factory floor tour

25 Best Factory Tours in America for Families Who Love to Go Behind the Scenes

Find out what it takes to construct a jellybean, giant plane and everything in between.

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After a prolonged period of being stuck at home, some families are looking to travel again. And while the COVID-19 pandemic means that precautions still have to be taken, and not every destination is up and running at 100% capacity, there's still plenty of unique experiences out there that are once again open to the public.

The following factory tours and appropriate for kids, are well-reviewed by families and are currently open to visitors (or will be opening soon). But you might want to book ahead — some require timed tickets or reservations before you visit. But when you're done, you'll all know a little bit more about how the world around you is made.

Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory (Louisville, Kentucky)

Swing by to see how baseball bats are made — this company has been churning them out since 1884. Your family can walk through the factory production line and watch the wood chips fly! Everyone can try out bats from iconic players, like Babe Ruth and Derek Jeter. With plenty of photo ops (including your crew inside a giant baseball mitt) and a free mini bat souvenir for every guest, this tour will be a home run. Open daily; $ 18 for adults, $11 for ages 6 – 12, free for ages 5 and under

Jelly Belly Visitor Center & Factory (Fairfield, California)

From your perch above the production line, you’ll witness all the steps — slurry, steam bath, glossy application — it takes to create the gourmet jellybeans that have been a thing since the late 1800s. Video screens provide close-ups and fun facts (like it takes 1 – 2 weeks to make a jellybean). Feeling hungry? Stop at the café for a jellybean-shaped pizza. Open daily (but factory workers are typically there only on weekdays), $5 for adults, $2 for ages 2 and up, free for younger kids

The Kazoo Factory Tour Experience (Beaufort, South Carolina)

After learning the ins and outs of kazoo-making during a factory walk-through, everyone gets to create their own instrument to take home. A built-in souvenir is music to our ears! Open Monday to Friday, $9 for adults, $7 for ages 4 – 11, free for younger kids

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PEZ Visitor Center (Orange, Connecticut)

The colorful facility dispenses equal parts nostalgia (it maintains well-organized vintage PEZ displays) and tech wizardry (you can see how the famous candy is packed). Be sure to snap your kid’s pic in front of the world’s largest PEZ dispenser, which looks like a person wearing a PEZ-themed baseball cap. Open daily; $5 for adults, $4 for ages 3 – 12, free for younger kids

Polaris Experience Center (Roseau, Minnesota)

School-age kids who love to build things will have their mind blown going behind-the-scenes at this maker of snowmobiles and ATVs. On the guided tour, they’ll see laser cutters, high-speed saws and other cool equipment making parts for the vehicles. They can also watch motors being installed and ATVs being tested. Whoa! Open Monday to Friday; children under age 6 prohibited; free

Hammond’s Candy Factory Tour (Denver, Colorado)

This centuries-old confectioner invites you to see how it makes its lollipops, candy canes and other treats. Looking through large viewing windows, your crew will be gobsmacked at how the colorful candies are shaped and packaged. Open Monday –Saturday; free

Kohler Design Center Factory Tour (Kohler, Wisconsin)

Got a teen whose interested in manufacturing? They’ll be fascinated by this detailed two-hour, 3 ½-mile foray behind the scenes of how the brand’s famous plumbing products are created. Open Monday – Friday, children under 14 not permitted, free

Sweet Pete’s Candy Shop (Jacksonville, Florida)

Willy Wonka vibes are strong at this mansion that takes guests from room to room of candy-making demos. You’ll get to design your own chocolate bar, choosing from more than 16 toppings. Check availability online; $6.45 per person

Henry Ford Rouge Factory Tour (Dearborn, Michigan)

One truck per minute rolls off the assembly line at this famous automotive factory — and your crew gets a birds-eye view of the goings-on from a 1/3-mile observation deck. There’s also a gallery of cool cars, like a 1965 Ford Mustang, to check out. Check dates online; $22 for adults, $16.50 for ages 5 – 11, free for younger kids

Turkey Hill Experience (Columbia, Pennsylvania)

While the dairy producer’s actual factory is closed to the public, this children’s museum-like attraction gives families the inside scoop on ice cream-making, plus unlimited free samples. Your kids can create their own virtual flavor, and then star in a commercial promoting it . Open daily; starts at $10.50 per person

World of Coca-Cola (Atlanta, Georgia)

Since you can’t tour an actual Coke bottling plant, this attraction is the next best thing. Its Bottle Works exhibit, showcasing real equipment, explains the packaging process. And you’ll get a chance to taste different kinds of sodas from around the world. Open daily; $19 for adults, $15 for ages 3 – 12, free for younger kids

Tillamook Creamery Tour (Tillamook, Oregon)

From a viewing gallery above the factory floor, you’ll see how milk becomes cheese. Then hit the dining hall for gooey faves, likes grilled cheese and mac ’n cheese. Your fam can even share a “flight” of ice cream. Open daily; tour is free, you can add tasting experiences for a charge

Warner Bros. Studio Tour (Los Angeles, California)

Your crew will be star-struck hanging out at a working movie studio. During the hour-long guided portion, you’ll see backlots, movie sets and maybe even spy someone famous. Then you’ll have two more hours to explore on your own — plenty of time to snap a pic of your family in front of the fountain from Friends . Open daily: $69 for adults, $59 for ages 5 – 10

The Great Utz Chip Trip Tour (Hanover, Pennsylvania)

Kids will discover how potatoes get turned into chips at this famous maker’s plant near the Pennsylvania-Maryland border. They can watch factory workers from an observation gallery; closed-circuit TV monitors provide close-ups. Everyone receives a free sample of chips at the end. Open Monday – Thursday, free

Ben & Jerry’s Factory Experience (Waterbury, Vermont)

With a tentative re-opening planned for the end of June 2022, this beloved attraction wets appetites with a short movie about how Ben & Jerry got their start. From there, it’s off to the mezzanine where you’ll watch how the ice cream is made. Samples of ice cream (sometimes a flavor that’s exclusive to the factory) is the proverbial cherry on top. On your way out, visit the “ice cream graveyard” of flavors that are no longer made. Check back for ticket info

The Crayola Experience (Easton, Pennsylvania)

There are many activities to take part in at The Crayola experience, including a live show where a "crayonologist" demonstrates how crayons are made. The 65,000-square-foot attraction also includes a toddler and a big-kid playground, interactive games and a studio for art projects, among manny other stations — they recommend blocking out three or four hours for a visit. Open daily. Admission is $25 if you buy tickets in advance; a timed ticket is required for all visitors ages 3 and up. There are also Crayola Experience locations in Chandler, Arizona; Mall of America, Minnesota; Orlando, Florida and Plano, Texas, but offerings may vary

Taza Chocolate Factory Tour (Somerville, Massachusetts)

Specializing in stone-ground chocolate, this candy maker explains the production process and hosts a sampling. On weekends, there’s a scavenger hunt-themed tour for kids under age 10 . Open Wednesday – Sunday; $8-$12 per person

The White House (Washington, DC)

Though not a factory in the traditional sense, White House tours are back, and you can meander around the famous Blue Room, Red Room, State dining room and — best of all — the Rose Garden. But you can’t wait until the last minute to book. Twenty-one to 90 days before you’d like to visit, you need to request one of the free tours by contacting your congress member’s office. Tours are only available on Fridays and Saturdays

Blue Bell Creamery Factory Tour (Brenham, Texas)

Look high above the factory floor to see ice cream being packaged in different types of containers. An employee is on-hand to answer all the kids’ questions about the process, so encourage them to ask away. Open Monday – Friday; free

American Whistle Company (Columbus, Ohio)

A kitschy stop on a Midwest road trip, this factory doles out loads of engaging info about a topic you probably never considered — how whistles are made. Everyone receives a whistle to take home. Open Monday Friday; $6 per person

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From planes to crayons, these fun factory tours go behind the scenes

Feb 14, 2020 • 7 min read

What’s more fun than breaking open a bright new box of crayons or digging a spoon into a melty pint of ice cream? Getting a behind-the-scenes look at how they’re made, of course.

