Guide to Hersheypark Halloween (Update 2024)

Halloween at Hersheypark has exciting offerings for the 2024 season. This year Hersheypark Halloween will include family friendly activities, immersive haunt experiences, sweet treats through out the park and the popular Dark Nights are back!

Hersheypark is an amusement park in Hershey, PA. They are open seasonally and have special events during the Halloween and holiday season.

For the 2024 season Hersheypark Halloween will be a combination of family fun events with sweet stops and character glow dance parties, as well as scares and haunted houses with Dark Nights.

Dark Nights is for those looking for big scares at the sweetest place on Earth. Hersheypark Halloween is for kids and adults looking for less scary Halloween fun.

Hersheypark Halloween Dates and Times for 2024

Halloween at Hersheypark will be September 4th -November 3rd 2024. Event hours will be Fridays from 5-10pm. Saturdays 12-10pm and Sundays 12-9pm.

Dark Nights begins at 6pm and extends one hour after park close. This is 11:00pm on Friday and Saturdays. Park will close Sundays at 10:00pm.

Hersheypark Halloween Ticket Pricing

Hersheypark Halloween and Dark Nights are included with the general admission ticket for the 2024 season. Prices start at $52.99 and can be found here.

All tickets include unlimited access to all of your favorite rides as well as all 5 Dark Nights haunted house, 3 scare zones, lights-out rides on Wildcat’s Revenge and over 50 of the Hersheypark attractions.

Hersheypark Halloween Details

Hersheypark Halloween is a family fun seasonal event hosted throughout Hersheypark, Hershey’s Chocolate World, and ZooAmerica. It will feature over 50+ rides and attractions to enjoy alongside Halloween special events.

Guests that enjoy roller coasters can experience lights-out during the last hour of park opening on Wildcat’s Revenge, Candymonium, Comet, and Lightning Racer. Laff-Trakk will be lights out all day long!

The fan favorite, Treatville Trick-or-Treat Trail will include 13 sweet stops at Hershey’s Chocolate World and the Boardwalk at Hersheypark. This is for guests with children 12 and younger.

This trail was always a favorite for us. Featuring fun Halloween décor and photo-ops. Treatville will close at 8:00pm.

Creatures of the Night at ZooAmerica will begin October 13th and will feature a nighttime flashlight tour that is included with your admission to Hersheypark Halloween.

We love meeting the characters dressed up for Halloween and this year guests can enjoy a Hershey Characters Glow Dance Party. This will be in the Music Box Theater area nightly at 8:30pm.

The characters at Hershey are so fantastic and engaging with the kids. Meeting the characters was always a special moment at Hersheypark.

If you child doesn’t like scares don’t worry. There will be a bypass area after 6:00pm to avoid the scarier areas at Dark Nights. As a family we do not like haunted houses or scary things, so I am very glad they are offering a way to avoid the scary stuff.

When you visit expect to walk a lot! There are treat stops at Hershey Chocolate World, Hersheypark, and ZooAmerica. Each place is unique and worth spending your time.

One of the things I really like about the trick or treating at Hersheypark is TreatVille. At Hersheypark they have a designated area to trick or treat.

This allows you to line up once and not miss any of the spots. The people are dressed up and the theme throughout the area is really cute.

Kids are welcome to dress up in Halloween costumes for the Halloween event. When we visited we saw a mix of people dressed up in costume and some not. Keep in mind the weather can get chilly in the evenings.

Dark Nights at Hersheypark Halloween

Dark Nights will be for guests wanting a scare this Halloween at Hersheypark. Featuring 3 scare zones and 5 haunted houses, this will be an incredible experience for those who like the scarier side of Halloween.

The 3 scare zones will be included with general admission to Hersheypark Halloween. Guests must purchase the Dark Nights add-on for access to the Haunted Houses.

