Hersheypark just got sweeter with Hersheypark Halloween and Dark Nights! Who doesn’t LOVE getting Hershey’s chocolate in their trick-or-treat bag? Well, how about a whole theme park filled with family-friendly Halloween fun AND chocolate?
We personally love visiting Hersheypark for Halloween, and this year we had a ton of fun seeing all of the incredible events they have to offer. Our visit to Hersheypark’s Dark Nights took us through incredible scare zones and haunted houses, which inspired us to write an article just for you. While Disney and Universal are typically only talked about during Halloween, we want to show you that there are other parks that totally nail spooky season too!
In this article, we will break down what you need to know to visit Halloween at Hersheypark this season and share some tips that will help make your visit even sweeter!
What is Hersheypark Halloween?
Hersheypark is open seven weekends from Sept. 15 through Oct. 29, 2023, for the seasonal offerings of Halloween at Hersheypark! Now, you may be wondering what is the difference between Hershey park Halloween and Dark Nights? New this year, both seasonal events are included in your Hersheypark ticket. Previously, Dark Nights was a separate ticket since this is the “haunt” event recommended for ages 13 and up. Now, all 5 haunted houses and 3 scare zones are included in your ticket so you can get daytime fun and nighttime scares all for one price. Hersheypark Halloween is the family-friendly daytime fun you can enjoy in the park.
Hersheypark Hours for Halloween
During Halloween in Hershey Park, guests can enjoy the park Friday through Sunday from Sept. 15 through Oct. 29, 2023. Below are the Hershey Park Halloween hours.
- Fridays: event hours are 5-10 p.m.
- Saturdays: event hours are 12-10 p.m.
- Sundays: event hours are 12-9 p.m
Dark Nights Hershey Park begins each night at 6 p.m. and extends one hour after the Park closes – Fridays and Saturdays until 11 p.m. and Sundays until 10 p.m. If you are traveling over an hour to Hershey Halloween, we recommend visiting on a Saturday or Sunday. You will be paying about $10 more per ticket however, you are going to get a full day in the park as well as a night at Dark Nights, it’s worth it!
Hersheypark Tickets for Halloween
Hershey Park tickets price 2023 is a great value as you will see below when we discuss all the sweet activities. Ticket prices range from $49.99 – $62.99. Your Halloween ticket now will include all 5 Hersheypark Haunted Houses and 3 Scare Zones. Play by day, and fright by night!
If you are just looking to visit Dark Nights, you can purchase the “After Dark” ticket. This ticket includes access to Hersheypark starting at 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays for $44.99.
What are the Best Things to do for Halloween at Hersheypark?
Now that we know the price of visiting Halloween at Hershey Park, let’s discuss what we can enjoy. Hershey Park Halloween is filled with activities for all ages. Since the weather is still nice in September and October too, most of the rides will be operational in the park! What is so great about Hershey at Halloween is that there is so much to do you can have an action-packed day of fun.
- Enjoy thrills on 50 rides and attractions and lights-out rides on select coasters
- Trick-or-treat for Hershey’s chocolate at Treatville
- Dance along at the Hershey Characters glow dance party
- Creatures Of The Night flashlight tour at ZooAmerica (beginning October 13)
- See California sea lions at Our Friends From The Sea Show
Beginning at 6 PM for Dark Nights:
- Five haunted houses and three scare zones
- Themed food and beverage booths
- RIP Dinner Buffet
- Spirit’s Rooftop Bar at The Chocolatier
Related Video: Hersheypark Halloween & Dark Nights
Hersheypark Halloween Rides
One of the most amazing parts about Halloween at Hershey Park is that you can enjoy Hershey’s incredible roller coaster lineup. Over 50 rides and attractions will be up and running (weather permitting) for you to enjoy. Make sure to ride the all-new hybrid coaster, Wildcat’s Revenge, it is one of our favorite coasters of all time!
Select attractions like Trailblazer, Monorail, Sweet Thing, Tea Cups, Granny Bugs and Music Express will close by 6 p.m. each operating evening. Skyview and Pony Parade are closed for the Halloween season. Something important to know is that even with some rain, most of the outdoor rides at Hersheypark will still operate (if there is lightning in the area, they will close!). We experienced Hersheypark Halloween in the rain this year! It rained pretty much all day with about an hour break and we still got rides on Wildcat’s Revenge, Great Bear, Monorail, and Storm Runner. The only rides that don’t typically operate in rain are Sky Rush, Candymonium, and Storm Runner (we got to ride Storm Runner during that rain break!)