Whether you’re a super fan or are just generally curious, companies around the US – some that have been in business for decades, and in some cases, for over a century – are offering a fresh new way to experience their goods. Visiting the factory offers insight on how a product comes to life, usually in a hands-on, interactive and fun way. From Cape Cod potato chips to PEZ candies, these 11 factory tours are worth a visit.

PEZ Factory – Orange, Connecticut

The world’s largest PEZ dispenser, vintage Star Wars PEZ and a PEZ motorcycle can all be found in the 4000 sq ft visitor’s center of the company’s candy-making factory . From floor-to-ceiling windows, see the tiny tabs being packaged. (Along with its sister candy-making factory in Traun, Austria, the company produces 5 billion candies each year).

Take time to explore the decades of memorabilia packed into the two-story center, and go on a scavenger hunt for a chance to win a sweet prize at the end.

Ben & Jerry’s – Waterbury, Vermont 

Every ice cream lover should add a Waterbury, Vermont , pilgrimage to their bucket list. The Ben & Jerry’s factory tour gives guests a front-row peek into the ice cream-making process, an overview of the company’s colorful history, and – the best part – a sample of the flavors. Finish the visit with a stroll around the company’s outdoor Flavor Graveyard, an ode to discontinued pints.

If a 30-minute tour isn’t enough, opt for the Flavor Fanatic Experience; the $225, two-hour package includes a private guided factory tour, a tie-dyed lab coat, and a hands-on mixing and tasting session in the Flavor Lab, led by one of the company’s Flavor Gurus.

Cape Cod Chips – Hyannis, Massachusetts

In Hyannis, Massachusetts, find the Kennedy compound, the fast ferries to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, and the Cape Cod Potato Chip factory. More than 250,000 visitors each year take the free, self-guided tour, which includes a walk through the facility to see potato chips made in custom kettles, plus relics from the first factory dating back to the 1980s.

At the end of the tour, break open your complimentary chips at an umbrella-shaded table on the sunny patio. (The tour is available Monday to Friday from 9am-5pm.)

US Mint – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

If you have coins in your pocket, there’s a good chance they were minted in Philadelphia . (You can tell by the tiny “P” stamped on one side.) In the city of brotherly love, the US Mint has been producing coins for over 225 years, and visitors can see the process during the self-guided, 45-minute tours available to the public most days.

See the coining operation from 40ft above the factory floor, check out the historic artifacts, like the press used to make the nation’s first coins in 1792, and see the series of seven, 5ft-tall Tiffany glass mosaics created to commemorate the opening of the third US Mint building in 1901. While the Mint sadly doesn’t offer free samples, you can buy commemorative coins and other collectibles in the gift shop.

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Jelly Belly Factory – Fairfield, California

The sixth-generation family-run candy company has been in business since 1898, and making the beloved Jelly Beans since 1976. At the Jelly Belly Factory , self-guided tours lead visitors through a quarter mile-long elevated path, with interactive exhibits and a view of the factory floor. For a flat fee of $39 for groups of up to six, private tour guides will take you through. In the end, everyone gets free samples of the rainbow-hued treat.

Louisville Slugger Factory  – Louisville, Kentucky

You can’t miss the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory , located in downtown Louisville , Kentucky. The 120ft, 68,000 pound, world’s largest baseball bat leans against the side of the building, marking the entrance. Louisville Slugger has been making its iconic bats since 1884, and the factory and museum give visitors an up-close look at how they’re produced. Walk through the line to see the step-by-step process, explore the Bat Vault, with a copy of nearly every bat the company has ever made, and leave with a souvenir mini bat, free for tour-goers.

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Tillamook Creamery Factory – Tillamook, Oregon

Inside the strikingly modern facade of Oregon’s Tillamook Creamery Factory , the milk produced by the cows on the company’s fourth generation farm is transformed into award-winning cheeses. Get a bird’s-eye view from the observation windows, down onto the factory floor, as the process goes from fresh milk to cheese curds to aged cheddars.

The sprawling, state-of-the-art aging warehouse on site houses upwards of 37 million pounds of cheese, which age from 60 days to 6 years before being sent back out to the warehouse to be cut into bricks and packed up for the grocery store. Don’t leave before sampling all the cheese.

Hershey’s Chocolate Factory – Hershey Pennsylvania

In the central Pennsylvania town of Hershey, the lamp posts are shaped like Hershey’s Kisses and there’s usually a faint whiff of chocolate in the air. To find the source, head straight for the Hershey’s Chocolate Factory . During the free, 30-minute tour, visitors can take an immersive journey through the facility to see how chocolate is made, from cocoa bean to foil-wrapped bar, and finish with a Hershey’s treat.

For $26.95, the create-your-own candy bar tour lets visitors make their own confection, and design a personalized wrapper for a one-of-a-kind souvenir.

Crayola Experience – Easton, Pennsylvania

Crayola has been in business for over a century, making iconic crayons and coloring accoutrements for kids and adults alike. (Color Escapes, ie adult coloring books, were introduced in 2015.) The colorful company has a manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania ’s Lehigh Valley, about halfway between Philadelphia and New York City, and about ten minutes away, visitors can check out the Crayola Experience . Guests can see how crayons are made in a live show, pose for a personalized coloring page, mold a critter or character out of crayon wax, and name a color, taking home a keepsake crayon.

Taylor Guitars – San Diego, California

Seasoned musicians and anyone who appreciates a good Spotify playlist will love the thoroughly educational look into how Taylor Guitars are made. Every weekday at 1pm, free, guided tours are offered at the legendary manufacturer of premium acoustic guitars, used by artists like Taylor Swift, Dave Matthews, and Zac Brown.

The 75-minute tour takes place right on the factory floor, so visitors can soak up each step of the process, from choosing the wood and assembling the pieces to finished product. Don’t miss the guitar room, where myriad models are available to test out. (Tours aren’t offered on weekday holidays, so check the schedule before visiting.)

Boeing – Everett, Washington 

The Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour is located just north of Seattle , at the company’s Everett factory. Inside the building – which is the largest in the world, by volume – the aircraft design and manufacturing company assembles the 747, 767, 777 and 787 planes. The 90-minute tour is the only one of its kind in North America, offering a look inside a working commercial jet engine assembly plant, and highlights include the factory tour, plus the Boeing gallery that showcases over 150 products the company makes and is developing, including satellites, submarines, and alternative fuels.

On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, the facility offers hands-on robotics workshops, introducing visitors to the basics of coding robots for use in the manufacturing process. Tours are so popular, travelers can book day trips from downtown Seattle that include transportation, hotel pickup and dropoff. (Visitors must be 4, or 122 cm tall, to go on the tour.)

