- thestickman23
- First Reviewer
- 4 out of 5
- Avg. Member Rating
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5
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Beautiful Hershey Gardens
- August 7, 2008
- Rated 5 of 5 by
MuchToDo from Wallkill, New York
Hershey Gardens was lovely. Tons of beautiful photo opportunity. My family spent hours there and we consisted of 3 adults and 5 kids from ages 2 to 7. Hershey Gardens was just a joyful beautiful place to be. The kids could run free and soak in the beauty of all the flowers. There was a rose garden, japanese garden, children’s garden...and even a garden of ornamental grasses. There were other gardens too. I did not bother with the ornamental grass garden…that just seemed a little boring to me. The best part was the butterfly house located at the beginning of the children’s garden. There were tons of beautiful butterflies fluttering around. They were landing on us left and right. The employees in the butterfly house were very knowledgeable and friendly. They answered all the questions that my kids had about butterflies. You have to be very careful where you walk because you don’t want to step on any by accident. They also want you to check yourself on your way out so that you don’t take a stoaway out with you!! I took a lot of pics of flowers and butterflies. I went a little nuts actually. I have an art project in mind for all those pics. There was a really nice tree in the garden that all our kids could sit on. I got a nice picture of them on the tree. There is a small gift shop at the garden. Of course, they make you walk thru it in order to leave! I just closed my eyes so I would not want to buy anything. Oh, and there is a fee to get in. Adults are 10.00 and kids are 6.00.
From journal Hershey, PA
Editor Pick
Hershey Gardens
- October 14, 2006
- Rated 3 of 5 by
grannola from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Hershey Gardens was a place we could go with the kids without paying an arm and a leg and get some exercise and fresh air. It is not far from Hershey Chocolate World and it overlooks Hershey Park.
When we first went in, there was a sign that told how Mr. Hershey had been asked to donate a public garden to Washington, DC. Mr. Hershey decided he'd rather plant a garden closer to home where the locals could enjoy it and Hershey Gardens was born. They have a beautiful collection of gardens, rose garden (based on Mrs. Hershey's rose garden), rock garden, herb gardens, etc. Of course, the kids were more interested in things they could do.
There was the best butterfly house that we've ever been to. We've been to several, one in Halifax, one at the National Zoo, but this one blew them away. There were hundreds of different butterflies of several species, many just hatching. (We got to see a butterfly hatch when we were there.) They even had a butterfly spotting guide that they give you on the way in so you can tell what kinds they are. You can purchase the guides in the gift shop (about $0.50 for paper, or $2 for laminated).
The best flower, in our opinion, was definitely the chocolate geranium. You could smell its chocolaty aroma from the Hershey Bar sidewalk. I don't think it would work so well in a home garden, because the smell could be overpowering, but beside a 'chocolate' sidewalk, it is perfect.
The kids also liked the Hershey Kisses that squirted air every couple of minutes. The kisses were about 2-3 feet tall. There was a Japanese water garden with a bridge. As you walked over the bridge you could see goldfish in the water. The human sundial was popular with my kids, as were the playground, the musical instruments, and of course, the animal statues. All of these things are in the Children's Garden area. The kids enjoyed wandering down the paths, trying to figure out if we'd already seen things.
There is a building where they have preschool classes, which require registration. There were none on the day we were there. We were there at the end of the season (Labour Day), so a lot of things were closing up. The restroom facilities were open, but the cafe was not. The park is open year round, however. Admission is not cheap, at $10 for adults, $9 for seniors, $6 for kids (free under 3). But much less than Hershey Park. They are open from 9am to 5pm normally, but later in the summer, earlier in the winter.
From journal Mmmm... Chocolate
Hershey's Gardens Walking Tour
- September 24, 2006
- Rated 3 of 5 by
1229 from Lexington , Kentucky
It is a large garden with a view of Hershey park. There is a children's garden with a Dasani Water Vending Machine, which I bought a Dansani from there because when I was there, the outside temperature was hot because it was the summertime. There is even a Japanese garden, which was my favorite part and a butterfly shelter.
From journal Hershey's Gardens
Hershey Gardens
- March 22, 2005
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Saphira from Pine Hill, New Jersey
I wasn't sure what Hershey Gardens would be like, but I thought it sounded like a relaxing way to spend the day, especially knowing a crazy day of theme park fun would follow. Hershey Gardens was beautiful. We had a great time, and it was well worth the money. It is located up on a hill that overlooks the amusment park. It was fun hearing the faded screams of people on the roller coasters from time to time. The gardens are well gardens. They were open and bright and lovely. My favorite thing of the day was the Butterfly House. I would go back just to spend time there. It is a giant green house with butterflies flying around your head, sitting on flowers and sitting on you. I had a bright neon-green butterfly land right on my leg, and it didn't let go for about 20 minutes. The volunteers who worked there kept offering to rid me of the insect, but I said I was okay because I wanted to see how long it would be before it decided to let go. The coolest thing is that they have a big glass case of real cocoons, and we saw two different butterflies emerge and become born. It did take a while, but if you are not in a hurry, I highly recommend waiting around--it was an awesome experience.
From journal The Chocolate Wonderland
Hershey Gardens
- January 13, 2004
- Rated 2 of 5 by
thestickman23 from Saddle Brook, New Jersey
This is a 23-acre botanical garden with beautiful arrangements. There are seasonal displays, and rare plants and trees. They also have themed gardens for the children. You can also take a tour of the outdoor Butterfly Conservatory located on the property. Open April to September with admission for adults $7 and youths $3.
From journal Chocolate Town