It also gave us Hershey, PA, that real-life Candy Land filled with multiple chocolate-themed attractions that candy-coat the area around Hershey’s corporate headquarters.
Now, right off the bat, you need to know that I hate it when I’m forced to use sports idioms. Also, that I’m not your best guide for Hershey, PA. I mean, I’ve never even been to its theme park despite living just a couple of hours from it for most of my life. Nor have I been to the official museum or taken the factory tour. In fact, Hershey, PA, has so far always just been a passing-through point for me. But the reason I even pass through it is because of one place: Hershey’s Chocolate World.
Short version: It’s a gigantic candy-filled gift shop dedicated to the Hershey’s brand.
Long version: Well, that started four paragraphs ago.
Hershey’s Chocolate World lies right in the dark chocolate shadow of the sprawling hilltop headquarters of the famous candy brand and shares a parking lot with its Hersheypark neighbor. Calling it a mere gift shop isn’t completely accurate. Calling it much more than that is somewhat problematic. On the official site, they call it an attraction, and I’ll go with that.
After all, I am attracted to the place. You don’t have to spend money (parking and entry is free), there’s no hassle to get in, there’s plenty of stuff to keep you occupied, and the whole place is made of chocolate…more or less.
Above the entrance to Chocolate World, enthusiastically anthropomorphic versions of the three candies mentioned in the first paragraph welcome you into the clock tower-topped building. Upon entering, you have your choice of activities. You can make your own candy bar with your own custom-designed wrapper, see a 4D movie, grab a meal at the food court or some sweets at the bakery, or sign up for a trolley tour of the town of Hershey itself. It’s actually all pretty reasonably priced, but you can also just do the free stuff and take off like I’ve done the few occasions that I’ve visited. I skate pretty cheaply sometimes.
But that free stuff includes the Great American Chocolate Tour, an automated cart ride that takes you through a mock chocolate factory where singing cows and a hidden narrator explain the process of chocolate making, from harvesting the bean to wrapping the final product. It’s realistic enough (other than the singing cows) that the first time I went through I had to think hard about whether I was watching real chocolate being mixed and formed. They also pipe the smell of chocolate throughout, which definitely didn’t hurt the illusion. Afterwards, you get a free sample. The whole thing is more enjoyable than it should be, honestly.

Of course, at Christmas, when candy takes on a starring role in all of our lives, there’s much more to see and experience. For instance, all the above-mentioned attractions get Yule-died, and a large candy-decorated Christmas tree is erected inside.
In the gift shop area, Christmas-themed treats are everywhere. Large Kisses in Santa-hat foil, Reese’s Christmas trees, York Peppermint Patties in wreath-adorned wrappers, cookies n’ cream Santas, all the holiday-flavored Kisses (Irish crème, hot cocoa, mint truffle, and my favorite, candy cane, to name a few).

