Best time to visit Hersheypark
Hersheypark is quietest in September, October, averaging around 20% crowd levels in September. Monday is typically the calmest day of the week, at about 5%. Avoid October and September - October peaks near 32%.
Quietest month to visit
Averages 20% crowd level across 10 recorded days, 12 points below October. The busiest is October at 32%.
Open the September 2027 calendarQuietest months to visit Hersheypark
Crowd level by month
20 recorded days · % crowd level - how full the park was: queue length on one scale (50% is about a 17-minute queue) or, where it sells dated tickets, the share of capacity sold
September averages 20% crowd level at Hersheypark - quieter - from 10 recorded days. That is 6 points below the typical month.
Open the September 2027 calendarHersheypark season by season
Which season to visit
Quietest is September to November at 26%
Spring. Hersheypark has too few recorded operating days from March to May to rank the season honestly - usually a closed or reduced-hours period.
Summer. Hersheypark has too few recorded operating days from June to August to rank the season honestly - usually a closed or reduced-hours period.
Autumn. September to November averages 26% crowd level at Hersheypark, from 20 recorded days. Within it, September is the calmest at 20% and October the busiest at 32%.
Winter. Hersheypark has too few recorded operating days from December to February to rank the season honestly - usually a closed or reduced-hours period.
Quietest day of the week at Hersheypark
Crowd level by day of the week
Averaged across 20 recorded days
- Mon5%Quietest day of the week here
- Tue25%
- Wed26%
- Thu25%
- Fri10%
- Sat67%
- Sun17%
Monday is the calmest day at Hersheypark, averaging 5% against 67% on Saturday. Weekdays run 29 points below weekends.
Best time of day to arrive at Hersheypark
Average wait by hour
Park-wide, across the last 10 operating days · minutes
The park-wide average is 9 minutes at 12pm, peaking at 22 minutes around 4pm and easing to 9 minutes by 12pm. Walking in at opening rather than at the peak is worth about 13 minutes on every queue you join, across every tracked ride.
How the Hersheypark crowd figures are worked out
Every figure on this page comes from queue times recorded at Hersheypark itself, sampled every few minutes across every ride the park publishes and stored day by day. A day's crowd score is that day's average wait expressed against this park's own busiest recorded day, so 100% means "as bad as it gets here" rather than "as bad as it gets anywhere" - a quiet day at a small park and a quiet day at Hersheypark are not the same number of minutes, and scoring each park against itself is the only way the months stay comparable. In plain minutes, the park-wide average across the last 10 operating days runs from 9 minutes at its calmest hour to 22 minutes at 4pm. Months with fewer than 10 recorded operating days are left unranked rather than averaged from a handful of days, and holidays, school terms and weather are all part of the model.
We publish how well those forecasts actually hold up: the crowd forecast accuracy ledger scores every past prediction against what the queues did on the day, versioned so you can see whether the model is getting better or worse. If you are choosing between parks rather than dates, the best time to visit a theme park guide covers the seasonal patterns that hold across every park we track, and the Hersheypark crowd calendar gives you a day-by-day forecast for the specific dates you are considering. Always check the park's own site for opening hours and closures before travelling.
Frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Hersheypark?
Weekdays in term-time are usually the quietest at Hersheypark, with midweek (Tuesday-Thursday) typically calmer than weekends and school holidays. Arrive at opening to beat the longest queues.
What are the quietest days at Hersheypark?
Midweek days outside school holidays are normally the quietest. Saturdays, Sundays and holiday periods see the biggest crowds.
Is Hersheypark busy today?
Crowd levels change daily. See Hersheypark's live crowd calendar for a day-by-day forecast and today's expected crowd level.
When does Hersheypark get busiest?
Weekends, school holidays and major event days (e.g. public holidays and school breaks and seasonal events) are the busiest. Crowds also peak in the middle of the day.
What time should I arrive at Hersheypark?
Be at the gates for opening. The park-wide average is 9 minutes a ride at 12pm, rising to 22 minutes around 4pm - so arriving at opening rather than at the peak saves roughly 13 minutes on every queue you join.
How long are the queues at Hersheypark?
Across the last 10 recorded operating days, the park-wide average has run between 9 and 22 minutes a ride depending on the hour. Individual headline rides queue considerably longer than the park-wide average.
Is it worth visiting Hersheypark midweek?
Yes. Monday to Friday averages 16% crowd level at Hersheypark against 45% at weekends - 29 points quieter - so a midweek day in term time is the single biggest saving available.