Description: 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.
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