Credit: HersheyparkHersheypark has been part of the Pennsylvania theme park landscape for well over a century, and it earns its reputation year after year with a combination of roller coasters, water rides, and the kind of family-friendly atmosphere that keeps guests coming back across generations. It is not a park that generates a lot of national headlines for the wrong reasons. Which is part of why the past few months have been unusual for Hersheypark, with two significant stories landing in quick succession that both deserve attention from anyone planning a visit.
The first is a farewell. One of the park’s longest-running attractions is closing permanently after Labor Day weekend, and the park itself is giving it a proper send-off. The second is a resolution to a serious incident that occurred in April, one that drew significant law enforcement resources and has now resulted in charges against 55 people, some of them facing felony counts.
Neither story cancels out the other. Hersheypark remains a genuinely enjoyable destination and one of the better regional theme parks in the country. But both stories are worth understanding before your next visit.
Tidal Force Is Closing After 32 Years
Hersheypark announced that Tidal Force, the park’s beloved water ride, will make its final voyage after September 7, 2026. The park made the announcement with the kind of warm tone the attraction deserves after three decades of sending guests down its iconic final drop.
Hersheypark shared the news on X, stating, “When a vessel takes its last voyage, we believe it deserves a proper send-off. After 32 years of making the biggest splashes #Hersheypark has seen, we’ll dock the boats permanently after Sept. 7. “
When a vessel takes its last voyage, we believe it deserves a proper send-off. After 32 years of making the biggest splashes #Hersheypark has seen, we’ll dock the boats permanently after Sept. 7.
Grab tickets to splash this summer: https://t.co/fB4CN7Rs4g pic.twitter.com/o7fU9fkrdz
— Hersheypark (@Hersheypark) June 9, 2026
“When a vessel takes its last voyage, we believe it deserves a proper send-off,” Hersheypark said. “After 32 years of making the biggest splashes Hersheypark has seen, we’ll dock the boats permanently after Sept. 7.”
Tidal Force opened in 1994 and has been a staple of the Hersheypark experience ever since. Water rides of this type occupy a specific and beloved place in theme park history. They are not roller coasters. They are not water park slides. They exist in their own category, building slowly toward a final drop that soaks everyone in the boat without apology. Tidal Force delivered that experience reliably for more than three decades and developed a loyal following among guests who made it a Hersheypark tradition.
No replacement attraction has been announced for the space. The closure does not have a reason officially attached to it beyond the park’s framing of it as the end of a long and well-loved run. What it does have is a defined final weekend. Guests who want to ride Tidal Force one last time have a clear window: anytime before the park closes on September 7.
For families with kids who have grown up riding it, for adults who rode it as children and want to take their own kids before it goes, and for anyone who considers it part of their Hersheypark tradition, Labor Day weekend will be the last opportunity.
55 People Charged After April Fights at Hersheypark
The second story from Hersheypark this year is more serious in nature and took months of investigation to resolve.
On April 3, 2026, multiple fights broke out at Hersheypark involving a large number of minors, per WGAL. The incident disrupted the park and prompted a significant law enforcement response. What followed was a lengthy multi-agency investigation that Derry Township Police announced has now concluded with charges against 55 individuals ranging in age from 12 to 19.
“On April 3, 2026, an incident occurred at Hersheypark involving disorderly and assaultive behavior by numerous youths,” police said in a statement. “Following a lengthy and thorough investigation, a total of 55 individuals have been identified and are being charged with various Misdemeanor and Felony offenses, to include Simple Assault, Conspiracy, Theft, Failure to Disperse, Disorderly Conduct, Aggravated Assault, and Riot, among others.”
Three of the 55 are adults: Omar Ibrahim, 19, of Harrisburg; Jerome Ross III, 18, of Harrisburg; and Quaneek Williams, 18, of Harrisburg. The remaining 52 are juveniles between the ages of 12 and 17.
The investigation involved collaboration between the Derry Township Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Section, Hershey Entertainment and Resorts staff and management, local School Resource Officers, Dauphin County Juvenile Probation, local School Officials, the Dauphin County Violent Crime Unit, and the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office.
Police were clear about what the investigation represents. “This investigation highlights the Derry Township Police Department’s commitment to ensuring the safety and welfare of our residents, workers, and guests. Our Department, including our Criminal Investigation Section, takes these types of public safety issues seriously, investing significant time into cases like this one to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.”
The charges range from misdemeanors to felonies. The range of offenses reflects the serious nature of what occurred on April 3 and the thoroughness of the investigation that followed.
What These Stories Mean for a Hersheypark Visit
The Tidal Force closure is the most time-sensitive. If riding it is part of your Hersheypark experience, your window closes after September 7. A Labor Day weekend visit specifically aimed at getting one last ride on Tidal Force is a genuinely good reason to go. The park tends to be busy on Labor Day weekend, so arriving early and planning your day around the water ride before crowds build is the most practical approach.
The April incident and the subsequent charges are worth understanding in context. Large-scale fights involving this many juveniles at a theme park are not a common occurrence. The breadth of the investigation and the multi-agency coordination that resolved it suggest both the severity of what happened and the commitment of local law enforcement to addressing it. Hersheypark itself cooperated fully with the investigation.
Theme parks of all sizes deal with crowd management and guest behavior challenges, particularly during busy spring and summer periods. What happened at Hersheypark in April resulted in a serious response, and the charges filed against 55 individuals represent accountability for that behavior. Whether additional security or policy changes at the park resulted from the incident has not been publicly announced.
For families planning a Hersheypark visit, the park remains open and operating normally. The April incident has been thoroughly investigated and resolved through the legal system. Standard common sense around crowd awareness and knowing your surroundings at a busy theme park applies, as it does everywhere.
If you are planning a Hersheypark trip before Labor Day and want to make sure Tidal Force is on your itinerary, or if you have questions about what the park experience looks like right now, drop a comment below. We will help you put together the best possible visit before one of the park’s most beloved rides takes its final voyage.