Here is a description of the Haunted Houses and Scare Zones from Hersheypark:

• Estate of Evil (New for 2024): Guests wander through a 13 room mansion with live in wait staff. Explore the gardens and game room.
• Auntie Mortem’s Abattoir: Ethel Mortem, known as Auntie to the community, is a second-generation meat processor running the family business with the help of her sinister nieces and nephews. Trucks keep coming to feed the machine, but the bones tell a more sinister story. Farm to table has never been more gruesome when Auntie is planning the menu.
• Haunted Coal Mine: Curse Of The Tommyknockers – It’s not only the past miners that haunt these shafts but the evil Tommyknockers who must protect their gold by any means necessary. You escaped their mines once before, but will you be so lucky this time? The fear doesn’t come from where you’re trapped but who you’re trapped with.
• The Descent: Catacombs Of Decay – The tunnels she once prowled are now hers to dwell in forever. Venture into the catacombs of decay to reveal what secrets remain buried in her past, present and future. But, be careful that you don’t become part of her collection.
• Twisted Carnevil – The darkness of the tent was truly a never-ending carnevil of nightmares. The nightmare continues with venomous twists and turns that will hypnotize some and paralyze others.

Also part of Dark Nights, midways will transform into three Scare Zones each evening.

• Fallout Zone: Rogue radioactive material has begun to emit an eerie green fog. Crews are scrubbing the midway to isolate, contain, and neutralize any threats. You may avoid the fallout, but can you escape the madness from those within? 
• Midway Of Misery: Misery loves company…the Decayed Brigade welcomes new sliders from the underworld with more corners to lurk in and ground to cover. Beware to those who flock to the flames: you never know who (or what) is waiting beyond the arch.
• Darkstone’s Hollow: Ousted from his own show, Darkstone is now caged for all to see and the showmen that hawked his traveling mythical collection now frantically seek shelter from the creatures that have claimed The Hollow as their own.

Preview Plan at Hersheypark Halloween

Guests staying at a Hersheypark Hotel receive early park preview 2.5 hours before close, the day before their visit. Regular guests receive 1.5 hour preview.

When park closes at 9:00pm hotel guests can enter at 6:30pm and regular guests can enter at 7:30pm the day before their visit.

Where to Stay for Hersheypark Halloween

We have stayed at all of the resorts on Hersheypark property. Each one offers a different and unique guest experience. You can read about each one and decide if it is the right choice for you.

• Hershey Lodge Resort
• The Hersheypark Campgrounds
• The Hotel Hershey Review with Kids

Hersheypark resorts offer a shuttle service to and from the park. This is a great perk of staying on-site.

Halloween at Hershey’s Chocolate World

Hersheypark Halloween will include stops at Hershey Chocolate World as part of the Treatville Trail. You can also take a Halloween themed trolley ride and attend a Halloween decorating cookie workshop. Both require guest to purchase tickets.

Tips for Visiting Hersheypark Halloween

• Arrive 15 minutes before opening. You will be required to go through bag check to enter the park. As you enter the park you want to ride the busiest attractions first if possible. Those are Laff Trakk, Reese’s Cupfusion, Wildcat’s Revenge and Candymonium.
• Hersheypark is a huge park. Before you arrive take a look at the attractions and locations on the park map. It will be a big help for you to know which direction you are going as you enter.
• After you ride the busiest attraction take time to do the Trick or Treat trail or Scare Zones. If you are taking advantage of preview day plan to get a lot of the rides done and then do the Halloween activities.
• Treatville Trick or Treat Trail was so impressive. Arrive early to avoid the crowds.
• Purchase tickets online to save money.
• Feel free to dress up. There was a good mix of kids in costumes. Make sure you consider the size of costumes for riding rides.
• If you have a child with food allergies they do offer alternative candies.
• Be sure to check in with your kids about the scare zones. You know your child best about what kind of scares they like.
• Guests can purchase a No-Boo necklace to wear in the scare zones and haunted houses to alert workers that you do not want to be scared. This can help with a kid who is unsure about how brave they will be, or an adult who doesn’t like jump scares.

ZooAmerica during Hersheypark Halloween

During Hersheypark Halloween you can visit ZooAmerica at night starting October 11th. The Creatures of the Night offers a special night time visit to ZooAmerica. It is included with your Hersheypark admission. There are also treat stops and interactive animal exhibits.

Characters at Hersheypark in the Dark

During the event the Hersheypark characters are dressed in costume for Halloween. You can find them at different locations throughout the park. Check the park map to see the locations. Don’t forget to attend the character dance party!

Hersheypark Halloween is a great Halloween event in Hershey, PA. It has something for families of all ages making it a great place to enjoy some spooky, or not so spooky, Halloween fun.

Read Next: Fun Things to Do in Hershey, PA for Families

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