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21 Great American Factory Tours You Can Take Right Now

Many historic American factories are open to the public. Here are the ones worth the trip.

There's probably no escaping taking the kids to an amusement park this summer—sweltering in long lines and paying for overpriced junk food. But when that torment is over, take them to a different kind of theme park, one you'll both enjoy: an American factory. You'll see how baseball gloves are made. Or how they print the posters for your favorite concert. Or how a guy at Harley-Davidson takes every bike up to 77 mph on what looks a lot like an automotive treadmill. Sometimes you'll even get candy. And unlike at Six Flags, admission is often free.

1. Hatch Show Print

Nashville, Tennessee:  75 minutes; $15 (adults), $10 (ages 6 to 12)

Nashville's recent "it city" status has our skyline so dotted with cranes that longtime residents have started calling it Little Dubai. I worry that the town where my ten-year-old daughter, Margot, was born is becoming unrecognizable to her. So I decided a tour of the Hatch Show Print letterpress was in order.

"What's a letterpress?" Margot asked.

"They make music posters," I said. She got excited.

"Think they have any of Taylor Swift?" she asked.

"Maybe," I said, explaining that they've been in business since 1879, and have worked with just about every musician you can think of—from Elvis Presley to Elvis Costello.

"Who's Elvis Costello?" Margot asked.

The production process hasn't changed much in over a century. Some of the letter blocks—exactly 0.918 inches high, a standard established in 1886 by the United States Type Founders' Association—are the original end-cut maple versions. This isn't Photoshop. There is no erasing. If even the smallest amount of grit builds up beneath an individual block, it must be sanded by hand so that it prints evenly. The rollers have to be reinked every four prints—each one slightly more faded than the last. These subtle inconsistencies are what make Hatch Show Print posters so special: No two look exactly alike.

The craftsmanship wowed my daughter—just like it had wowed me on my first visit, not long after I moved to Nashville two decades ago. But her favorite part was the end, when we got to browse through an inventory of photo plates and posters dating back to the shop's very first print run. I marveled at the photo plate for Led Zeppelin's first Nashville appearance in 1970. Then I glanced over and spotted Margot. She had the very same grin on her face. She was looking at a poster from Taylor Swift's "Speak Now" tour. —Adam Ross

2. The U.S. Mint

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Also Denver, Colorado): 45 minutes; free

From a 40-foot observation deck you'll see coins—tens of millions each day—sliced from metal coils that weigh 6,000 pounds and stretch five football fields. Inspectors use magnifying glasses to check the quality. Just one flaw in one coin and the entire batch is destroyed and recycled.

3. John Deere

Waterloo, Iowa (Also East Moline, Illinois, and Ankeny, Iowa): 90 minutes; free

Tours take place on a tram pulled by—what else?—a John Deere tractor. Huge robotic arms spray each vehicle in signature green and yellow. But the logo is still applied by hand.

4. Airstream

Jackson Center, Ohio: One to two hours; free

Each of the iconic travel trailers has thousands of rivets holding together huge sheets of aircraft-grade aluminum. And every one of those rivets is drilled in by hand. Once finished, the campers go into the rain-test booth, where they're pounded by hurricane-strength rain for 20-minute cycles.

5. Bourbon Barrel Foods

Louisville, Kentucky: 25 minutes; free

The nation's only soy sauce microbrewer—yes, soy sauce microbrewer—uses repurposed bourbon barrels and limestone-filtered Kentucky spring water to create a uniquely smoky-sweet condiment. FDA restrictions keep you from the factory floor, but you can still watch through glass as workers cook soybeans, roast grain, and press mash with six tons of force.

6. Woolrich

Woolrich, Pennsylvania: One hour; free

Woolrich has been churning out fabric since 1830, including blankets for Civil War soldiers. And for the factory's 60-odd employees, working with raw wool—a single blanket takes roughly four pounds—is its own kind of battle. A variety of heirloom machines dye, comb, spin, wind, warp, weave, wash, and roll the material before it can be turned into something you'd cozy up with on the couch.

7. Coors Brewing Company

Golden, Colorado: 30 minutes; free

What kind of dad takes his five-year-old son on a brewery tour? A cool one, I thought, boarding the shuttle bus to the Coors plant in Golden, Colorado—the largest single-site brewery in the world, capable of turning out 13 million barrels of beer annually. To me, it was just another father–son outing—a chance to see something new and learn something interesting. Like the zoo, but with the freshest free beer imaginable. Little did I suspect my boy would end up scarred for life.

In and of itself, the self-guided tour is utterly wholesome, an experience as pure as the vaunted Rocky Mountain spring water that prompted Adolph Coors to set up shop in Golden back in 1873. Exhibits explain ingredients, malting, mashing, etc., while affording a look at impressive mechanized assembly lines that channel endless rivers of freshly filled cans and packed cardboard cases in perfect perpetual motion. It wasn't easy to detach my son's nose from the observation window, but over the clack of the machinery, Daddy discerned the siren song of the samples that await responsible drinkers of legal age at the end of the tour.

As I sipped a cold glass of Coors and my son a soda, we surveyed our surroundings: an ersatz pub, decorated with old advertisements—including one featuring E.T. (left), that lovable extraterrestrial, imploring imbibers to "phone home" for a ride should they overindulge. This seemingly harmless poster, unfortunately, made by far the largest impression of the day on my son. What is that thing? Is it coming to get me? What part of me do you think it would eat first? Years later, the poor lad is still uncommonly concerned with the perceived dangers posed by aliens, even smiling ones in bartenders' aprons.

Then again, if that keeps him out of the taverns for a few extra years, maybe it's not all bad. —Kendall Hamilton

8. Golden Flake

Birmingham, Alabama: 45 minutes; free

When my wife and I moved from New York City to Birmingham, Alabama, five years ago, I'd braced myself for culture shock. I knew as much about college football and black-eyed peas as I do thermonuclear fusion. But while I'm still rusty on the vagaries of the wishbone formation, we definitely came out ahead. We've got a yard now, and a dog, and some savings. And we live ten minutes from a snack-food factory.

Since 1923, Golden Flake, "The South's Original Potato Chip," has been supplying chips and puffs and curls and popcorn and pork skins from Florida up through Virginia, in flavors as unlikely as Tangy Pickle BBQ and just plain Hot. It is tiny next to the Utzes and Pringles of the world, and touring its 700-employee Birmingham facility can feel like visiting a friend's home-brewing shed, if instead of beer he churned out Chili Lime Pork Cracklin Super Strips.

"This is our cheese puff, corn puff, and popcorn department," said both our guide and, I hope, whoever greets me in the afterlife. There are 14-foot drums of vegetable oil and giant rotating seasoning cylinders and kind-looking ladies slicing potatoes in half (by hand, for quality control). The highlight comes at the halfway point: a basket brimming with potato chips plucked fresh off the conveyor belt, intercepted between fryer and bagging station, and offered to you for sampling. It is the perfect bite of a perfect chip. Thin but still crunchy, with just-too-much salt. Whatever's in your pantry seems like wafer-shaped Styrofoam in comparison.

It's just one of several snack breaks on the tour. If your taste buds still want more—and they will—you get a few complimentary bags to take home. Lucky for me, I was already there. —Brian Barrett

Everett, Washington: 90 minutes; $20 (adults), $14 (age 15 and under)

When you're stuck in the middle seat and the baby behind you is wailing, it's easy to forget what a miracle an airplane is. You won't after visiting Boeing—the largest building in the world, big enough to fit Disneyland with 13 acres to spare—and witnessing 30,000 employees assemble millions of parts and miles of wiring into 747s and other jumbo jets.

