Fall In Love With Hershey Gardens

It is easy to fall in love with the beautiful, sprawling grounds of Hershey Gardens! It is one of the top attractions in the Pennsylvania Amish Country region. With over 1,300 positive reviews on TripAdvisor, this beautiful park offers something to please every age group. It is a must-see activity if you are visiting Hersheypark!

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Hershey Gardens opened in the late 1930s. It started with Milton Hershey’s vision for a rose garden. Now, it has expanded across twenty-three acres and includes 3,500 rose bushes!

Most of the themed gardens were added in the late 1970s. A Children’s Garden was added in 2003. The Milton & Catherine Hershey Conservatory is the latest portion of Hershey Gardens that opened in 2016. This additional area includes a Welcome Pavilion, Butterfly Atrium, and an Educational & Horticulture Wing.

Hershey Gardens Location

Hershey Gardens is located right across from the theme park next to The Hotel Hershey. It is set on top of a hill and offers a breathtaking glimpse of Hersheypark and its thrill rides.

One of the most popular attractions is the Butterfly Atrium. It is one of only 25 year-round tropical butterfly atriums in the United States. It features over 300 species of butterflies amid flowering gardens and water features. There is also a real cacao tree that ties into the Hershey theme.

For those visiting with kids, The Children’s Garden is a lot of fun! It includes thirty-two themed mini gardens. Plus, it has a caterpillar-shaped living walk-thru “tunnel” and a Hoop House that educates families on how to grow a garden at home. 

In addition to The Children’s Garden, there are 10 other themed garden areas, including a Japanese Garden that leads to a peaceful reflecting pond, a Seasonal Display Garden, and the Historic Rose Garden mentioned above. There is also an Oak Grove and an Arboretum that features a collection of trees not typically seen in the Northeast region.

On select dates during the summer, Hershey Gardens offers kid’s crafts and entertainment as well as guided garden walks led by a trained plant expert. These special activities are included with admission.

Throughout the year, Hershey Gardens also hosts fee-based programs including outdoor concerts, jewelry making classes, and seasonal events such as a Pumpkin Glow featuring 200 carved jack-o’-lanterns.

When we arrived, we took a few minutes to admire the view of the theme park from the top of the hill and of the front of the conservatory building. Then, we purchased our Hershey Gardens tickets and headed straight into the Butterfly Atrium since we only had a couple of hours to walk around.

The entrance to the Butterfly Atrium is located to the right as you face the gift shop. We spent a longer amount of time here than we expected. We had never seen so many colorful butterflies in one place before! The helpful staff explained things to us and answered all of our questions.

After we tore ourselves away from the butterflies, we headed into the garden areas. First, we took a few photos at Swan Lake. Then, we headed straight to The Children’s Garden. 

In the Children’s Garden, we got a great idea for growing a container garden at home in the Hoop House. Then, we spotted a cute frog in the pond. Our kids loved playing Botanical Tunes, exploring scents in the Fragrance Garden, and walking through the Caterpillar Tunnel. 

Next, we followed along the path through the remaining theme gardens. The Historic Rose Garden had an arch that made for the perfect romantic photo spot!

The only thing we missed was the Arboretum. It was a little off the main path and we wanted to make sure we had enough time to see everything else. It makes the perfect excuse to return another time!

Important Things To Know Before You Go

• Hershey Gardens is open daily year-round except for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. 
• Parking is free. 
• The facility is wheelchair accessible. There are water fountains and benches throughout the gardens for those that need a rest.
• Buy Hershey Gardens tickets online to save time. Hershey Gardens discounted tickets are available through AAA.
• Active duty military members are free; families and veterans receive $3 off their Hershey Gardens tickets.
• Hershey Gardens hours vary by season and outdoor attractions may close due to icy conditions. You can download a Hershey Gardens Map online or get one in the Welcome Center.
• We recommend allowing two hours to see the entire grounds and enjoy time in the Butterfly Atrium.
• The last guests are admitted to the butterfly garden 15 minutes before closing time. 
• To keep little ones engaged, print out the Scavenger Hunt and take it with you when you visit!
• There are three bathroom facilities with drinking water fountains in the gardens. All of them are located towards the front of the park, so plan accordingly! The first one is downstairs in the Conservatory. The other two are located behind the Conservatory to the left and right side of Swan Lake.
• There is a picnic area outside of the main entrance.
• Locals may want to consider becoming a member of the museum for free admission throughout the year and special discounts. Plus, members can take advantage of a reciprocal admission program with over 300 participating gardens available through the American Horticultural Society.

If you have more time to explore the area, we highly recommend visiting The Hershey Story: The Museum on Chocolate Avenue.  It is excellent for kids with lots of hands-on interactive and educational activities. Plus, the Chocolate Tastings and Chocolate Lab experiences are super chocolaty fun!

If you plan a family trip to Pennsylvania Amish Country or to Hersheypark, I highly recommend adding a stop at Hershey Gardens into your itinerary. It is a beautiful place to wander and smell the roses!