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• Best Family Vacations

12 Best Food Factory Tours for Kids

Jan 1, 2009

See recent posts by Lissa Poirot

Watch how chocolate is made, taffy is pulled and cheese is churned at these family-friendly food factory tours across the country, many of which are free — and feature free samples, the best part!

Hershey’s Chocolate World – Hershey, Pa.

This food factory tour for kids became so popular, the company created a special theme park attraction for families to get the authentic factory experience without interrupting the chocolate-making process! The free, robotronic-filled tour at Hershey’s Chocolate World takes visitors through the process, beginning with the cocoa bean harvesting, all the way to the end product: delicious candy! In the same building, families can join a Chocolate Tasting Adventure, the Great Chocolate Factory Mystery in 4D and a Create Your Own Candy Bar station.

Cabot Visitors Center & Tour – Cabot, Vt.

This is your opportunity to sample fresh, free cheese — what could be better? The Cabot Visitors Center offers guided food factory tours ($2 for adults; free for kids under age 12) in which families learn about the cheese-making process, which also includes a lesson in agriculture. Afterward, visit the onsite store to purchase cheese and yogurt to take home.

Jelly Belly Factory – Fairfield, Calif.

Founded in 1869, the “original gourmet jelly bean” maker offers free factory tours and a chance to sample a selection of more than 150 jelly bean flavors. Worth the 40-minute drive from San Francisco, the 40-minute walking tour at the Jelly Belly Factory divulges the secrets of the candy, which takes more than a week to create! After the tour, visit the store and stock up on sweets.

Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory – Waterbury, Vt.

Vermont’s Green Mountains are a beautiful backdrop to our favorite ice cream brand’s headquarters: Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory . Visitors get to see how the ice cream is made, and at the end of the 30-minute food factory tour, they can sample the Flavor of the Day in the Flavoroom (the best part of the visit)! Stop by the Flavor Graveyard to reminisce about old favorites, and visit cows in the pasture during the summer months. Be sure to check out the gift shop and full-service ice cream parlor, Scoop Shop, too.

Hammond’s Candy Factory – Denver

When in the mile-high city of Denver, visit Hammond’s Candy Factory , which has been dishing out sweets since 1920. Free factory tours are offered and allow visitors a chance to see how hard candy is made — right down to the stripes on peppermints — as well as an opportunity to sample some of the treats. Candy canes, ribbon candy, lollipops and chocolate are available for purchase at the tour’s end.

The Candy Factory – Columbia, Mo.

With a name like the The Candy Factory , how can this chocolatier’s factory not make the list? Walk through Candy Lane to watch traditional handmade candy-making processes before devouring samples. Afterward, try the Ultimate Chocolate Pizza or Chocolate Potato Chips.

Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory – Hyannis, Mass.

When vacationing in Cape Cod, a rainy day becomes a perfect excuse to hide indoors at the Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory — the same chips your family is probably consuming on the area’s sandy beaches. The self-guided food factory tours are free and include samples.

Blue Bell Creameries – Brenham, Texas

Somewhere between Houston and Austin rests a little town that churns out butter-soft ice cream. Tours of Blue Bell Creameries include a short video about the company and ice cream samples, guaranteed to cool off the Texas day. Food factory tours for kids are also available at Blue Bell’s Oklahoma and Alabama facilities.

Wolfgang Candy Company – York, Pa.

The Wolfgang Candy Company invites families to visit its Visitor Center and Museum for samplings of the chocolate it’s been producing since 1921. Begin with a look at its antique candy-making molds, jars and factory items before an official food factory tour. After the tour, stop in Das Sweeten Haus for gifts like chocolate-dipped blueberries.

Morley Candy Makers and Sanders Candy – Clinton Township, Mich.

Free, self-guided “Stop & Shop” tours are available at Morley Candy Makers and Sanders Candy . Follow a 100-foot observation walkway to watch confectioners hand-make chocolate treats, then sample the goods before stocking up in the candy and gift shop.

PEZ Visitor Center – Orange, Ct.

Although you cannot tour the manufacturing area, the PEZ Visitor Center features the world’s largest PEZ dispenser, a 40-foot-high working replica. Interactive video areas feature a PEZ timeline, trivia and a Factory Tour. The Personalize Your PEZ section gives you a chance to do just that!