10. Chevrolet Corvette

Bowling Green, Kentucky: One hour; $10 (adults), $5 (ages 10 to 16)

So you're buying a Corvette Z06. First off, congratulations. A supercar. You're a lucky man. But why stop there? For an extra five grand you can hop on the assembly line at the Bowling Green factory and help build your 650-hp engine, which gets emblazoned with a plaque commemorating the experience. For those on a budget, $10 gets you the standard factory tour—still thrilling, just no keys at the end.

11. Harley-Davidson

York, Pennsylvania: Two hours; free or $35

There's a free tour, but it keeps you on the periphery of the shop. Pay the $35 for the Steel Toe Tour and you get to walk up and down the aisles, right next to the workers as bike parts are delivered to them, on-demand, by a trolley that follows magnetic tracks in the floor. At the end, the guys put each finished Harley on a dyno machine and steadily bring it up to 77 mph, running the bike through all the gears.

12. Fender Guitars

Corona, California: One hour; $10 (adults), $8 (seniors), $6 (ages 13 to 17), free (ages 12 and under)

The first time I saw a Fender Telecaster up close was in 1979 on the stage of the Hollywood Palladium. I was 14, and Joe Strummer was next to me pounding out the chords to The Clash's "White Riot"—the two of us shouting the lyrics along with a few other teenage punks who had also scrambled onstage during the encore.

Strummer was thousands of miles from his London home that night. But his battered axe? That wondrous machine had been born less than an hour south, in Fullerton, California, where in the early 1950s self-described tinkerer Leo Fender revolutionized the electric guitar. Since that encounter with Strummer, I've seen hundreds of other Fenders—as a music journalist as well as in my short time as a drummer, which included a stint with punk legends Bad Religion. But I didn't fully appreciate their magic until I strapped on a pair of Devo-like safety goggles and took my first tour of the Fender Factory.

It all starts with unremarkable blocks of alder and ash. From this wood, about 400 employees—more than a few aging longhairs among them—shape, sand, seal, and paint the classic Telecaster and more angular Stratocaster bodies. They then fit the necks, attach the wound pickups, and connect the knobs. Finally, each instrument is plugged in to a row of new Fender amps to check the sound quality.

In the summer, crowds for the twice-daily tour average 50 people. On the April morning I visited, there were only six of us, including two middle-aged Swedes. Afterward, browsing a showroom filled with memorabilia of Fender-playing guitar gods, I asked the guys what made them travel all this way. One clearly didn't understand En glish. The other only a little. He smiled, pointed to a poster of Jimi Hendrix, and simply said, "Him." Returning the gesture, I pointed across the room, to a display about punk. The centerpiece: a replica of Strummer's banged-up Telecaster. —John Albert

13. Lodge Cast Iron Manufacturing

South Pittsburg, Tennessee: Last weekend in April, 45 minutes; free

You can't get in while the factory is running—it's way too dangerous—but once a year (during April's National Cornbread Festival, naturally) Lodge opens its doors to tourists. Hard to say what's more amazing: the electromagnet that can lift five tons, the furnace that burns at 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit, or the pouring machine that uses ancient sand-molding techniques to create as many as 8,000 skillets an hour.

14. Wood -Mizer

Batesville, Indiana: 30 minutes; free

I live in rural Indiana, in the north part of a farm county. Out here, the sight of a Wood-Mizer, the industrious portable saw mill, passing by behind a pickup or being towed up onto someone's acreage for a few days of transformative deep-woods lumber milling, is a moment of awe, rare and powerful, like catching sight of a panther or something. In the right conditions, three men and a Wood-Mizer can mill enough lumber to build an entire pole barn or a fishing cabin in just a day. It is a tool of thrift, profit, and creativity. I don't own one—I'm just another fanboy—but I do have a hat. And the logo alone gets me silent nods of respect from farmers who otherwise want nothing to do with me.

I bought the hat after going on the Wood-Mizer factory tour in Batesville, Indiana. (It was cheaper than the sawmill.) The six-month-old plant churns calmly forward, the assembly line formed in the shape of a U. There's no shouting. No rushing. No alarm registered along any of the snug, worker-designed assembly. There's notable focus in the workforce—risen from pride, taken from ownership (the 34-year-old company is entirely worker owned)—that permeates the movement and pace from loading dock to shipping dock. For me, the moment I recognized the familiar machine occurred right in the turn of that U, after the powdered orange paint was kiln-dried onto the steel frame. Then the wheels were attached and the custom motor mounted.

And then I couldn't help myself. "There's the big cat," I exclaimed, like some kid seeing a ballplayer parking his car. The guy on the line heard me. "You gonna build something?" he asked, assuming I was a buyer. I smiled and pointed to my factory-supplied earplugs. "I'm just on a tour," I said, but he couldn't hear me. "Build something great," he said. He was standing over a new Wood-Mizer, so it sounded like a promise. —Tom Chiarella

Nocona, Texas: One hour; $5

When Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan was seven, his father took him to a hardware store in downtown Alvin, Texas, to buy his first baseball mitt. It was a Nokona. Since 1934, the family-owned company has made gloves the same way: hand-lacing and stitching American rawhide, then beating it to hell with a mallet until the pocket is ready to snag a one-hop grounder.

16. Jelly Belly

Fairfield, California: 40 to 60 minutes; free for the self-guided tour, $47 for a guided tour that takes you on the factory floor

The thousands of jelly beans tumbling in hoppers may sound like bingo balls, only here every one drawn out is a guaranteed winner—except maybe the buttered popcorn. You can taste them at every stage of the tour, but save your appetite. The factory store at the end offers unlimited samples. If you paid for the guided tour, called Jelly Belly University, this is where you make up for your tuition.

17. Tabasco Pepper Sauce

Avery Island, Louisiana: One hour; $5.50

When I was growing up in the Cajun Triangle, any time a relative or college friend came to town, my family trotted out one of three old chestnuts: tours of swamps, plantations, or the Tabasco factory. I always hoped for the peppers—because I am afraid of alligators and ghost stories but mainly because, like all good Louisianans, I am obsessed with hot sauce.

Avery Island is only three miles wide, so most of the growing happens in South America. But this is where the rust-colored mash is packed into old bourbon barrels—about 50,000 are stacked in the warehouse—and left to ferment for three years. When ready, it is mixed with vinegar and aged for another month. Finally, the sauce gets bottled and shipped off to 180 countries.

The smells of the tour are as good as the sights—all that spice mixing with nearby forests of azalea trees. But the best part comes afterward, at the free tasting, when someone inevitably volunteers to try the inferno-level habanero sauce. That someone will always be me. —Katie Macdonald

18. Kenyon's Grist Mill

West Kingston, Rhode Island: July 23 to 24 and October 22 to 23; free

Two giant slabs of granite—each more than 150 years old and weighing more than 2,000 pounds apiece—pulverize whole grain and corn into meal and flour. That's it. A simple, centuries-old process that retains all the nutrients of the original grains and corn. Make sure to bring home some Johnny Cake mix.

