How fun is it to watch food being made? Turns out it is downright entertaining. You can get a close up look at some yummy eats on these 13 Awesome Food Factory Tours.
Ben and Jerry’s
Feel the magic, while watching this famous ice cream being made. Better yet, when you get done with the tour, stop in at the ice cream shop and get yourself a scoop of your favorite flavor.
Waterbury, Vermont (28 miles from Burlington).
Weekdays tours and small cost. Kids 12 and younger get in free. Also, in the winter you may want to look into the snowshoe tour that you can take behind the factory.
Cabot
While in Vermont, why not stop in to watch skilled cheese makers make cheddar. Following the tour, you can sample a variety of cheeses.
Cabot, Vermont (44 miles from Burlington, a little over an hour).
Monday-Saturday part of year and 7 days of the week other parts. Small cost for tour. Kids 12 and younger get in free.
Cape Cod Potato Chips
Check out the process from potato to potato chip at this popular factory. Also enjoy some of the scenery of Cape Cod while you are at it.
Hyannis, Massachusetts
No cost for these self-guided weekday tours.
Charleston Tea Plantation
Get a first-hand look at the tea making process from field to consumer product. Surrounding the factory are acres and acres of tea plants that can be viewed by trolley tour.
Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina (30 minutes from Charleston)
No cost for daily factory tours. Cost for trolley tours.
Hammond’s Candies
Witness the true art that is candy making first-hand. A variety of candy types are produced at this factory.
Denver, Colorado
Monday-Saturday. No cost is indicated.
Herr’s Snack Factory
Tour the factory where a variety of snack products are made. A snack bar and gift shop are on site, as well.
Nottingham, Pennsylvania (One hour south of Philadelphia)
Weekday tours are available and no cost is indicated. Most likely to see the live factory tour rather than video tour on Monday-Wednesday.
Hershey’s World
Chocolate Paradise can be found here. And best of all the Chocolate World tour has undergone a major renovation. Lots of additional attractions can be found in the surrounding area.
Hershey, Pennsylvania (14 miles from Harrisonburg)
Chocolate World Tour is free and available 7 days a week. Make Your Own Candy Bar, 4D Chocolate Mystery, and other attractions have costs.
Jelly Belly
Come see the visitor’s center and factory where 150 delightfully sweet and colorful treats are cooked up.
Fairfield, California (45 minutes from Sacramento)
No cost for weekday tours and family members of all ages welcome.
Mayfield Dairy Tour
See how milk products make it through dairy production process and then to the grocery stores.
Athens, Tennessee (In Chattanooga Metro Area) and Braselton, Georgia (About 50 miles Northeast of Atlanta)
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. No cost indicated.
Sriracha from Huy Fong Foods
Get a first hand look at how this sauce “with a kick” is made. Check out this 650,000 square foot facility and its state-of-the-art production capabilities.
Irwindale, California (located in Los Angeles County)
Tour availability listed on the website calendar. No cost indicated on website.
Tabasco
Speaking of “with a kick”, for a truly unique experience, take the Pepper Sauce Bottling Tour and the General Factory Tour. Also, while at Avery Island, tour the 170-acre Jungle Gardens. Who knows, you may see some of Louisiana’s famous wildlife such as the alligators and egrets.
Avery Island, Louisiana (About 45 minutes from Lafayette)
Admission cost for tour and separate cost for Jungle Gardens. Factory Tours Monday-Sunday and Bottling Tour available Monday-Thursday.
Tillamook Cheese Factory
See the cheesmaking process in action at a plant that makes 171,000 pounds of cheese per day. You can shop and eat at the restaurant while you are here.
Tillamook, Oregon (Known as the Land of Cheese, Trees, and Ocean Breeze-a little under an hour and 1/2 from Portland)
No cost for weekday and weekend tours.
Utz Factory
EBe mesmerized by all the potato chip and snack making at the 600,000 square foot facility. An observation gallery let’s you look down on the production process from start to finish.
Hanover, Pennsylvania (54 miles North-Northwest of Baltimore, Maryland)
Tours are available Monday through Thursday and no cost is indicated.
For more fun activities:
12 Car, Plane, and More Things on Wheels Factory Tours
9 Mesmerizing Glow in the Dark Activities
We recently toured the Jelly Belly Factory again. It’s not too far from us, and it’s a favorite with my kids.
We’re also semi-local to Mrs Grossman’s Sticker Factory, which is super cool.