Theo Chocolate – Seattle

Theo Chocolate is the first organic and fair trade chocolate factory in North America, and you and the kids can learn about it on a trip to Seattle. Food factory tours for kids last about an hour, and include a sit-down portion in which you learn about the company and sample chocolates. During the second part of the tour, visitors get to see the chocolate-making facilities and sample more treats before receiving a free bar of chocolate to take home.

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• Bucket List

17 Delicious Food Factory Tours Across the US

Sustainable travel expert, adventure seeker

New York, NY, USA

Ever wonder how PEZ is made? Thanks to food factory tours, hungry travelers can satisfy their curiosities…and cravings. Whether you’re road tripping across the US or exploring your own hometown, take a delicious detour at some of the country’s most beloved snack factories.

From learning how ice cream is made at Ben & Jerry’s in Waterbury, Vermont, to learning the tricks to making fortune cookies at Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory in San Francisco, we bet you can’t resist Seeker’s tastebud tour across America. Let’s explore.

Get a sugar rush at the Jelly Belly Visitor Center in Fairfield, California

Located halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento, the Jelly Belly Visitor Center offers daily self-guided tours along a quarter-mile journey above the factory that includes interactive exhibits, videos, games, and an art gallery. Don’t forget to stop at the Jelly Belly Candy Store where candy connoisseurs can buy wildly shaped and sized Belly Flops and order jelly bean-shaped hamburgers and pizza at the Jelly Belly Cafe .

Find your fortune at Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory in San Francisco, California

Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory in San Francisco’s Chinatown has been creating custom fortune cookies since 1962. Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory makes 10,000 fortune cookies on a cast iron griddle each day and visitors can watch the sweet process for free during the shop’s factory tour.

Take a tea-rrific tour of Celestial Seasonings in Boulder, Colorado

Celestial Seasonings in hippie town Boulder, Colorado, has 105 varieties of tea and makes enough tea to brew 1.6 billion cups of tea per year. More than 2.1 million visitors have taken the free tour of Celestial Seasonings to learn about their teas and the tea-making process.

Go to candy land at Hammond’s in Denver, Colorado

Since 1920, Hammond’s has been twisting, pulling, and shaping classic candy. During the 30-minute Hammond’s Factory Tour in Denver, Colorado, see how lollipops and candy canes are made, plus sample sweet treats. Tours are free but advanced reservations are required.

Learn the sweet history of PEZ in Orange, Connecticut

What started as a German peppermint candy in 1927 has become a beloved candy company famous for its plastic character dispensers. Fans can take a self-guided tour at the PEZ Visitors Center in Orange, Connecticut that includes a view of the production area, the largest collection of PEZ memorabilia in the world, and the world’s largest PEZ dispenser. Don’t forget to participate in the game of the month to win a prize. 

Start feelin’ hot, hot, hot at TABASCO on Avery Island, Louisiana

Hot sauce fans can get a behind-the-scenes look at how TABASCO sauce is made and learn about the history of this iconic hot sauce during the TABASCO Brand Factory Tour & Museum on Avery Island, Louisiana. The Avery Island Fan Experience includes a self-guided tour of the TABASCO Museum, Pepper Greenhouse, Barrel Warehouse, Avery Island Conservation, and Salt Mine diorama.

Get chipper at Cape Cod Chips in Hyannis, Massachusetts

Take a free self-guided tour to see how Cape Cod kettle cooked potato chips are made. During the Cape Cod Factory Tour in Cape Cod, snackers can see how potatoes are transformed to chips, peek in at the potato chip production floor, and enjoy a complimentary bag of Cape Cod potato chips.

Be the king of beers at Anheuser-Busch Brewery in St. Louis, Missouri

Tour the Anheuser-Busch Brewery , see the famous Clydesdales and drink beer directly from the finishing tank in St. Louis, Missouri. There are four tour options ranging from one to two hours. Ultimate fans can take the Beermaster Tour: a behind-the-scenes tour of the brewing process that includes stops at the Schoolhouse Beer Museum, the Clydesdale Paddock and Stables, Beechwood Aging Cellars, the Brewhouse, the Bevo packaging facility, and the finishing cellars.

