Things to Do in Hershey

Milton S. Hershey, founder of the Hershey chocolate dynasty, gave the world more than just his signature bars of sweet, rich chocolate. He also built the town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, and laid the foundations for its future, providing public education for residents and preserving collections of Native American and Pennsylvania German artifacts.

Visitors to The Hershey Story, The Museum on Chocolate Avenue learn about Hershey's entire legacy, perusing exhibits such as Failures to Fortunes, which details his impoverished childhood and later success, and Sweet Innovations, which showcases his creative chocolate-making practices, such as his unique approach to milk chocolate. Guests can make truffles and other confections to feed their pet chocolate bunnies during the hands-on Chocolate Lab, or they can stop by Café Zooka to taste flights of drinking chocolates sourced from Africa, Indonesia, and other locations around the world.

For 35 years and counting, artists Charles and Susie Andrews have helmed a gallery displaying the work of Pennsylvania artists alongside nationally recognized artists from across the country. In addition to curating an art space, the staff also specializes in custom framing and fastidious photo-restoration services to help customers adorn their homes and offices with art and archival-quality framing. Their restorers retouch art and photos with dedicated attention to detail, breathing new life into sepia-toned relics by repairing damage such as mold spots, water damage, cracks, discoloration, or shattered monocles. Their artistic eyes especially come in handy when restoring compositional problems such as redeye, underexposure, or awkward backlighting. In addition to the finished piece, clients also receive photo documentation of any work done.

Inside the new digs of Glazed to Perfection, visitors get to indulge in a variety of artistic endeavors, no matter their experience level. The paint-your-own-pottery area beckons participants to select from 200 bisque pieces such as vases, platters, and teapots that they can decorate with pictures and texts of their choosing. Students can even make their own pieces using a pottery wheel in a variety of classes. Glass fusing allows artists to meld disparate pieces of glass together to form inimitable designs or crystal balls that don’t work, and Tiny Hands crafts invites youngsters aged 2–6 to delve into creative projects they can share with their families.

Although tape and video media were once the mainstays of recording technology, repeated usage will gradually deteriorate their quality. The team at Advanced Video Systems has stymied that deterioration by digitizing Super 8, 16mm, audio, and other media into wear-proof CDs and DVDs for more than three decades. In addition to preserving precious memories, the staff also restores the color and contrast to faded and foggy images, slides, and vinyl records.

The Taste of Pikesville brings together more than 30 of the area's assorted eateries, whisking guests on a culinary voyage to Latin America, Asia, the United States with savory and sweet fare. Pairs can wander the room making conversation as they nibble on bite-size portions of samples such as charred steaks and chops made famous by Ruth's Chris Steak House or simmering Peruvian-style chicken or Cuban-inspired meat dishes from Mari Luna Latin Grille. Area enophiles from Boordy Vineyards showcase wines that may include bottlings from their Landmark Series, sourced from 100% Maryland-grown grapes. Sweet treats will also be on hand, such as red velvet cakes and fruity rainbow cupcakes from Many Mini Cakes. Dessert bites can be paired with a brewed cup of locally roasted or organic coffee poured by Coffee with T.

A portion of the evening’s proceeds benefit the Baltimore County Police Community Relations Councils (PCRC). The councils harbor an open forum between the police and the community, a dialogue that occasionally leads to ride-along programs that allow community members to ride along in police cars and turn on the siren any time they witness a squirrel jaywalking.

The shores of the Juniata River abound with lofty trees and verdant plants, creating a scenic backdrop for Juanita River Adventures's aquatic excursions. The family-owned-and-operated company saddles guests into quality and clean tubes, canoes, and kayaks while pointing them toward scenic routes, plentiful fishing holes, and cozy campsites. Staff at their headquarters lease fishing rods and tackle, while their campgrounds speckle with picnic tables, horseshoe pits, and a beach-volleyball court. Throughout the trip, guests have the chance to witness diverse wildlife— such as bald eagles, smallmouth bass, and tech-startup employees on wilderness team-building retreats—in its natural habitat.