Kohler, Wisconsin: Three hours; free

Lowell Kappers, the 80-year-old former Kohler employee who led our tour, worked at the Wisconsin factory, north of Milwaukee, for 44 years—31 of them as a cast-iron grinder. Three decades machining crankshafts and rail-track components. Three decades wearing a respirator helmet to keep pulverized iron dust out of his lungs. He retired in 1999 but still shows up two or three mornings a week to give tours. The factory has been offering them since 1926, a couple of decades before Kappers's dad started working there.

The tour is epic: four buildings, three hours, two and a half miles. You sidestep moving forklifts. You cross beneath conveyors shuttling tubs. You watch molten iron flow. In a cavernous brick loft called the pottery, liquid clay pumped from basement tanks filled plaster-of-paris molds before getting glazed and fired in 2,450-degree industrial kilns. In the enameling shop, an employee in a silver heat shield coated a cast-iron shower floor in enamel powder, then slid it into the orange maw of another kiln.

There are so many kilns. But Kappers didn't break a sweat, despite the heat and constant walking. The only time he really lingered was when we got to the aisle where he had worked, the spot where he jockeyed that heavy grinding wheel all those years.

"Noisiest place in the factory," he said. He wasn't complaining. He was proud. And then he was off again. —Phil Hanrahan

20. R.L. Winston Rod Company

Twin Bridges, Montana: 45 minutes; free

I learned to fly-fish on a fiberglass five-weight that my dad bought at Abercrombie & Fitch in the '60s. With his tongue sticking out in a pose of concentration, he showed me the basic ten and two. Wait for the glass to finish its slow backward flex, wait for the line to unfurl, then launch your forearm forward. Be patient, son.

This was the early '90s. By then, Dad's A&F beauty was a relic. Space-age graphite had made fiberglass obsolete. Trouble was, graphite is much stiffer than glass. Graphite rods cast like rocket launchers, and spooky trout require a delicate approach. Based in Twin Bridges, Montana, at the confluence of three legendary trout rivers, 87-year-old R.L. Winston Rod Company has figured out an alchemy that transforms graphite into velvet. The key ingredient is its staff of 40—roughly 10 percent of the population of Twin Bridges. They secure line guides with hand-wrapped thread. They balance rods by feel and sight alone. They hand-fit the ferrules connecting the rod sections to within one thirty-second of an inch. When customers send in broken rods for repair, Winston rebuilds the damaged segments from scratch.

"We've got a machine for attaching guides that's sitting upstairs collecting dust," said my tour guide, production manager Joe Begin. "We find that our employees are more efficient and make fewer mistakes."

This tireless, meticulous labor accounts for the cost of the rods: ranging from $500 to $3,000. That might sound pricey, especially when a perfectly serviceable rod will run you about $200. But near the end of the tour, I was frantically crunching numbers in my head, trying to figure out how many meals I could skip in the coming month. Fortunately, the gift shop sells only hats and sweatshirts. —Elliott Woods

Seattle, Washington: 30 to 40 minutes; free

One look at the sewing floor and it's easy to see how the garment and bag company that C.C. Filson started in 1897 to outfit Gold Rush prospectors has continued to thrive. Veteran employees, some who've been there 30 years, operate antique treadle machines customized to work with the brand's hallmark rugged twill.

*This article origionally appeared in the July/August 2016 issue of  Popular Mechanics. 

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The 15 Best Factory Tours in America

By Katelin Hill

Updated on Aug 1, 2018 4:14 PM EDT

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John Deere in East Moline, Illinois

In 1837, Illinois blacksmith John Deere set out to address the concerns of local farmers whose plows weren’t holding up against the thick Midwest soil, and the John Deere empire was born. Today, the company’s East Moline factory offers tours that guide visitors through the process of manufacturing the company’s various machines—the American-made equipment that helps feed the world.

Related: 10 American-Made Buys for Your Outdoor Living Area

Jelly Belly in Fairfield, California

Wikimedia Commons

Why does it take up to 14 days to create a single jelly bean? Find out on the Jelly Belly Candy Company’s free factory tour. Learn how the 50 Jelly Belly flavors and other sweet treats are made, sample some of your favorites, and stop off at the café or fudge shop afterwards to enjoy some sweet (and savory) snacks, or take them to go. Jelly bean-shaped burgers, anyone?

Related: Yes, These 20 Weird and Wacky Museums Actually Exist

Harley-Davidson Vehicle Operations in York, Pennsylvania

flickr.com via Klaus Nahr

The Harley-Davidson Vehicle Operations center, established in 1973, is where the Touring, Trike and CVO families of motorcycles are assembled. Visitors to the Vaughn L. Beals Tour Center will be able to explore exhibits, walk the factory floor from manufacturing to assembly to the end of the line, and sit on a current production model.

Related: 15 Classic Roadside Motels You Can Visit Along America’s Highways

The United States Mint in Philadelphia and Denver

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See where the money gets made at two of the four active United States Mint facilities. The Philadelphia and Denver locations offer free self-guided walking tours that showcase the past and present of the Mint and describe all stages of the coining process, from the craftsmanship that goes into the original designs to the final production process.

Related: 20 Weird and Wacky Destinations for a Family Road Trip

Future of Flight Aviation Center and Boeing Tour in Mukilteo, Washington

To visit the only North American commercial jet factory open to the public, direct your car to Mukilteo, about 30 miles north of Seattle. There, you can view 747, 777, and 787 Dreamliner models while they’re being assembled in the Everett production line and meet some of the thousands of employees who support the design and development of Boeing’s aircraft. The Everett production facility, the largest building in the world by volume, has welcomed millions of visitors since 1968.

Related: 7 Companies That Want to Help Their Employees Buy a House

Celestial Seasonings Factory Tour in Boulder, Colorado

flickr.com via Wally Gobetz

The Celestial Seasonings Factory offers what may be one of the country’s most aromatic tours: a behind-the-scenes look at how tea is made. See for yourself the manufacturing magic, from blending to shipping, that goes into every cup of tea, including the company’s ever-popular Sleepytime blend.

Related:  15 Places Every American Should Visit at Least Once

Hershey’s Chocolate World in Hershey, Pennsylvania

flickr.com via Rain0975

Hershey’s Chocolate World’s big attraction isn’t technically a factory tour—it’s more like an educational ride, the likes of which you might find at Disneyland. Guests board a moving chain of cars, “It’s a Small World” style, to travel through the story of chocolate, where animatronic characters explain how Hershey makes the company’s iconic milk chocolate . After the tour, try other attractions, including a create-your-own-candy-bar activity or the 4D Chocolate Mystery show.

Related:  12 Destinations You Should Actually Visit During the Off-Season

Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory in Louisville, Kentucky

flickr.com via Alves Family

An apprentice in his father’s woodworking shop , John Andrew “Bud” Hillerich began crafting baseball bats for himself and his teammates in the 1880s. Although the company was originally known for its wood butter churn, the baseball bats eventually became the company’s signature item. Fast-forward more than a century, and guests on the factory tour can watch the bats made right before their eyes—and even receive a free miniature Louisville Slugger bat to take home as a souvenir.

Related: 12 Unusual Ways to Reinvent Old Sports Gear

Ben & Jerry’s Factory Tour and Ice Cream Shop in Waterbury, Vermont

Learn how one of America’s favorite ice creams is made, from farm to freezer. View the production room from a glassed-in mezzanine, and enjoy the sample of the day. After the tour, wander through the Flavor Graveyard to pay your respects to beloved flavors of years past.

Related:  17 Brands Born and Loved in the U.S.A.