Get an exclusive caffeine fix at Starbucks Reserve in Seattle, Chicago, and New York City

Starbucks may have started in Seattle, but fans can get an in-depth education in coffee at the  Starbucks Reserve Seattle Roastery , Starbucks Reserve Chicago Roastery , and Starbucks Reserve New York Roastery , each of which offers a variety of private tours that take visitors on a coffee journey from bean to cup. Visitors can add exclusive beverage tasting experiences when booking their tours. Each tour includes a bag of exclusive Starbucks Reserve coffee.

Scream for ice cream at Tillamook Creamery in Tillamook, Oregon

Ice cream lovers can get a behind-the-scenes look at how Tillamook’s creamy ice cream is made during free, self-guided tours at Tillamook Creamery tours. On the tour, visitors learn about the Creamery’s 100-plus year old history and can watch ice cream being made. True fans can book the Exclusive Ice Cream Experience , which includes testing and tasting ice cream as an honorary sensory team member.

Take a potato chip trip at Utz Potato Chips in Hanover, Pennsylvania

This free, self-paced tour shows off the 600,000-square-foot Utz Potato Chips facility in Hanover, Pennsylvania. From a glass observation gallery, watch the chip-making process, which is explained via audio guide. The Utz Chip Trip Tour takes 30-45 minutes.

Get twisted at Snyder’s of Hanover in Hanover, Pennsylvania

Tour Snyder’s of Hanover and see how their famous pretzels are made in Hanover, Pennsylvania. The 30-minute walking tour includes Snyder’s of Hanover’s history and stops at the raw material warehouse, finished goods warehouse, packing room, and oven room. Visitors get a complimentary bag of pretzels at the end of the free tour.

Take a tour from bean to Hershey Bar at HERSHEY’s Chocolate World in Hershey, Pennsylvania

See how chocolate is made during a free 30-minute guided tour at HERSHEY’s Chocolate World . The chocoholic tour includes a peek at how chocolate is made, plus a sample of the famous candy! Visitors can pre-book a timed entry spot and purchase additional activities, including Create Your Own Candy Bar or watch a theatrical performance like Hershey’s Unwrapped – Reimagined, 4D Chocolate Movie, and Hershey Trolley Works, plus there’s Hersheypark for rides and more fun!

Sneak a peek at snack making at Herr’s Snack Food Factory in Nottingham, Pennsylvania

Get a glimpse at snack magic during the one-hour Forever Good tour at Herr’s Snack Factory in Nottingham, Pennsylvania. The tasty manufacturing tour is often live Mondays through Wednesdays and often video-only on Thursdays and Fridays.

Get sappy at Goodrich’s Maple Farm in Cabot, Vermont

Learn how maple syrup is made at Goodrich’s Maple Farm in Cabot, Vermont. During the farm’s free 30-minute tour, learn the history of maple syrup and witness the sugaring process from tree to table—all with a bit of Vermont humor sprinkled in for good measure. Tours include sampling maple syrup!

Get the scoop on Ben & Jerry’s in Waterbury, Vermont

See how iconic Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is made during a 45-minute guided tour at the site of their first factory in Waterbury, Vermont. Ultimate fans can book a two-hour VIP Experience that includes a private tour, tie dye lab coat, plus time in the Flavor Lab to assist in the ice cream making process under the guidance of Flavor Gurus. Due to the pandemic, tours and VIP Experiences are on pause, but expected to return in Fall 2021. The Scoop Shop is currently open daily.

Enjoy a chocoholic tour at Theo Chocolate in Seattle, Washington

From cocoa farm to chocolate bar, Theo Chocolate shows you how their organic and fair trade certified chocolate is made at their Fremont Chocolate Factory during the Theo Factory Experience . The one-hour tour includes the history and science of chocolate and cocoa bean sourcing, a look at the factory, and plenty of chocolate tasting! During the pandemic, the Factory Experience is on hold, but Virtual Chocolate Tasting Classes are available.

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Kim Knox Beckius

Kim Knox Beckius is Yankee Magazine's Travel & Branded Content Editor. She is a Connecticut-based writer and photographer whose passion for New England inspires everything she does, whether it's riding a giant inflatable lobster in her wedding gown, naming her daughter so she shares initials with L.L. Bean or sending free fall leaves in the mail to autumn lovers around the world. She’s the author of six books on Northeast travel, including New England’s Historic Homes & Gardens, and has been the voice of New England travel for About.com since 1998. GoNewEngland.about.com