A theme park in Hershey, Pennsylvania, with quiet locations for a break from sensory stimulation, a Rider Safety & Accessibility Guide that marks each major attraction for noise, darkness, flashing lights and more, and a Ride Accessibility Program with a reverse boarding time.
Open select dates, and hours are subject to change; check the hours calendar. Christmas Candylane runs on select dates through January 3, 2027. Posted holiday hours: Thanksgiving Day (November 26, 2026) 5 to 9 pm; Christmas Eve noon to 4 pm; closed Christmas Day; New Year's Eve noon to 4 pm; New Year's Day noon to 9 pm.
“There are several quiet locations available to guests throughout Hersheypark that provide both privacy and relief from sensory stimulation.”
“Guests should locate a member of the Safety & Security team to gain access to the quiet locations on Kissing Tower Hill.”
“The Boarding Pass will allow the guest and up to three riding companions to access attractions either through the exit or Fast Track entrance/queue (where applicable) using a reverse boarding time system.” Hersheypark Rider Safety & Accessibility Guide
Hersheypark's quiet locations are Guest Services inside the Family Health & Services Center in the Pioneer Frontier area (First Aid is there too) and on Kissing Tower Hill, at the Accessibility Services location.
How the Ride Accessibility Program works: enroll at Accessibility Services outside the Front Gate, inside the Front Gate, or at the Family Health & Services Center in the Pioneer Frontier area next to the Play Dome Arcade. You fill out and sign an Attraction Accessibility Questionnaire, then talk with an Accessibility Services agent or supervisor. After that talk, guests with a disability or other qualifying accommodation need that prevents them from having extended wait times in the standard queue receive a Boarding Pass listing the attractions they may be able to ride.
Only guests with mobility impairments (which generally require assistive devices such as wheelchairs, walkers, canes or crutches) and other qualifying accommodation needs are enrolled. Hersheypark also asks every guest who wants the accessible entrances to enroll.
If your kid gets a Boarding Pass, their first listed ride has little to no wait through the attraction exit; before boarding, the attendant gives a wait time that matches the current standby wait at that ride, and in the meantime you can go to shows, shops, games, dining or ZooAmerica. The program does not guarantee immediate access. The guest with the pass must ride for companions to ride, and the rest of the party uses the standard entrance.
Christmas Candylane is open on select dates from November 13, 2026 through January 3, 2027, with over 5 million twinkling lights. NOEL is a light show with dancing lights set to Christmas music. HERSHEY'S TREEville, from November 14, 2026, has lights, lasers and swirling fog; Fire & Ice, on select dates from November 27, 2026, has icy lights and blazing flames set to music; and the Estate of Evil Holiday Open House, from November 14, 2026, has rooms decorated with what the park calls terrifying holiday flair. Santa and his reindeer are at the Mary N. Bright Airfield.
Quiet locations, Pioneer Frontier area: Guest Services inside the Family Health & Services Centerquiet zone
Quiet locations on Kissing Tower Hillquiet zone
Food: other than one sealed water bottle per person (or an empty refillable bottle), outside food and drink are not allowed. Guests with allergies or dietary restrictions or needs may bring small amounts of food. The parking lots have picnic areas. No hard-sided coolers or glass. Epi-Pens are permitted, and First Aid has registered nurses on site.
Parking: $25 plus taxes and fees online, per vehicle per day, good for one use on any operating day through January 3, 2027; free for Giant, King and Full Size Season Pass Holders and for vehicles with 15 or more passengers. Parking booths are cashless. Lots open 2 hours before the park, with picnic areas and restrooms in the lots; no overnight parking. Accessible parking is first come, first served; follow the signs or ask a lot attendant, and when accessible spaces are full you are directed to the closest available area. Accessible trams run from the lot tram stops to the Chocolatetown plaza near the main entrance; during Christmas Candylane, trams run on weekends and daily between Christmas Day and New Year's Day, and weather can interrupt them.
Re-entry: you can leave and come back the same operating day. Except for Season Pass Holders, a photo is taken when you leave and checked when you come back; without it, re-entry is denied. To get back into the parking lot the same day, show your parking ticket.
The park is cashless: major credit and debit cards, Hersheypark gift cards, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay. Cash-to-Card kiosks in the park turn cash into a prepaid card at no fee. Games need a separate Gaming Card. Vanilla Visa gift cards are not accepted.
Strollers rent inside the entrance, first come, first served: single $20, double $25, wagon $30.
First Aid is inside the Family Health & Services Center in the Pioneer Frontier area next to the Play Dome Arcade, with registered nurses and certified EMTs, plus stations in The Boardwalk (Memorial Day to Labor Day) and Chocolatetown. An adult-accessible changing table is at Chocolatetown First Aid/restroom, behind Main Gate Guest Services. All restrooms have basic changing tables. First Aid has a nursing area with seating and outlets.
On most rides, loose items (phones, bags, stuffed animals, prizes, food and drinks and other small items) are not allowed. Only items that fit in a cargo pocket that closes, a zipped waist pack or a zipping jacket pocket can ride; anything else goes in the bag drop area or bin, a locker, or with someone who is not riding. Each ride's own rule is in the guide and on its height sign.
Visiting with a Personal Care Attendant: go to Ticketing Services (or the Zoo Admissions desk for ZooAmerica).
Winter Weather Promise: during Christmas Candylane, if weather closes the majority of the seasonally available major rides for more than 60 minutes of your visit, take your ticket stub or receipt to Guest Services for a free return visit voucher, valid any operating day through June 30, 2027. The ticket must have been scanned and used that day; Season Pass Holders and unused tickets are not eligible. Vouchers are given out only on the day itself, so ask before you leave; the full policy says the rides must be closed for a continuous 60 minutes.
Questions: Hersheypark@HersheyPA.com or 717-534-3900, or Accessibility Services on the day.