Gibson Guitars in Memphis, Tennessee

Music lovers won’t want to miss the Gibson Beale Street Showcase in Memphis, where highly skilled luthiers (makers of stringed instruments) craft world-class guitars. On the tour, you’ll learn how Gibson became a leader in the musical instrument industry and trace the many steps involved in making a guitar, including binding, neck-fitting, painting, buffing, and tuning.

Related:  17 Things You Won’t Believe People Actually Collect

Toyota Tour in Georgetown, Kentucky

At the world’s largest Toyota manufacturing facility, more than 2,000 cars are made each day. The Georgetown, Kentucky, factory  welcomes visitors on weekdays for a tour that includes a tram ride around the plant, a discussion of the acclaimed car company’s future, and a peek at the very first Camry ever made in the United States—a pristine example of late-1980s auto design. 

Related:  Pedestrians Only: 20 Car-Free Cities in America

Airstream Factory Tour in Jackson Center, Ohio

flickr.com via Matthew Simoneau

For many, an Airstream isn’t just a convenient, comfortable way to get from point A to point B— it’s a way of life . These touring coaches and travel trailers are handcrafted in Jackson Center, Ohio, where the company welcomes visitors for a two-hour walking tour through the state-of-the-art factory.

Related:  The 18 Best Tiny Houses on Wheels

Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee

Make a trip to Lynchburg, Tennessee, for a behind-the-scenes tour of the whiskey-making process at the Jack Daniel Distillery. As  no distillery tour would be complete without a taste , upgrade to the Flight of Jack Distillery Tour, which includes a stop at historic Barrelhouse 1-14, where visitors over 21 years of age will savor a flight of five Jack Daniel’s whiskeys and liqueurs.

Related:  10 “Sober” Alternative Uses for Alcohol at Home

Tabasco Factory in Avery Island, Louisiana

flickr.com via Kent Kanouse

The McIlhenny Company has turned their hometown of Avery Island into a destination for lovers of their famous Tabasco® brand Pepper Sauce. A factory tour of their facility provides background on the McIlhenny Company and the McIlhenny family, and answers all your burning hot-sauce questions. While you’re there, take the Tabasco Culinary Tour, sample delicious Cajun cuisine, or take a Tabasco-centric cooking class with Hospitality Chef Lionel Robin.

Related: 17 New Essentials for Your Best-Ever BBQ

Pendleton Woolen Mills in Washougal, Washington, and Pendleton, Oregon

flickr.com via Association of Washington Business

Learn how Pendleton turns raw wool into fabric, and fabric into beautiful, intricate clothing and blankets . The Pendleton Blanket Mill and Washougal Weaving Mill offer weekday tours where they educate visitors about the weaving process and demonstrate how one weaver’s dream and the hard work of six generations turned Pendleton into a household name.

Related:  12 Household Favorites Born in the USA

Anker’s New Home Battery Tower Is a Sleek, Modular Step Toward Complete Energy Independence Anker’s New Home Battery Tower Is a Sleek, Modular Step Toward Complete Energy Independence

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The Government Is Paying People to Upgrade Their Home Comfort, Here’s Why The Government Is Paying People to Upgrade Their Home Comfort, Here’s Why

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Cars are made up of some 30,000 parts - all filled with care and craftsmanship in every step of production. People are the heart of Toyota's manufacturing.

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Made In America: A Guide To Northeast Factory Tours

Satiate your travelers’ curiosity about their favorite brands with engaging factory tours across the Northeast. No factory tour experience is the same as offerings vary across attractions. Some are whimsical and family-oriented experiences, while some are in-depth looks at classic American-made products. Historical walking tours, product demonstrations, or themed activities can make for a fun, yet educational group visit. No matter your group’s interest, the Northeast has plenty of factory tours that can be tailored to your needs. (Plus, you might even get to bring home a handmade souvenir!)

For instance, art enthusiasts rejoice at creative experiences that showcase the simple art of crayon production to the skill required to create glass masterpieces. The Crayola Experience in Easton, Pennsylvania, is the premier Crayola attraction celebrating the magic of color. Just a short drive from Philadelphia and New York City, the Crayola Experience invites visitors of all ages to think bigger, brighter, and bolder through its many interactive exhibits. As part of the attraction’s programming, visitors learn some little-known facts about the production of Crayola’s colorful tools that are made just down the road in Easton.

Tasty Tours

Does your group have a sweet tooth? Then Hershey’s Chocolate World in Hershey, Pennsylvania, is the perfect place to add to your next itinerary. Tourgoers can create their own candy bar with all their favorite flavors and even design the wrapper. Groups of 20 or more are eligible for ticket bundles, meal deals, and sweet treat vouchers.

Another sugary site is the Ben & Jerry’s Factory Experience in Waterbury, Vermont. This impressive facility manufactures over 350,000 pints per day while offering visitors a behind-the-scenes look at how their favorite ice cream is made. The tour includes a short movie about the company’s history followed by an explanation of how pints are created, all while groups overlook the production roomfloor and enjoy a sample or two.

Herr’s Snack Factory Tour and Visitor’s Center in Nottingham, Pennsylvania, offers the answer to the question, “What makes a great potato chip?” On your private tour, start with a short film about the history of the company and then explore the potato chip factory with the help of a personal guide and accompanying videos. Along the way, groups will learn fun facts about their favorite salty snack and can shop for souvenirs.

The Sam Adams Brewery in Boston, Massachusetts, offers a variety of tours. Depending on your group’s selection, tours include a behind-the-scenes look at the brewing process, a brewer Q&A, brewhouse tours, and beer and cheese samplings. For a nonalcoholic option, pay a visit to Avery’s Beverages in New Britain, Connecticut. Sherman F. Avery began making soda in the summer of 1904, and the company’s approach to soda-making remains largely the same over 100 years later. Today, groups can visit the property to sample and make their own craft sodas. During tours of the soda factory, groups visit the mixing room to measure syrup into each bottle, watch as the bottles are filled, and then hand shake each one. Groups can take home three bottles of their very own handmade soda and an official soda makers apron.

Historic Brands

Some factory tours expose groups to the processes used to create products famed for their quality and longevity. Pairpoint Glass Co. in Massachusetts was founded in 1837, making it America’s oldest glassblowing company. When visiting today, groups can watch a team of glassblowers use traditional techniques and tooling that have been handed down through generations while learning about the history of this storied company.

Mack trucks have been around for the past 100 years, and the process of making these beloved vehicles has long since been perfected. Automobile enthusiasts can visit the Mack Experience Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where visitors can take a deep dive into Mack’s rich history, complete product lineup, and manufacturing through innovative attractions. Exhibits include “Uptime in Real Time,” which simulates the operations of the Mack Uptime Center in Greensboro, North Carolina, a walk through the Mack Product Showroom, and a trip through the Mack Trucks Historical Museum’s collection of restored and preserved vintage trucks and memorabilia.

For nearly two centuries, Mason & Hamlin has used only the finest materials and methods to produce its high-quality pianos. Today, these instruments are used on stages across the country and are prized by audiences and performers alike for their distinctive, beautiful tone. Now, your group can tour the Mason & Hamlin Piano Factory Tour in Haverhill, Massachusetts, a town 45 minutes north of Boston, to learn how these instruments are made.

Lean into nostalgia with a trip to the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory in Shelburne, Vermont. Book a tour and your group can receive a Bear Ambassador escort as you learn the history of the company, how the fur is cut, and how bears are assembled, before making a stop at the bear hospital.

