Oct 23, 201208:39 AMDaily News
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Grab a pretzel in Hanover
When we began our town tours, our goal was to explore the smaller places with quaint attributes.
Last week, I got away from that a little bit as I visited Hanover, which resembled a small-scale city much more than charming town. That is not a knock on Hanover by any stretch; a city like that, though, requires a lot more time to visit than the few hours I could afford it.
So I stuck to the usual routine and parked in the town square and focused on the downtown.
I drove in on Route 94 South and passed through a street full of chain stores and restaurants. I parked in the square and set off. It was easy to access the downtown with four small parking lots right in the middle, and the actual square was a bit of a destination in itself.
Littered throughout the square on each corner were various monuments honoring the Battle of Hanover in the Civil War. The biggest is a statue of a horse and rider, but there’s also a pair of cannons and a gazebo featuring displays about the town’s history.
As far as shops, the actual square wasn’t what I hoped for as it offered a few random stores (a bridal shop, a smoke shop, Clarks Bostonian) and banks and offices. I set off on Baltimore Street and found myself at A2Z Toys.
This store was small and narrow, but filled with toys hanging on the wall from floor to ceiling. It boasts action figures from The Lord of the Rings, G.I. Joe and Star Wars as well as plenty of superheroes and villains. A2Z Toys also sells sports figures and wrestling toys. It was definitely a neat toy store! There wasn’t stuff for young kids and girls may be disappointed, but most boys would love the place.
After picking up my car, I swung by the nearest park: Wirt Park, which is encircled by Franklin Street, High Street and West Park Avenue. It literally is right in the midst of the city with buildings and streets all around. While it’s small and seemed out of place, it does have shuffleboard and checkers tables, as well as a pavilion and small field for young kids to run around in.
On my way out, I made sure to stop at Snyder’s of Hanover, 1250 York St. Every time I searched for stuff to do in Hanover, this was one of the first things to pop up.
The factory features an outlet store and tours of the facility. You must register for tours in advance, but they take you around the factory and back to the store.
The shop sells candy, pretzels and merchandise ranging from T-shirts to mugs and cups. Knowing I had nearly an hour-long drive back to Harrisburg, I bought a bag of dark chocolate-covered pretzels to enjoy on my trip.
Overall, downtown Hanover is full of history, but not much for family fun. I did pass a go-kart facility on the outside of town, so I suggest checking out the outskirts instead—just be sure to stop by York Street to grab a pretzel.
Kurt Bopp is assistant editor/web for Central Penn Parent. Check back next week for his journey to Lemoyne.
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