Hershey Gardens with kids during the holidays | Travel Guide to Hershey, PA

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When you’re driving through the Sweetest Place on Earth, it’s easy to get distracted by the sights of roller coasters beckoning to you off in the distance, lampposts shaped like Hershey’s Kisses lining the streets and images of smiling chocolate bars greeting you as you drive through town. But if you look a little further, perched atop a hill overlooking HersheyPark, you’ll find one of the most beautiful places in the land of chocolate: Hershey Gardens. We stopped in Hershey, PA, on our way to New York City for Thanksgiving and we were all so glad that we made a stop at Hershey Gardens part of our trip.  While I’m sure the 23-acre botanical garden is lovely any time of year, visiting during the holiday season was definitely magical and the perfect morning activity for our family.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. I also received complimentary admission to this attraction. As always, all words and opinions are completely my own. 

Hershey Gardens’ website says that the average visitor spends about 90 minutes walking the grounds of the gardens. I imagine this is true (possibly even an underestimation) when everything is in bloom. We visited on a chilly November day, so while we were still able to spend some time outdoors, we did not explore the entire grounds with the kids (ages 5 and 19 months). Instead, we spent the bulk of our time between the Children’s Garden outside and the Milton & Catherine Hershey Conservatory inside. I’d say that while we did spend about 90 minutes on our visit to Hershey Gardens, we definitely could have stayed for a little bit longer. My recommendation for families with young kids is to plan for spending 1-2 hours here if the weather is decent enough to explore a bit outside. If it’s too cold or rainy, 60-90 minutes should be fine for indoor activities unless you’re doing the holiday craft offered on the weekends.

So what exactly can you expect to do and see when you’re visiting Hershey Gardens with kids during the holiday season? I’m so glad you asked! Here’s a little look at our visit:

The Christmas Tree Showcase

What’s better than a Christmas tree? Why, a room filled with them, of course! Hershey Gardens’ Christmas Tree Showcase has six 8-foot tall trees surrounding a giant 14-foot red and white poinsettia tree. Each of the trees are beautifully decorated by a different local floral designer and has a different theme.

When we checked in at the front desk, we were given two pairs of special glasses to use when we looked at the Christmas trees. These special glasses turn the tree lights into a fun surprise. We were seeing images of snowmen and reindeer all over the place. All four of us had fun taking turns looking through the glasses.

The Christmas Tree Showcase is easily found in the Milton & Catherine Hershey Conservatory and is open daily until December 31.

The Butterfly Atrium

Butterfly atriums are always a huge hit with my kids. Hershey Gardens’ butterfly atrium is open all year long and houses hundreds of tropical and North American butterflies. While I love looking at all the pretty butterflies, I think what I love the most is watching my kids experience the whole thing. Liam always takes the rules seriously and cautiously watches his feet so he doesn’t step on any unsuspecting butterflies. He also stands so patiently – this kid that runs more than he walks – in hopes that one will land on his shoulder. Liam wasn’t lucky enough this time, but it was still fun to watch all the butterflies flying around.

Insider tip: the butterfly atrium is kept around 80 degrees and 70% humidity. Hershey Gardens has a coat rack located conveniently outside the atrium for visitors to store coats and strollers while they explore the Conservatory. I highly recommend ditching your coat so that you can enjoy the butterflies more easily. Strollers are not allowed in this area. 

My personal favorite is always the chrysalis cabinet. It is so beautiful, filled with tons of unique chrysalids. We didn’t get a chance to see any hatch this time, but it’s a really cool thing to watch.

Hershey Gardens has the atrium decorated with lights and ornaments for the holidays too. See? Even the butterflies get to join in on the festivities.

The BugZone is also located inside the butterfly atrium. Liam loves bugs, so it was fun to try and spot each insect inside their glass houses. Some  of the bugs got to enjoy the holiday decorations inside their terrariums too. Note: these bugs rotate on a regular basis, so you never know what kind of buggy friends you’ll meet when you visit.

Insider tip: docents and conservatory staff are typically very knowledgeable about the different species of butterflies as well as the many plants around the butterfly atrium. Feel free to ask any questions you may have to make you’re visit an educational experience. 

I was too busy looking around at the butterflies and keeping an eye on the kids that I failed to notice that Hershey Gardens’ butterfly atrium has a cacao tree. We learned more about it when we visited The Hershey Story Museum, but I plan to take a closer look the next time we visit Hershey Gardens.

The Children’s Garden

Located just outside the conservatory is the Children’s Garden. If you make it all the way to the Education Center, you’ll discover several trees decorated with handmade ornaments from local elementary schools. But there’s also tons to do and see along the way. Liam said that the entrance to the Children’s Garden is just like it’s out of the book The Secret Garden. I think he’s right.

You can take the path through Caterpillar Tunnel, past Kisses Fountain, down Chocolate Lane and all the way to Hoop House. Doesn’t that sound deliciously magical?

Even though Hoop House was pretty bare for the cold weather, we still got a chance to peek in on the fish.

Our favorite thing about the Children’s Garden was all the things to play on and explore along the way. Caleb and Liam pretended to be captain and first mate of their own ship.

We also spent lots of time making up songs on all of the interactive musical toys.

We also had some time for some dancing in the Rose Compass Court.

The boys were cold, so we didn’t get chance to explore the entire Children’s Garden. But since we’re already talking about making a return trip to Hershey, PA, another visit to Hershey Gardens is on our list.

Insider tip: If you’re planning a visit during a warmer month, you can pack your lunch and eat at one of the picnic tables near the front entrance. You can also purchase snacks and beverages from the gift shop.

Other holiday activities

We visited Hershey Gardens on a week day, so we missed the holiday kids craft they offer on the weekends. During the Crafty Christmas Creations, kids can paint a wooden ornament to take home and create a special gift for winter birds. It sounds like such a fun hands-on activity. This craft opportunity takes place from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and is included in admission to Hershey Gardens. Dates include: November 17, 18, 23, 24 and 25; December 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 24 and 26-31; and January 1.

Must-haves for visiting Hershey Gardens with little kids:

A backpack-style diaper bag – this style of diaper bag is our favorite for travel, because it helps keep all the necessary baby essentials with us wherever we go, but can be kept out of the way and is comfortable to carry.

Sippy cup or water bottle – Depending on how long you want to spend at Hershey Gardens, you’ll likely do a lot of walking. Drinking fountains are located inside the main building, but having a sippy cup or water bottle in your bag will help keep your little one hydrated while exploring the gardens outside.

Ergonomic baby carrier – Our family loves baby wearing, especially when we travel. This makes it easy to go back and forth between carrying around babies and toddlers when they’re tired and letting them down to run around. A comfortable baby carrier is a must when we travel. This one is our favorite. You can also read more from this post.

Lightweight stroller – I wouldn’t normally recommend bringing a stroller to a place like this. Our botanical gardens here in Columbus has a lot of stairs, so a stroller can sometimes be a little more of a hassle than it is helpful. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Hershey Gardens is significantly more accessible and has very few stairs. If you prefer the convenience of a stroller, this one would be perfect for navigating all the themed gardens.

As you can see, there’s still so much to do and see at Hershey Gardens with little kids during the holidays. We had so much fun and can’t wait to visit again!