Photo Credit: Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company
Hershey Sweet Lights®, presented by PPL Electric Utilities, is a two mile drive-through light display that lets your family stay warm and toasty in the car while the holiday magic happens outside your windows. You will wind through wooded trails and open fields filled with nearly 600 animated light displays, themed scenes, lasers, and glowing tunnels that feel like you are driving straight into a Christmas storybook.
Admission is charged per vehicle and is separate from Hersheypark Christmas Candylane. Prices start around $29.99 when purchased online before 5 pm, with higher rates at the gate. Hershey Sweet Lights is a cashless venue. Buy tickets at the official Sweet Lights page .
Season Pass Holders can also find limited date discounts inside their Season Pass Portal.
Location
Hershey Sweet Lights is located just a few minutes from Hersheypark at 1183 Sandbeach Road, Hershey, PA. Follow the signs along Sand Beach Road and Boathouse Road to the entrance.
What You Will See
Photo Credit: Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company
The experience begins with uniquely Hershey displays and a festive arrival scene. Do not miss the Kissmas TREEts collectible container filled with layered treats like caramel corn, chocolate covered pretzels, savory pretzel mix, and fudge.
After the archway, the field of Hersheypark ride tributes begins. You will spot Jolly Rancher Remix, Storm Runner, Comet, Wildcat’s Revenge, plus the Ferris Wheel, Carrousel, Kissing Tower, and the new Twizzlers Twisted Gravity display.
Photo Credit: Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company
Photo Credit: Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company
The Hershey Bears display flashes the famous “B E A R S” chant, and the classic 12 Days of Christmas scene awaits just ahead of the forest.
Photo Credit: Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company
Inside the woods, the Victorian Village glows with brand new uplighting that shifts colors. Then comes the breathtaking Northern Lights region filled with fog and lasers that dance through the trees.
Photo Credit: Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company
The Candy Cane Forest finale features up lit trees, spotlights, and laser effects for a show stopping ending.
Business Review
Macaroni KID Review: Hershey Sweet Lights With Kids
Let us talk about Hershey Sweet Lights with a van full of children. Our crew had Raina (baby), River (4), Ridley (6), Rhys (8), and Roland (11) packed in like excited little elves, and it honestly felt like we were driving through the inside of their Christmas daydreams. By the time we reached the first big field of lights, there was a full scale backseat commentary track happening.
Roland, now that he has conquered basically every coaster in Hersheypark, absolutely lost his mind at the coaster section near the front. He started rattling off roller coaster facts like a tour guide. “That is Wildcat's Revenge. That is Jolly Rancher Remix. Mom, did you know…” and so on. Meanwhile, Rhys claimed the 12 Days of Christmas as his personal Super Bowl. He loves counting each verse as we pass, and loudly reminds everyone that “five golden rings” is the only correct volume for that part.
River and Ridley love hunting for stories in the Enchanted Forest. They take turns spotting scenes and trying to figure out what tale the lights are telling. Raina is still in the baby stage of life, but she thought the flashing tunnels, lasers, and glowing trees were the peak of human achievement. Everyone agreed that the newer 2024 upgrades are incredible.
Personal Photo
The Victorian Village hits different now that it has so much new uplighting. The colors shifting across the buildings and trees make the whole scene feel like you are creeping through a cozy storybook town at midnight. The Northern Lights inspired Candy Cane Forest finale with lasers and fog is a full jaw drop moment, especially when you see it glowing from the top of the hill before driving down through it. It ties it all together with up lit trees, spotlights, and lasers that bounce off the mist in the air. Last year we went on a slightly rainy night, and the way the light reflected off the wet road and fog made the end of the route feel like a movie set.
Overall, Sweet Lights is one of our favorite “low effort for parents, high payoff for kids” holiday outings. You sit in your warm car, consume snacks, listen to holiday music, and let the lights do the heavy lifting. Zero lost mittens. Zero wet socks. Maximum wow factor.
Pro Tips For Parents
- Stop at the portable restrooms near the entrance before you get in line. Let the little ones stretch their legs and reset before everyone is buckled in for the drive. If you've got rear facers, this is your opportunity to let them hop in a lap.
- Buy your Sweet Lights ticket online before 5:00 pm on the day of your visit for better pricing and faster entry. Download the ticket to your Apple or Google Wallet in case cell service is spotty at the gate.
- Consider a misty or lightly rainy night. Crowds can be lighter, and the moisture in the air makes the lasers and Candy Cane Forest lights look extra dramatic.
- Dress the kids in cozy pajamas, pack blankets, and bring a stash of snacks and water. It turns the whole thing into a “car campout” that feels special with very little extra work.
- Decide ahead of time if you want to use the Hersheypark app music or your own playlist.
- If your kids are collectors, pre purchase the Kissmas TREEts collectible when you buy tickets. It comes loaded with treats, and the chocolate covered pretzels were the runaway favorite in our car.
- Plan your Sweet Lights night separately from a full Hersheypark day. Since it is a different ticket from Christmas Candylane, it is nice to make it its own relaxed outing instead of squeezing both into one tired evening.
- Spring for the extra glasses if you have more than two children. I know they will not use them. I know. But I can guarantee they will STILL fight over them. Ask me how I know. Do not be me.
If you are looking for a holiday tradition that works for multiple ages, looks amazing in photos, and does not require anyone to wear real pants, Hershey Sweet Lights is a solid pick. Our kids talk about it all year and always want to know which night we are going back.