During the last hour of operation, the lights go out for dark rides on the new Wildcat’s Revenge hybrid coaster, Candymonium, Comet, and Lightning Racer. Plus, Laff Trakk is completely dark all day long. We did a lights-out ride on Laff Trakk and it was such a huge hit!
Hersheypark Halloween Entertainment
The fun does not stop at the rides! Below are two activities that I recommend making sure you do during your visit to Hersheypark Halloween. Guests can enjoy activities like Hershey’s Trick-or-Treat Trail, which was our personal favorite as you get to fill your bag full of Hershey’s classics. There was also an exclusive Hersheypark Halloween show, which we thought was a major highlight.
Hershey’s Trick-Or-Treat Trail
One of my personal favorite parts of Hershey Park Halloween is Treatville! Since The Boardwalk (water park) in Hersheypark is closed for the season, guests can walk through Treatville at The Boardwalk! Children 12 and younger are invited to wear a Halloween costume and enjoy 13 sweet stops at Hershey trick or treat. They have decorations and photo-ops along the treat trail like the Hershey Kiss-Mobile! We got Twizzlers, Frankenstein Reeses KitKats, and Hershey Bars! Treatville is open until 8 PM on operating Hersheypark days.
Monster Shake, Rattle, and Glow Ball
For the first time since 2019, the Hershey Character Glow Dance Party is back in the Music Box Theater Hershey Park! Dance along with the Hershey Characters dressed up in their Halloween finest and party to the season’s classics inside Music Box Theatre. Enjoy the show twice on Fridays and three times on Saturdays and Sundays. This show is perfect for families enjoying Halloween in Hershey Park. Kids, parents too, will love seeing favorite Hershey’s Characters and singing along to spooky music.
Related Post: Oogie Boogie Bash Guide
Hersheypark Halloween Haunted Houses
In its second year, Dark Nights is back and better than ever! Previously “Hersheypark in the Dark,” Dark Nights begins at 6 PM enjoy a haunted Hershey Park! 5 original haunted houses and 3 scare zones are INCLUDED in your Hersheypark ticket.
- NEW FOR 2023 – Auntie Mortem’s Abattoir
- Haunted Coal Mine: Curse Of The Tommyknockers
- Creatures Uncaged
- The Descent: Catacombs Of Decay
- Twisted Carnevil
We experienced all 5 haunted houses on our Dark Nights visit. Our favorite Hershey Park haunted house was the new Auntie Mortem’s Abbttoir and we have to give a shout-out to the creepy, Twisted Carnevil. The houses were very foggy which made it even more scary if you couldn’t see that well!
What are the Hersheypark Halloween Scare Zones?
There are 3 Hershey Park Scare Zones during Dark Nights to be on the lookout for as well.
- NEW FOR 2023 – Fallout Zone (Near Tidal Force) -Wildcat’s Revenge, Wild Mouse, Laff Trakk, Ferris Wheel, and Lightning Racer can only be accessed by walking through this Scare Zone after 6 p.m.
- Midway Of Misery (Outside Laff Trakk)
- Darkstone’s Hollow (The Hollow) – Guests who do not want to be scared can get to SooperdooperLooper
avoiding Darkstone’s Hollow via the Skyrush path, and enjoy the attractions in the Kissing Tower Hill area by using the high bridge past the Aquatheatre.
Related Post: First Timers Guide to Halloween Horror Nights Orlando
Halloween Hersheypark Food Offerings
Is there anything better than themed food around the holidays? Another thing Hersheypark is known for besides its awesome coaster lineup is the food! I really have never had a bad meal at Hersheypark and this does not stop with Dark Nights. Beginning at 6 PM you can enjoy over 75 scary good eats and drinks! New for 2023, there are two dining experiences that we think are of great value and would recommend to anyone visiting Dark Nights Hershey Park.
