Atlas Obscura Itineraries

Explore the Sweet Life in Pennsylvania’s Hershey Harrisburg Region

The town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, is best known as the birthplace of Hershey’s chocolate, but this unincorporated community just east of Harrisburg is also home to sweet sites in addition to the rollercoasters and roaming characters of Hersheypark. Make your way towards the old chocolate factory's iconic (and nonoperational) twin smokestacks and visit a quirky brewery, a truly ancient box huckleberry shrub, and the largest collection of Tucker cars, aka “The Car of Tomorrow,” on the planet. Of course, this one-time company town wouldn’t exist without the chocolatier himself, Milton S. Hershey, the businessman and philanthropist whose creations span wider than iconic chocolates and theme parks. Today, you can wander around 23 acres of gardens, indulge in chocolate fondue wraps and whipped cocoa baths, and make your own chocolate masterpieces, all thanks to Hershey’s early vision.