7 Ways To Celebrate Memorial Day Weekend 2026 In Hershey, PA

Date: May 4, 2026

It's almost time for the unofficial start of summer! There's no better place to spend Memorial Day Weekend than in The Sweetest Place On Earth where you'll find the sweetest coaster thrills, epic water park splashes, unique dining experiences and so much more. Check out our guide to plan your extended weekend in Hershey, Pa.

Thrills In All Sizes at Hersheypark: Open Daily Starting May 21

Kick off your summer at the largest amusement park in Pennsylvania! Hersheypark is open for daily operations beginning May 21 and offers summer fun for guests of all ages and thrill levels. As part of a lineup of over 70 rides and attractions, guests can enjoy the largest coaster collection in the Northeast with 15 mild-to-wild roller coasters, more than 20 kid-friendly rides and a larger-than-life water park. 

Hersheypark tickets include three parks in one: a 121-acre amusement park with iconic thrills, an 11-acre water park with one million gallons of water and ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park featuring animals native to our continent. Hersheypark guests can only access the Zoo from the bridge inside Hersheypark during posted Park hours. 

Great ticket deals are available online now, including the return of the Summer Fun Card, which features unlimited visits from the date of purchase through Sept. 7, for just $99 plus taxes and fees.

Cool Down With Two New Water Play Areas at The Boardwalk: Opens May 23

Memorial Day Weekend means it's time to make a splash. The Boardwalk At Hersheypark water park is open daily starting on May 23!

Guests can enjoy two all-new water play areas, boasting 45 aquatic elements within the existing Bayside Pier. A new shade-filled play zone, The Inlet at Bayside Pier, will feature water-spouting dolphins and fish, and whimsical water spray features. Also new, The Island at Bayside Pier will debut towering 10-foot-tall palm trees that tip buckets of refreshing water. Both new areas will feature rubberized decking for additional guest comfort, allowing guests to sit and splash under shaded canopies. The new open design will also allow families to seamlessly flow between other water attractions and cool off faster with access to the abundant water features. 

The Boardwalk features water thrills for everyone - with thrill-seekers able to enjoy racing slides on Whitecap Racer and swishing through the high-speed tunnels of Breaker’s Edge Water Coaster, while others can soak up 1,360 feet of sweet, tubular relaxation on the Intercoastal Waterway lazy river. The East Coast Waterworks attraction provides splashing fun for all ages, complete with nearly 600 interactive water toys, seven slides, two crawl tunnels and a 1,000-gallon tipping bucket!

The Boardwalk At Hersheypark is open daily from May 23 through Sept. 7, weather permitting.

See a Fantastic Fireworks Display

Guests visiting Hersheypark on Saturday, May 23, can enjoy a special fireworks display presented by HERSHEY'S. Fireworks are free to view from the area, but guests looking to upgrade their viewing experience can visit Fireworks From The Shore. This watch party includes an unlimited buffet of sweet treats, including ice cream novelties, fountain beverages and a cash bar while watching the fireworks from an exclusive area at The Shore located inside The Boardwalk At Hersheypark. Tickets are $24.99 per person. Discounts do not apply.

Find a New Favorite Flavor

There are so many different menus to explore with 15 unique dining locations throughout Hershey, Pa. 

Conveniently located in Hershey's Chocolatetown, The Chocolatier Restaurant, Bar and Patio is the perfect dining spot for families and guests visiting Hersheypark over the long weekend. Guests can sink their teeth into two Ferris Wheel Sampler variations featuring appetizers and desserts, refreshed shareables, new handhelds and more on the all-new seasonal menu.

Don't forget to try the all-new Hershey Social Restaurant + Bar located near the intersection of Cocoa and Chocolate Avenue. This full-service restaurant offers iconic smash burgers, wings with signature Hershey's sauces and more, along with 19 TVs throughout and a state-of-the-art darts experience.

Our Resort properties also offer one-of-a-kind dining experiences, from delicious breakfast options at Stacks at Hershey Lodge or an elevated pub menu at 1933 Restaurant & Tavern inside The Hotel Hershey. No matter where you choose to dine throughout The Sweetest Place On Earth, restaurant reservations are highly recommended and can be made online.

Stay at a Hershey Resort: Outdoor Pools Are Open

A great way to feel refreshed at The Official Resorts of Hersheypark, outdoor pools at The Hotel Hershey, Hershey Lodge and Hersheypark Camping Resort are officially open for the season (weather permitting) Memorial Day Weekend. 

Guests of The Hotel Hershey can enjoy a family pool with zero-grade entry, two large slides and a kiddie spray deck, as well as an infinity-edge adult pool and whirlpool. Campers at Hersheypark Camping Resort can cool off in two swimming pools and a kiddie pool. Hershey Lodge guests can make a splash at a zero-entry outdoor pool or a sweet indoor pool complex, Hershey’s Water Works, complete with Twizzlers Twists water slides, a Reese’s Water Walk, sand castle spray zone, lighthouse tipping bucket and more. 

The latest addition to The Official Resorts of Hersheypark, Hershey Inn & Suites, also features an indoor pool available year-round as part of its thoughtful amenities that combine modern convenience with iconic Hershey hospitality.

Do you still need to book your stay? Save now with sweet packages, like the Kids Stay, Play and Eat Free and Summer Fun Packages at The Hotel Hershey, Hershey Lodge and Hershey Inn & Suites or the Hersheypark Summer Camping Package at Hersheypark Camping Resort. Resort guests receive FREE Resort Benefits included with their stay, like front gate shuttle service to an exclusive resort drop-off location just steps away from Hersheypark and bonus Park hours with Preview Plan.

See A Live Show at GIANT Center

Multi-platinum global superstar Khalid has announced his highly anticipated return to the stage with the “It’s Always Summer Somewhere Tour,” including a show at GIANT Center on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. with special guest Lauv. Since breaking through with his 2017 debut album “American Teen,” featuring the global hits “Location” and “Young Dumb & Broke,” Khalid has become one of contemporary music’s most authentic artists.

Activities Around Town

Visitors of Hershey, Pa., can unwrap their chocolate adventure with a stop at Hershey's Chocolate World, open daily this summer. Fun for the whole family, guests can take a free chocolate tour ride to see how cocoa beans become world-famous Hershey's Chocolate, or take home a sweet souvenir by shopping for endless varieties of chocolate and limited-edition treats. Additional paid attraction experiences—including the opportunity to make your own candy bar, theatrical experiences and a trolley tour of downtown Hershey—are also offered.

Every Saturday in May, guests of Hershey Gardens can take an hour-long guided tour with Dr. Ray Barbehenn, a biologist with expertise in plant ecology. Visitors can experience the beauty of the displays at the tropical Butterfly Atrium, open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Don’t forget to head downtown to The Hershey Story Museum for Hershey’s sweetest hands-on activity, the Chocolate Lab, inviting guests to try their hand at chocolate pouring and decorating. A special Yankee Doodle Chocolate Bar class will be offered over Memorial Day Weekend, where you can mold a milk chocolate bar and top it off with red, white and blue candy sprinkles to create an edible American flag. Lab tickets are limited and cannot be purchased online. Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis and must be purchased at the museum’s admissions desk for the current day only. Please note that children must be five or older to enter the Chocolate Lab. 

Will you be joining us for the Memorial Day Weekend festivities? While you’re enjoying the unofficial start of summer, don’t forget to tag us in your photos on social media using #HersheyPA!