Dark Nights Tasting Pass 2023
With the abundance of food offerings during Dark Nights, this tasting pass allows guests to try up to 5 specialty menu items for one price of $34.99. It’s great that outside of every booth and dining location, there is a sign with photos of each food item that is included in the tasting pass. We tried the “Chocolate Potato Chip Donut” which sounds like a crazy donut but it didn’t taste that way! It was a great combination of salty and sweet. Some other tasty options you can try with the tasting pass:
- Toxic Mac & Cheese
- Pulled Pork Sliders
- Blood Orange Lemonade
- Black Velvet Cake
- Spirello Potato
- Fried Oreo Eyeballs
- Cookies and Cream Smore
- Toxic Pizza Slice
RIP Dinner Buffet at Great Scare Catering
Get the full spooky experience with the RIP Buffet where you can actually dine with scare actors! This all-you-can-eat buffet features eerie entrées, desserts to die for, and unlimited soft drinks while some
monsters lurk about. The buffet is available on Fridays starting at 5 p.m. and Saturdays beginning at 4 p.m. Tickets are $44.99 plus tax and can be purchased online in advance of your visit.
This buffet is a great deal for the price. You can choose from a wide variety of appetizers, entrees, sides, and desserts. We really enjoyed everything! It was high-quality food all around. The taco dip for the appetizer stood out as it was themed with a spider web and a plastic spider on top. For entrees, we loved the pork and brisket and paired it with the delicious “Creepy Carrots” and “Cauldron Cooked Brussel Sprouts.” Dessert is always the highlight of my meals and these did not disappoint! That chocolate “dirt” pudding was to DIE for.
PLUS a huge benefit is RIP Dinner Buffet guests receive a Single-Use Fast Track accepted at any of the five Dark Nights haunted houses and a Buy One Get One Hyperdeck Coupon, valid on the new Zombie-themed virtual reality game.
Spirit’s Rooftop Bar at The Chocolatier Restaurant, Bar + Patio
I would recommend The Chocolatier to anyone regardless of the time of year. During Hershey Halloween, you can visit the Spirit’s Rooftop Bar to try delicious themed cocktails. During Dark Nights, you can enjoy this offering starting at 5 p.m. on Fridays and 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Some of the cocktails you can enjoy:
- The Vanishing Act – Vodka, St Germain, Cranberry Juice, Cotton Candy
- Witch’s Potion – Raspberry Vodka, Blue Curacao, Lime Juice
- Death In The Evening – Absinthe, Lemon Juice, Prosecco
Related Post: Is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Worth it?
Best Tips and Tricks for Visiting Hershey Park during Halloween
This September was actually our first visit to Halloween at Hershey. We aren’t sure what took us so long to get out to Hershey, Pennsylvania to enjoy the amazing Halloween offerings! So, that’s why we’ve compiled the best Hersheypark Halloween tips to help you enjoy all the fun too. Even though the event changes from year to year, these tips will definitely be useful for those going this year and beyond!
What are the best Hersheypark Halloween tips?
Visit on a Saturday or Sunday
While Hersheypark is open on Friday nights for Dark Nights, you will get a better bang for your buck if you visit on Saturday or Sunday when the park is open later.
Start at the back of the park for haunted houses
Auntie Mortem’s is a good first house to go through since it is the newest house and is at the back of the park. Guests often stop at the first house they see. We walked into all the houses in the back!
Hersheypark is cashless!
If this is your first Hersheypark visit, the park does NOT accept cash as a form of payment. However, there are five Cash-To-Card kiosks throughout the Park.
Download the Hersheypark app
Not only does the app have all the rides, wait times, dining options, and more, but it also has a Dark Nights map! It will show you where all the houses and scare zones are.
Bring Rain Gear
Even though we aren’t in Florida, there always is a chance of rain. Our Hersheypark Halloween experience was on a rainy day. However, we still had a great time Thankfully, there was no thunder or lightning so we got to experience the rides, scare zones, houses, and more!
Visit in September to save
It’s not a HUGE price difference but if you visit in September, you can save a few bucks on tickets. The prices for Hershey Park in October are about $3-$4 more than in September.
Related Post: Enchanted Forest Amusement Park
Hershey Halloween FAQ
How much does it cost to get into Hershey Park?
Tickets for Hershey Park Halloween range between $49.99 and $62.99 from Sept. 15 through Oct. 29, 2023.
Is Hersheypark Open in October?
Hersheypark is open in October for Halloween fun! You can enjoy family-friendly fun by day and haunts by night at Dark Nights. All Halloween events are included in your Hersheypark ticket.
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