The museum is a cool place and has cool stuff it's fun to look at the stuff yelp is making me have…read more85 characters 5 stars

When I saw on social media that the Pennsylvania State Museum was offering Pay As You Wish…read moreadmission throughout July in celebration of America's 250th birthday, I figured it was the perfect excuse to revisit a place I hadn't been in...about 23 years. I vividly remembered visiting as a kid, especially the planetarium, and since the museum is scheduled to close for major renovations beginning in August, it felt like the right time to see it one last time before the transformation. Normally, adult admission is only $6, but during July visitors could choose what they wanted to pay. My choice? $0. Thank you very much! I arrived around 1:30pm on a Saturday afternoon and easily found parking right outside the museum. The weather was beautiful, so I expected most people were outside enjoying the sunshine rather than spending the afternoon indoors. That worked out well for me because the museum never felt crowded, making it easy to explore at my own pace. At the admissions desk, the employee explained that only the second and third floors were open and that the planetarium had already closed in preparation for the upcoming renovations. I'll admit...that was a bit of a bummer. The planetarium was one of the things I remembered most vividly from childhood, and I had been looking forward to experiencing it again. But...you get what you pay for. And in this case, I paid exactly zero dollars. I spent about an hour and a half wandering through the exhibits, and while I enjoyed taking my time, I found myself a little underwhelmed. The highlight of the visit was, without question, standing beneath the towering 18-foot William Penn statue once again. Seeing it as a forty-something adult immediately brought back memories of seeing it as a kid, and that little wave of nostalgia alone made me smile. My biggest disappointment, though, was the number of replica artifacts throughout the museum. I understand that replicas certainly have a place, especially when preserving fragile originals, but I found myself wishing there were more authentic historical objects on display. For me, that's part of what makes museums special. I can see photos and reproductions online. Standing in front of something that actually witnessed Pennsylvania's history is an entirely different experience. I'm not sure whether many of the original artifacts have already been removed because of the upcoming renovations or whether this has always been the museum's approach. Either way, it wasn't what I expected. I also noticed that several exhibit areas were extremely dark, making it difficult to read some of the informational panels. I'm not sure whether that was intentional or simply part of preparing the museum for renovation, but it definitely affected the experience. Overall, I'm glad I went. I satisfied my curiosity. I revisited a piece of my childhood. And I was reminded that Pennsylvania has a fascinating story to tell. That said, I probably don't need to visit again until the renovations are complete...maybe. I'm genuinely hopeful the upcoming improvements will better showcase the history, innovation, creativity and natural beauty of the Keystone State. As a lifelong Pennsylvanian, I'd love to see our state museum become the kind of place that leaves visitors walking out saying, "Wow...I had no idea." When it reopens, I'll consider giving it another chance. Maybe. If they bring back another Pay As You Wish promotion? There would be a stronger chance I'd check it out again.

It's a great gem of a museum. There's lots to see and learn about American history. If you're…read moreinterested in American history, I highly recommend this museum.

Really well laid out museum, with amazing artifacts. Definitely worth the trip. We appreciated the…read morefamily deal as a family of 5 with 2 adults and 3 students that saved us a little on admission. The museum itself is beautiful, clean, well maintained and we practically had the place to ourselves which was really neat and also a little creepy sometimes lol There was definitely moments that were heavy to soak in especially at the beginning of the exhibits. They are portraying moments in our history to put things into perspective, the mindset to understand the times so that you can experience the rest of the chronological exhibits. Overall, highly recommend especially for middle school aged and up and especially if you plan to also visit Gettysburg.

Place is big and clean on the out side was closed day I stoped.next time I am in town I will try…read moreagain but looked interesting on the out side building

The museum is staffed by friendly volunteers, many of whom are former firefighters, who are…read moreknowledgeable and eager to teach. The museum itself includes original artifacts, replicas, and live demonstrations. It is compact and can be easily toured in 1-2 hours.

A hidden gem. National Geographic, or some other widely distributed magazine, should do a story on…read morethis treasure. It has something racing related for everyone. Indy, Board Racing tracks, motorcycles, dirt track, drags, etc... I grew up in this area going to Lincoln Speedway and York US 30 Dragway(which I still miss) primarily. The museum features items from Ohio, NY, NJ, not just PA. It also has displays from the Altoona, Reading, Williams Grove, Selinsgrove, etc...which are regional. Go and leave them a nice donation to keep the flames of racing burning.

