There are games for the kids to win prizes and shops for the adults, including the Christmas shop and food courts readily available at all corners of the park. With paid admission, you get access to Zoo America, a zoo specializing in North American animals. Get a show schedule at the entrance or a shop so you can see your favorite shows throughout the day, including Nightlights (a musical laser spectacular) at 10pm nightly. There is also a dolphin show with other marine life. Once you go for the first time, you will want to go back every year. Try this website for information.

Our first stop once inside was the simulated factory tour ride. Actual tours of the chocolate making process are not offered so you get an amusement park style tour of the process. First you walk through a jungle where the cocoa beans are harvested; then you board a four person tram car (on a track) for your tour through the chocolate factory. Here you learn about the chocolate candy making process while watching replica machines in action. Be prepared to smile at the end of the tour - a camera takes your picture which can be purchased for $10 or so. This "tour", since it is in the form of a ride, is good for small children who probably would not want to spend 30 minutes or more touring an actual chocolate factory.

Our next activity was taking in the "Really Big 3-D Show". This show costs $4.95/adults and $3.95/kids (the above described tour ride is free for all). The show lasts approximately 30 minutes, of which half the time is spent with "guides" explaining the history of Hershey (the man, the town, and the chocolate). The actual 3-D show is very good and entertaining, but I believe is a bit pricey for what you get.

Our last stop was for cookies and coffee in the Hershey Food Court. Both the cookies (chocolate chip, fudge chocolate chip with nuts, and peanut butter candy cookies) and coffee were very good and cost no more than cookies/coffee in a shopping mall. Food such as pizza, sandwiches, soups and salads, and desserts such as fudge, ice cream, and cakes can also be purchased in the food court area. There is also a sit down restaurant - Hersheys' Chocolate Town Cafe - which is a full service restaurant serving lunch and dinner. There are also souvenier (of course) shops where you can purchase candy, apparel, toys, and much more. There is also a trolley that stops here which gives you a tour of the town.

Overall, Hersheys' Chocolate World is an enjoyable place to visit and is good family fun. It also has a good location next to (walking distance) Hersheypark -an amusement park and ZooAmerica - a small zoo.

The web site for more information is here.