11 Must-Visit Factory Tours Across the US

What’s more enjoyable 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 simply curious, companies around the US—some that have been in business for decades, and in some cases, for over a century—offer a fresh perspective to experience their products. Visiting a factory provides insight into how your favorite items come to life, typically in a hands-on, interactive, and entertaining way. From Cape Cod potato chips to PEZ candies, these 11 factory tours are undeniably 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. With floor-to-ceiling windows, you can watch tiny tabs being packaged. (Along with its sister candy-making factory in Traun, Austria, the company produces 5 billion candies each year).

Explore the decades of memorabilia packed into the two-story center and embark 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 trip to Waterbury, Vermont, to their bucket list. The Ben & Jerry’s factory tour grants 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 their delicious flavors. Conclude your visit with a stroll around the outdoor Flavor Graveyard, which pays tribute to discontinued pints.

If a 30-minute tour isn’t enough, opt for the Flavor Fanatic Experience. This $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, alongside the Kennedy compound and ferries to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, you will find the Cape Cod Potato Chip factory. More than 250,000 visitors each year embark on the free, self-guided tour, including a journey through the facility to see potato chips made in custom kettles, with relics from the first factory dating back to the 1980s.

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

US Mint – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

If you have coins in your pocket, there’s a good chance they were minted in Philadelphia. (You can identify them 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 witness the process during the self-guided, 45-minute tours offered to the public most days.

View the coining operation from 40 ft above the factory floor, check out historic artifacts such as the press used to create the nation’s first coins in 1792, and admire the series of seven, 5-ft-tall Tiffany glass mosaics commemorating the opening of the third US Mint building in 1901. While the Mint doesn’t offer free samples, you can purchase commemorative coins and other collectibles in the gift shop.

Jelly Belly Factory – Fairfield, California

The sixth-generation, family-run candy company has been in business since 1898, crafting the beloved Jelly Beans since 1976. At the Jelly Belly Factory, self-guided tours lead visitors through a quarter-mile-long elevated path, featuring interactive exhibits and views of the factory floor. For a flat fee of $39 for groups of up to six, private tour guides will provide an in-depth experience. Everyone receives free samples of the rainbow-hued treat at the conclusion of the tour.

Louisville Slugger Factory – Louisville, Kentucky

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

Tillamook Creamery Factory – Tillamook, Oregon

Inside the strikingly modern facade of Oregon’s Tillamook Creamery Factory, the milk from the company’s fourth-generation farm is transformed into award-winning cheeses. Get a bird’s-eye view from the observation windows that overlook the factory floor, where the process transitions 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, aging from 60 days to 6 years before being sent back out to the warehouse to be cut into bricks and packed for grocery stores. Don’t forget to sample all the cheese before you depart!

Hershey’s Chocolate Factory – Hershey, Pennsylvania

In the central Pennsylvania town of Hershey, you’ll encounter lamp posts shaped like Hershey’s Kisses, and a delightful chocolate scent usually fills the air. To find the source, head straight for the Hershey’s Chocolate Factory. During the free, 30-minute tour, visitors are treated to an immersive journey through the facility to see how chocolate is made, from cocoa bean to foil-wrapped bar, concluding with a Hershey’s treat.

For $26.95, the create-your-own candy bar tour allows visitors to craft their own confection and design a personalized wrapper for a unique souvenir.

Crayola Experience – Easton, Pennsylvania

Crayola has been in operation for over a century, producing iconic crayons and coloring supplies for kids and adults alike. (Color Escapes, i.e., adult coloring books, were introduced in 2015.) The colorful company has a manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, approximately halfway between Philadelphia and New York City. Here, visitors can experience the Crayola Experience. Guests can observe live demonstrations of crayon making, pose for personalized coloring pages, mold critters or characters from crayon wax, and even name a color, taking home a keepsake crayon.

Taylor Guitars – San Diego, California

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

The 75-minute tour takes place right on the factory floor, allowing visitors to absorb each step of the process, from wood selection and assembly to the finished product. Don’t miss the guitar room, where myriad models await to be tested. (Tours aren’t conducted 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 unique in North America, providing an inside look at a working commercial jet engine assembly plant, highlighting the factory tour, plus a Boeing gallery showcasing over 150 products the company manufactures 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 fundamentals of coding robots for use in the manufacturing process. Tours are so popular that travelers can embark on day trips from downtown Seattle, which include transportation, hotel pickup, and drop-off. (Visitors must be at least 4 years old or 122 cm tall to participate in the tour.)