Living

A popular Hersheypark ride will close after 32 years

By Mickayla Miller, LNP, Lancaster, Pa. The Tribune Content Agency

June 9, 2026 7:08 PM

The Tidal Force ride at Hersheypark will close in September after a 32-year run.

Hersheypark announced on its website that Tidal Force, a ride that goes around 50 miles per hour and plummets riders from more than 100 feet into water, will close on Monday, Sept. 7.

"When a vessel takes its last voyage, we believe it deserves a proper send-off," the Hersheypark website post says. "After 32 years of making the biggest splashes Hersheypark has seen, the final tide goes out on Tidal Force at the end of the 2026 summer season."

Visitors can stand near the ride's drop so that they get splashed when the ride reaches the bottom.

Amanda Polyak, public relations manager with Hersheypark, did not give a reason via email on Tuesday why the ride is closing, or what will replace it.

"Hersheypark is always planning and exploring ways to enhance the guest experience," Polyak says in an email to LNP|LancasterOnline. "We will share any future plans when appropriate."