This was such a gem. We had no knowledge of this museum until we saw their racer off the highway…read more On the way back home we stopped by and I'm glad we did. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. The museum is amazing . Full of everything we could imagine. This is a must go.

The additional cocoa tasting offered here is what bumps my rating up to 5 stars. You get six…read morewell-sized samples sourced from around the world that shows the variety in flavor and helps you appreciate the blending process that goes into a chocolate. I whole-heartedly recommend the tasting either before or after the tour itself. The tour features what you would expect about the Hershey family and the company itself. I appreciated the treasure hunt sprinkled in for the kids to keep their interest. BTW, admission is free if you stay in the Hershey hotels, so keep that in mind when planning your trip.

This is a nice stop to make while you're here in Hershey! I wouldn't add extra time to my trip to…read morecome here, but it's great if you already have the time. The museum is nice but I enjoyed the additional experiences more. The museum cost me $16 and has some cool information about Milton Hershey's life. It has a few historical items, like Hershey's crib and his White Star ticket receipt. There are a few interactive exhibits that I think would keep a kid's attention. It mostly summarizes Hershey's time and his impact in the town he created. If I had limited time I would skip the museum and do the extra activities instead. The drinking chocolate tasting feels like a secret and was so fun! It cost me $13 and it comes with six different drinking chocolates from around the world. It's fun and delicious to try them all! I also did an experience in the Chocolate Lab. It cost $16 (although I got a combo museum- Chocolate Lab ticket for $28). You sit with your group at different tables and wear an apron and a hair net. You make a small chocolate item- we just poured chocolate into a mold and added sprinkles. Then the hosts give a great educational talk about how chocolate is made and answers questions. It's very informative and for the price I thought it was a steal! If you come, I would evaluate all of the options and don't feel like you have to do them all. However, for the prices any of them are a good value.

A delightful store with a mix of art and jewelry for sale. They have events through the year…read moreshowcasing local artists. I love Blackbird Designs' nature inspired jewelry and they have a great selection. Everyone is so friendly and we even met a tortoise!

A wonderful space for artists and those who support artists! Monthly exhibits that feature…read morecommunity artists, providing ample opportunities for well-seasoned artists as well as those new to the scene. The gallery owner (and her "co-owner" Angel the tortoise) is a sweet women who you'll instantly fall in love with! If you're more into buying art than making it, you'll find a well-curated, multi-discipline/media pieces at every price point. HIVE artspace is an asset to York, PA and its surrounding communities without question!

Have been several times to the toy train show by the Tca love it. A really unique place also has…read morethe antique truck show there I have the book on it.

My family and I have been driving to the fair from Maryland for years. Since the drive is about 45…read moreminutes, we pack chairs, tables, food and we tailgate. Again, a tradition we have had for years and one we participated in, in 2021. This year, however, was different. We were told that tailgating was no longer allowed. The fair had specialized depending on the type of vehicle you were in, so our family couldn't even park together. Luckily, one of the fair workers who remembered us from previous years, find a spot for us to park near the RVs. But the "fair police" who were riding around on golf carts continued to monitor us and tell us what we were allowed to do and what we weren't. Some other parking attendant verbally assaulted my sister, yelling at her to "move the hell out of the way" because she was confused about the parking situation. Needlessly to say, after over 30 years of attending this fair, my family and I will not be returning. While the kids still thoroughly enjoyed themselves, all the new rules and regulations and the unfriendly staff isn't worth the trouble. Very unfortunate.

My pictures are a mixture of new photos (butterfly exhibit) and old ones (that I apparently never…read moreposted from when my son was 13 and interviewed at the MHS he's now 17 and graduating high school this year lol). The butterfly exhibit alone was worth the repeat visit. The grounds are calming and the view of the amusement park from the gardens is spectacular.

Ok, now I have been to Hershey Gardens both in the winter and when, you know, there are actually…read moreliving plants. As expected, the gardens are beautiful and meticulously well kept. In the middle of all the beauty is a fairly robust play area for the little ones, including a big fake cacao tree! We had a hard time convincing the kids to leave. If you are heading here without kids, then my all means please enjoy a relaxing stroll through the grounds. Years from now I may join you! Also, the butterfly room is worth visiting every time.