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Things to do in Harrisburg

Ask this member a question. tripod-visor
14 Apr 2006
3.5 of 5 stars based on 4 votes
Must-see things to get the "Harrisburg experience". Except for Hershey Park, for which you'll want to devote an entire day or more, these are good part-day jaunts that might make up a weekend in the Harrisburg/Hershey area.
  • Explore locations featured in this Traveler List: Hershey, Harrisburg
  • Category: Perfect weekend
  • Traveler type: Culture, Sightseeing, Never been before, Sports buffs, Theater
  • Appeals to: Singles, Families with small children, Families with teenagers, Large groups, Seniors, Budget travellers , Tourists
  • Seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer
  • Tags: Harrisburg, Hershey, attractions, things to do
1. Hershey Park
Hershey Park, Hershey, Pennsylvania
As one of the most popular amusement parks in the Northeast, this is the biggest tourist attraction in the Harrisburg area. It is open in the summer and the Christmas holiday season.
2. Hershey's Chocolate World
Hershey's Chocolate World, Hershey, Pennsylvania
This museum of chocolate, located on the same grounds as Hershey Park, offers a proxy tour of the Hershey Chocolate Factory. Families ride carriages on a roughly 30-minute tour through all stages of chocolate production, from bean harvesting to the final product. Visitors get free samples at the end, and at the visitors' center very fresh Hershey's candy can be purchased. Open year-round, and admission is free.
3. Pennsylvania State Capitol
Pennsylvania State Capitol, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
If you're heading into downtown Harrisburg, this alone will make the trip worthwhile. This state capitol building appears similar to the nation's capitol at first glance, but its design has a strong Italian Renaissance influence. The interior, particularly the rotunda, is a fine example of tasteful, beautiful architecture. Admission is free.
4. The Forum
http://www.harrisburgsymphony.org/page.cfm?pag=366
This is the Harrisburg area's best-kept secret -- not many out-of-towners have heard of it and it's not even listed on TripAdvisor (the State Library of Pennsylvania is the closest listing -- it's in the same building, The Forum Building).

The Forum is a beautiful auditorium with unique decorations and fine acoustics. It hosts many civic events and is the home of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. One of the interesting features is the night sky portrayed on the ceiling (see the heading "Architectural Features" in the link above). Unfortunately, the Forum is not usually open to the general public except for civic events, but why not visit on a symphony night?
5. Hershey Gardens
Hershey Gardens, Hershey, Pennsylvania
These gardens are located on the Hotel Hershey grounds (it's worth a drive around the exterior of the grounds if you're not staying at the hotel, just to take in the property's architecture). The rose garden (275 varieties, totalling 7000 roses), seasonal display garden (especially the tulips: 30,000 in 100 varieties) and the Butterfly House are popular areas.
6. State Museum of Pennsylvania
State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
The official state museum of Pennsylvania. Has a variety of collections, with an emphasis on items related to the history of Pennsylvania.
7. Railroad yards and Bethlehem Steel
http://www.thebluecomet.com/pcenola.html
If you're a history and/or railroad buff, you'll want to check out several reminders of Harrisburg's past as a transportation hub. The Enola railyard, across the river from northern Harrisburg, was at one point "the largest rail freight classification yard in the U.S." [source: Norfolk Southern Corp.]. At least two other large railyards remain, one across the river from Enola and one in Swatara Township, east of Harrisburg. These served the former Pennsylvania and Reading railroads. The Rockville Bridge, spanning the Susquehanna just north of the Enola yard, is claimed to be "the longest stone arch railroad bridge in the world" [source: Wikipedia].

Of related interest is the former Bethlehem Steel plant in Steelton, just south of Harrisburg. A drive along state route 230 will reveal the size of this plant (it stretches for miles), which "was the first steel mill in the United States built specifically to make railroad rails" [source: PRRT&HS Home Page]. Nowadays its output and personnel are greatly scaled back from its heydey.
8. The Giant Center, Hershey
http://www.hersheypa.com/events/giant_center/index.asp
This entertainment center is the home of the Hershey Bears AHL hockey team. Because it is also the highest capacity enclosed arena in the Harrisburg area, many concerts and shows are held there.
9. ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park
ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park, Hershey, Pennsylvania
ZooAmerica is an accredited zoo with more than 200 animals, adjacent to HersheyPark. Admission is $8 for most ages, and free for HersheyPark visitors. It is open year-round except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
10. National Civil War Museum
National Civil War Museum, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
This is a fairly new museum, so I haven't been there; for this reason I'm not ranking it higher on this list, but I have heard positive things about this museum. Gettysburg, PA is a short drive south from Harrisburg, and there are several other sites of Civil War interest scattered throughout the south-central Pennsylvania area.
11. Harrisburg Attractions
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Want more ideas? This is TripAdvisor's list of attractions in Harrisburg.
12. Hershey Attractions
Hershey, Pennsylvania
And here is a link to additional Hershey attractions, as listed on TripAdvisor.
Explore locations featured in this Traveler List: Hershey, Harrisburg