Park Overview
Hersheypark opened in 1906 as a picnic ground for Hershey Chocolate Company employees and now covers roughly 121 acres in the middle of Hershey, Pennsylvania. Fourteen roller coasters run here, from the 1946 wooden Comet to Wildcat's Revenge and its 140 foot lift hill, alongside about seventy rides and attractions in total. One admission ticket also covers ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park next door and, in summer, The Boardwalk At Hersheypark water park.
Two facts shape an accessible day here more than the ride count does. The first is that everything is bundled: a family that needs long rest breaks can spend an hour in the zoo or the water park without buying a second ticket, which is unusual among big regional parks. The second is terrain. The park's own guide warns that guests "may experience elevation changes and steep grades throughout the Park," and that is not boilerplate. Hersheypark is built on a hillside. Kissing Tower Hill, Pioneer Frontier, and The Hollow sit at meaningfully different elevations, and pushing a manual wheelchair between them is real work.
Location: 100 W. Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, PA 17033
Included with admission: ZooAmerica, entered from the bridge inside the park during operating hours, and The Boardwalk water park on summer admission tickets.
Best time to visit: Weekdays in late May, early June, or September. The park runs separate Springtime, Halloween, and Christmas Candylane seasons with shorter ride lineups, so check which season your date falls in.
Hours: Seasonal and vary by date. Confirm on the park's hours page before your visit.
Phone: 717-534-3900.
Tickets & Pricing
Day Tickets and Passes
Single-day tickets are cheaper online in advance than at the gate, and the park uses date-based pricing. Season passes come in tiers, and the higher tiers include parking, which matters if you are making more than one trip. Because ZooAmerica and the summer water park are already in the price, compare a Hersheypark ticket against parks that sell those separately before you decide it looks expensive.
Fast Track (Not an Accessibility Product)
Fast Track is the paid line-skip upgrade, sold as a one-time-ride or unlimited add-on with pricing that runs roughly $30 to $170 per person per day. It is not a disability accommodation and you do not need it to use the Attraction Accessibility Program. Guests in that program board through a ride's exit or its Fast Track entrance depending on the attraction, which is a boarding route rather than a purchase.
Accessibility: The Attraction Accessibility Program
Hersheypark's accommodation is the Attraction Accessibility Program. The park's website also refers to it as the Ride Accessibility Program; both names point at the same thing. You enroll in person at any Accessibility Services location, complete an Attraction Accessibility Questionnaire, and receive a Boarding Pass listing the attractions you may be able to ride.
The park is explicit about who the program is for: guests with mobility impairments that generally require an assistive device, and guests with other qualifying accommodation needs, are the ones enrolled. There is no third-party accessibility card, no IBCCES requirement, and no online application. You can download the questionnaire ahead of time and bring it filled out.
Full Accessibility Guide: the Boarding Pass, Reverse Boarding Times & What to Expect →The short version: enroll first, then ride one attraction with little to no wait. The attendant stamps your Boarding Pass with a time equal to that ride's current standby wait, and you board your next attraction at or after that time. Up to three riding companions come with you, and the enrolled guest has to ride for the companions to ride.
Wheelchair & ECV Rental
Manual wheelchairs rent for $35 and Electric Convenience Vehicles for $70, first come first served and in limited quantities. Renters must be 18 or older, and the Rider Safety & Accessibility Guide lists a 450 pound weight limit on both. Strollers are $20 single, $25 double, and $30 for a wagon. Given the hillside terrain, an ECV is worth pre-planning here even for people who walk a full day comfortably at flatter parks. Personal ECVs and mobility devices are welcome. Golf carts and two-wheeled self-balancing vehicles such as Segways are not permitted anywhere in the park or the zoo.
Parking
- General parking runs $25 bought online. Season pass holders at the higher tiers park free, and the entry-level pass gets 50 percent off.
- Accessible spaces sit in the main lots on a first-come, first-served basis. When they fill, staff direct you to the closest available area instead.
- Accessible trams run from the parking lot tram stops to the Hershey's Chocolatetown plaza near the main entrance. Follow the signs from the toll booths.
What to Bring
A Hersheypark day is mostly outdoors, mostly uphill or downhill, and includes a water park most families end up using.
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- Portable charger: tickets, the park map, and wait times all live in the Hersheypark app.
- Noise-canceling headphones: Midway America and the Boardwalk are the loudest corners on a summer afternoon.
- Cooling towel and electrolytes: the hills do more damage than the temperature does.
- Waterproof pouch and a swimsuit: Coal Cracker, Tidal Force, and the whole Boardwalk will soak you.
- Poncho: summer thunderstorms roll through central Pennsylvania fast.
- One sealed water bottle per person: that is the outside-drink allowance. Food exceptions exist for allergies and dietary needs.
Hotels Nearby
Hershey is a resort town, so the lodging sits close: two large Hershey Entertainment hotels, a campground, and a strip of chain properties along Chocolate Avenue and Hersheypark Drive, with Harrisburg fifteen minutes west. See our full hotel guide for accessibility-focused picks.
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