around the clock and a large indoor pool made this hotel a great option. It was no more than 30minute drive to everything we did over the weekend, with easy access onto any highway we needed and an attached restaurant with large buffet made mornings easy and travel stress-free.
We started our Friday night at Adventure Sports in Hershey There was a bit of everything here, and a guarantee of fun! There is no admission fee and parking is free. The many attractions here are great for all ages, including mini golf, arcade and an ice cream parlor. We have a blast bumping each other in Bumper Boats (you do get sprayed with water) and the Go-Carts Vrrrrooom! The Outdoor Laser Tag was a definite hit among the kids and adults. With over 3-acres of terrain, hiding sports and of course, laser aiming we had a blast #themomswon TIP: Get your pre-payment card at the kiosk near the go-karts to play laser tag. There are also batting cages, driving range and an escape room to keep the fun going.
Saturday was our day to explore Harrisburg. We drove over to City Island and saw some amazing views of the Harrisburg city landscape (and cartwheels) while on the Walnut Street Bridge. City Island is in the middle of the Susquehanna River and home to the Harrisburg Senators Baseball Stadium. This 63-acre island and park have a lot to offer. The Pride of the Susquehanna Riverboat, Cafe Huey, South Mountain Carriage Company, Water Golf miniature golf, City Island Arcade/ Batting Cages, City Island Railroad, and many free parks, playgrounds are open to the public. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, most businesses on the Island are open from 11 am until 8 pm, with the mini-golf having extended hours. Cafe Huey is a great lunch option on City Island serving: wraps, sandwiches, jumbo hotdogs and a full ice cream bar. A covered pavilion is close by for easy eating and views of the Susquehanna.
The Pride of the Susquehanna Riverboat is one of only 6 authentic riverboats still in operation in America. The Captain uses two paddles to propel it forward, turn and reverse the riverboat, with a max speed of 6mph. It offers many different types of cruises, dinner, weddings, pirate cruises for kids and princess cruises, group tours. You can also take part in one of their four floating classrooms. These 75 minute educational tours take you through the history of the Susquehanna River and the Appalachian Mountains, how it was formed, where the water flows and affects the Atlantic ocean. The class concludes with a treasure hunt requiring exploration around the riverboat and surrounding landscape. Finish all four classes and get a free cruise!
It might be shameful to say I have never been to our PA State Capital; I doubt I am alone in this but we sure are missing out by not taking advantage of seeing it more often. Both of my daughters had their field trips here, and always coming home excited from their day. I had no idea how beautiful our State Capital building is, seriously, it’s known as one of the most beautiful capitals in the country. It should be, after all, 24K gold blanket the pillars, statues and surroundings, the domes are grand, wrought with history. It took Violet Oakley 25 years to paint the artworks throughout the Capital building. The Supreme Court Chamber was the last room she painted, the last painting completed is called ‘Divine Law’ displaying Love, Law, and Wisdom into the painting like a word search.
The history is strong and widespread throughout the building. A couple of tidbits we learned
- The House of Representatives room is the largest in the capital with the oldest desk still in use
- Violet Oakley painted herself into one of the paintings in the Supreme Court Chamber
- The current Capital building is the 3rd building and location of our capital
- Art, Science, Law, and Religion are represented in amazing ladies surrounding the upper walls of the foyer area
- The largest collection of Mercer Tiles carpet the foyer area, the mosaics, and square tiles. Its unknown how many tiles there actually are in the Capital.
Visitors are welcome to explore the Capitol Building at their leisure, on regular weekdays. Tours area also available.
Just a short walk from the Capital, across Strawberry Bridge, is the Whitaker Center. Two floors of music, sound effects, electricity, forces of nature and many hands-on exhibits are open for exploration throughout this interactive STEM filled center. We have been to many science centers like this one, yet Whitaker Center had exhibits we had never seen before. Have you ever been in a simulated tornado with winds going over 90mph, or used Stop Motion Animation? Learning and using the Ozobots was also a favorite.
The Tinkertoy section was a great area for building with your imagination. Energize, develop create and building in this large exhibit currently at the Whitaker Center.
Whitaker Center Hours:
Tuesday-Saturday 9:30am-5pm, Sunday 11:30am-5pm, Closed Mondays
Hershey’s Chocolate World is an experience in and of itself. Full of activities, shopping, eating, chocolate making you can spend hours and not realize how much time has gone by. The 4D Chocolate Movie is a great experience for little ones looking for an adventure with Hershey’s chocolates to overrule the bad scientist and his robots.
Hershey is at it again, building, expanding and creating with their love of chocolate! Unwrapped, a Chocolate Tasting Journey is their newest experience at Chocolate World. Your ticket is a top-secret Tasting Kit, full of tasting during your journey. The ‘scientist’ with us during our journey are engaging and hysterical, leaning on kids in the audience to help make the recipes, decide on flavors and make the most delicious chocolate Hershey’s can make.
Many attractions in Hershey’s Chocolate World need tickets, make sure you check their Plan Your Visit section to plan your time and get your tickets. You can also download the map and check their calendar for seasonal events.
Hours:
HERSHEY'S CHOCOLATE WORLD Attraction in Hershey, PA, is open almost every day of the year, but hours vary depending on the day. For more information, view Food Hall and Attractions.
HERSHEY'S Kitchens Food Hall
The Food Hall opens at 10:30 AM, and closing times vary with operating hours. However, Pizza Shop, Ice Cream & Milkshake Shop, S'mores Area, and HERSHEY'S Cocoa & Coffee are always available for a treat, snack or a meal.
HersheyPark is more than just an amusement park. It has over 70 attractions, 14 roller coasters, and a full water park! Construction is ongoing for exciting changes at Hershey, but the paved path and signage kept you on track. Bathrooms were in multiple places before you get to the ticket gates. We tried so many rides and road our favorites more than once. New this year is the Reese’s Cupfusion. Hop on the ride, become an agent for the Hershey’s factory and use your interactive laser gun to shoot the moving targets. It was a fun ride for both of us. Hershey Park is the sweetest place on Earth - no seriously my daughter, and I had a great day together (and she doesn’t ride roller coasters)!
Our time together was priceless, and a weekend, we will always remember together. Just as special was realizing all Pennsylvania has to offer in the Hershey/ Harrisburg area. History, learning, adventure, and of course fun-filled our weekend. We want to return to Harrisburg and Hershey again! Thank you PA, for being so awesome.
Disclosure: I received complimentary passes for the purpose of this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