Written by Katherine Lawless

Main Image: Samuel Adams Brewhouse, Credit: Samuel Adams Boston Brewery

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Jelly Belly Factory Tour

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Ford Rouge Factory Tour

Experience the awe-inspiring scale of a real factory floor as you rev up your inner engineer. Get an inside look at the most iconic moments of American manufacturing history, and immerse yourself in automaking’s most progressive concepts.

Where Manufacturing Comes Alive

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Bring your class to the place where the sophisticated assembly of cars and trucks by robots and highly skilled tradespeople actually happens. Let them experience rare historic footage of Ford Motor Company and the Rouge Plant. Join them on a visit to the plant’s 10-acre living roof — a milestone in environmental design.

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Open seasonally and weather permitting, this self-guided walking tour offers a chance to see sustainable design in action at the historic Ford Rouge Complex. Follow a wood-chipped path along stormwater treatment ponds, through a crabapple and hawthorn orchard and around to a viewing point that overlooks beehives and the rest of the Rouge Complex. Return alongside a solar array to the Visitor Center.

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For the best guest experience, we recommend taking your buses directly to the Ford Rouge Factory Tour. Please inquire about available timeslots upon booking. For groups that are unable to take their own transportation, Ford Rouge Factory Tour shuttle buses depart from Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation every 20 minutes. If your field trip group exceeds the capacity of one shuttle bus, some chaperones and their students will need to wait for the next shuttle. Please inquire about available timeslots upon booking.

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Ever wondered how an atc is made we’d love to show you.

All tours are held at our headquarters in Nappanee, Indiana.

📍 ATC Headquarters 5225 E Market St Nappanee, IN 46550

Our facility is located on the south side of US 6, just east of downtown Nappanee. 

Please enter through the Visitors Entrance and check in with reception when you arrive.

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Each tour will begin with a quick history of ATC. You will then get a behind-the-scenes look at the entire production line, starting in the aluminum prep area, moving through the weld shop and each station, before ending in the rain bay. Please note: we will be walking/standing for the majority of the tour, so comfortable, closed toe shoes are recommended!

Your tour guide will be happy to answer any questions along the way, and you may even leave with some special ATC gear!

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Please plan to spend around 1 hour, regardless of which product line(s) you choose to tour.

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Please arrive 5 minutes before your scheduled tour time. Enter through our Visitors Entrance (west of the big windows) and check in with reception.

What Should I Wear?

For your safety, closed toe shoes are required when on the factory floor, and we recommend comfortable shoes for walking. Any additional safety equipment, such as safety glasses, will be provided when you arrive.

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Yes! We just ask that you tag us in anything you post on social media.

Are Pets Allowed?

To protect their safety, only service animals are allowed on tours. We ask that service animals wear protective coverings on their feet, as their may be nails, metal scraps, and other debris on the factory floor!

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Yes, we love to host large groups! Please email us at [email protected] to request coordinate.

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I say Factory Floor perform live right back at the beginning of their career, and they were awesome, and I was incredibly pleased that their recent performance lived up to my expectations, and exceeded them with their show. Their ‘post industrial’ sound as it’s been dubbed uses a great combination of live samples, drums, distortion pedals, and synths, as well as guitar. When you listen to a studio recording of the trio, you would assume that the electronic sounding backing was produced and recorded independently from the vocals, but seeing them live was a real eye opener to their sheer talent in producing live music.

Gabriel Gurnsey was positioned behind a huge mixing desk with her guitar, synth, and pedals to play all together, whilst providing the vocals as well.. In the mean time, the other two musicians, Nik Colk and Dominic Butler were providing the electronic and live drums, vocal and guitar samples, and additional layers of synths to fill out the sound. Watching this all unfold live was incredibly and a real showcase of talent.

They played through a great selection of their tracks, and played almost all of their self-titled album, which was incredible to hear live. They were great at interacting with us in the crowd, and encouraged everyone to dance along to the chilled out electronic sound. It was one of the most genuine showcases of talent I’ve ever witnessed.

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Factory Floor is not due to play near your location currently - but they are scheduled to play 1 concert across 1 country in 2024-2025. View all concerts.

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• Montreal, QC, Canada

Concerts played in 2024:

Touring history

Most played:

• London (86)
• Manchester (16)
• New York (NYC) (13)
• Bristol (6)
• Barcelona (5)

Appears most with:

• The Horrors (17)
• Warpaint (13)
• James Blake (11)
• Wild Beasts (10)
• SBTRKT (10)

Distance travelled:

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Ferrari Musems

Ferrari factory panoramic tour.

A museum guide will also discuss the various characteristics of the Ferrari track where the Prancing Horse has carried out all its competition and road car tests since 1972. Likewise the Ferrari Campus, the heart of the complex where all the Prancing Horse cars are built. The buildings and facilities designed by world-leading architects of the likes of Renzo Piano, Massimiliano Fuksas, Jean Nouvel, Marco Visconti and Luigi Sturchio are also fascinating. Equally interesting is the historic part of the factory which has been meticulously preserved, not least the factory entrance which dates back to 1947.

The Panoramic Tour is completely different to the Ferrari Factory Tour as factory visits are only available to clients and F1 sponsors. Visitors are not permitted to leave the shuttle bus, take photographs or video footage during the Panoramic Tour.

Visitors must remain on the bus at all times throughout the tour, and both photography and videoing are prohibited.

For further details, please read the rules for the Fiorano Track and Viale Enzo Ferrari Panoramic Tour. Fiorano Track and Viale Enzo Ferrari Tour Rules Private shuttle buses can be organised on request. For any queries, please write to: [email protected] or contact Vivara Viaggi at Tel. +39 (0) 51 6120818.

* We would ask disabled visitors to kindly advise us of their booking at  [email protected]  or contact Vivara Viaggi at tel. +39 051 6120818.

The Panoramic Tour shuttle bus departs from the plaza in front of the Ferrari Museum in Maranello. 

For further details, please refer to the Fiorano Track and Viale Enzo Ferrari Tour rules. 

To book the Exclusive Panoramic Tour with private shuttle bus for groups of up to five

Immerse   yourself   in   the   Ferrari   story

Ferrari   Factory   Tour

Musei   Ferrari   Pass

Experience the incredible BOXABL factory in person!

What to expect on a BOXABL tour

Join us for an immersive experience where you’ll have the opportunity to:

• Tour Our Facilities : Get a firsthand look at our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities where the Casita comes to life.
• Visualize Your Future Home : Step inside our fully furnished Casitas and experience the comfort and functionality our living spaces.
• Meet Our Fabs : Engage with our fabulous tour guides who will be able to answer your questions, and provide you with expert guidance throughout the tour.

Important Information

Before you join us for a BOXABL factory tour, here are a few things you should know:

• Group Tour : Our tours are conducted in groups. Please arrive 5-10 minutes prior to your scheduled tour, so that we can start promptly with the rest of the group.
• Minors Policy : Minors are welcome, but please be advised there is a 48” minimum height requirement to enter the factory due to safety reasons. For smaller children who aren’t able to enter the factory, we offer the opportunity for them to experience the dress up Casitas that are set up in the parking lot.
• Production Schedule : Our current production schedule runs from Monday to Thursday until 3pm. If you’re interested in seeing our production process live, please be sure to schedule your tour during these days & hours. You are still able to schedule a tour on a Friday, but there will not be production going on.

Book your tour

Select a date and time below for your tour of the BOXABL facilities in Las Vegas, NV

FACTORY BUILDING 1 - DRONE TOUR

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Ice-Cream Factory Tour

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Munich Plant Tour

The BMW Group plant in Munich combines the highest quality of engineering with innovative strength and passion. BMW branded vehicles and engines were produced in the heart of Berlin as early as 1922. Today, the plant employs around 8,000 people who produce around eleven million premium automobiles from the assembly line.

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Jelly Belly Visitor Center Expands Guided Tour Options

Tour guides lead guests along the colorful, quarter-mile elevated tour corridor, while offering behind-the-scenes information about the candymaking operations that take place on the floor below, the company reports.Guests also experience the recent tour updates, including 4K videos that give a closer look at a Jelly Belly bean’s journey through the factory, along with interactive exhibits and games. The guide is also available to answer questions throughout the tour. At the end of their tour, guests receive a free sample, a discount on souvenir photos and a discount card for the Jelly Belly Candy Store.

Available by reservation only, the Personal Guided Tour Experience is available daily from  10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  with a fee of $39 for groups of up to six guests.

The company’s complimentary self-guided tour is open daily to the public from  9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and features the  same updated tour lane with interactive exhibits, 4K video and free samples.

The company also offers the Jelly Belly University Tour, where guests are guided through the factory floor to experience a working candy factory and watch master confectioners as they make Jelly Belly jelly beans. Tour guests are issued lab coats, gloves and hair nets, prior to being guided along the factory floor for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the candy factory.

Jelly Belly University Tours are offered on weekdays only for $59 per person, and reservations are required.

The Jelly Belly Factory Tour has been included in top 10 lists and has received awards for excellence over the years. Jelly Belly has welcomed more than seven million visitors since opening its doors to the public for tours in the mid-1980s. C&ST

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A survivor's guide to Taylor Swift floor tickets: Lessons from an Eras Tour veteran

STOCKHOLM — Thousands of fans line up each morning ahead of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour shows hoping to get one of the coveted spots on the open, first-come, first-served arena floor.

In America, fans buy designated seats. Abroad, the floor is like a Southwest flight. There are no assigned seats, and those with VIP tickets nab the best spots since they are let into the arena an hour early.

Unless fans have VIP tickets, they'll probably end up in the mid-to-back sections of the floor, no matter how early they line up. After getting two floor tickets to two shows — one in Paris and one in Sweden — here are my tips for navigating the magic and madness of the ground level.

Like we were in Paris

An hour before Swift's last show in Paris, I and a friend of mine made a last-minute decision to buy $150 floor tickets off StubHub. We went to the arena 10 minutes before the opening act, Paramore, took the stage. At intermission, we stood by the VIP tent. I was able to say hi to "Grey’s Anatomy" star Jessica Capshaw . Twenty feet away, singer Christina Milian sat in a director's chair. 

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Up above fans noticed Swift's boyfriend Travis Kelce , his best friend Ross Travis, actor Bradley Cooper, supermodel Gigi Hadid and rock star Lenny Kravitz in a suite. I could understand why Kelce was in a box. The chaos of fans zooming in on their phone cameras to get grainy shots of his every reaction and waving arm dance moves was nonstop. But I get it, I got one for Instagram when Swift punctuated her 87th — his jersey number — show with a mashup of love songs including one that he inspired: “The Alchemy,” “Treacherous,” “Begin Again” and “Paris.”

Walking along the back rim of the floor and following Swift as she performed from different parts of the massive catwalk, I felt carefree and untethered. It was liberating not to fear losing a spot. Several fans danced in the less congested area similar to the thousands who danced in theater aisles during the blockbuster release of the concert movie.

Predicting Kelce would come down near the stage during “Karma,” I walked over to the guardrail and waved during the “Midnights” song. He and Swift took a different exit than her dancers, singers and bandmates. My friend had been to the Eras Tour a few times before and said that was his favorite show. 

It’s nice to have a friend

In Sweden, I bought a floor seat on the right side of the stage. Hoping to get a closer spot, I camped out. The long wait created a mini community that exchanged friendship bracelets and the latest clown theories while posting videos to Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. My favorite costumes in the Y entrance line were two Reputation clowns wearing scaly dresses and snaky blue boas paired with bright-red clown wigs that made everyone smile. (The joke is Swifties incessantly “clown” the singer will announce the rerelease of her sixth album and she has yet to.)

The shade from Friends Arena blocked the Swedish sun with temperatures in the 70s. The less-than-long merch lines allowed fans to save each other’s spaces to buy $75 hoodies and $45 T-shirts.

With no bags allowed in the arena , fans filled their pockets with only essentials like external battery chargers, wallets, passports and chapsticks.

Patient line waiters drank water early. Two Finnish fans by me said they stopped hydrating a couple hours before doors opened for fear of getting a good place and having to use the restroom. 

Thousands of VIP fans entered an hour early, and any hope of getting a stage-side dominion was lost for general admission.

I staked a claim near the railing on the side of the stage base (by the corner of the back screen). Guitarist Paul Sidoti threw guitar picks to fans. Back-up vocalists Kamilah Marshall and Eliotte Woodford waved to admirers between running backstage for wardrobe changes and joining Swift center-stage. Pianist Karina DePiano stayed at the keys the whole concert but danced and sang to every tune. The other bandmates and vocalists were on the opposite, left corner.

Security guards who bordered the stage between the fan barricade and catwalk had stacks of cups and multiple, liter-sized water bottles. They frequently asked if anyone needed hydration. Around the “1989” set two-thirds of the way into the show, Swifties took the guards up on the offer.

At least four times on Swift's third night in Stockholm, fans were escorted by a guard along the stage to an area where they would get medical attention. One of the four was carried by a guard who asked his cohorts to get the girl water. Outside, the night chill hovered at 54 degrees and inside the arena’s temperature was tepid at best.

Several water stations on the floor included disposable cups with multiple faucets over a bathtub where fans could fill up.

At one point during the acoustic set, Swift paused to ask fans , “Someone in the front row, can you tell me yes or no to this question: When you guys are putting a bunch of flashlights up in a group, does that mean people need help?”

More: Taylor Swift pauses acoustic set of Stockholm Eras Tour show to check on fans

Best seat in the house?

There are advantages to each section of the floor. The diamond part of the stage is the premier spot for the most close interactions with Swift. It gets the rising platform, smoke shooters and bulk of the performances.

The two base corners by the back screen and the catwalk between the back screen and diamond allow fans to see “The Man” set, “Folklore” cottage and famous “Enchanted” look back as Swift exits the “Speak Now” era. It’s also the space where most entrances and exits happen.

The far end of the catwalk is where the “22" hat is given out, where “Love Story” culminates as flashing lights shoot across the entire arena and where Swift begins “The Tortured Poets Department” era with “But Daddy I Love Him.”

After being to multiple shows, I would vie for a seat looking directly at the stage, perpendicular to the back screen. You get the chance to give your legs and back a rest between eras. You have a designated spot, and you can see the entire show including animations.

The open floor offers two options. For the VIP ticket holder, you get a front row vantage of the record-breaking show along with the best photo and video opportunities. But if you’re not in VIP and on the floor, succumb to not getting the best media and dance in your best dress, fearless.

Follow Taylor Swift reporter Bryan West on  Instagram ,  TikTok  and  X as @BryanWestTV .

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