factory tours in the U.S. ?? - Timeshare Users Group Online Community Forums

Laurel · November 5, 2006, 05:39 PM

Can anyone recommend a list of factory tours located in North America? I am hoping to find a book or a website listing factory tours I can attend on vacations. For example: Fenton Glass factory in Ohio, Jolly Rancher Candy factory in Colorado, etc.

I'm looking for fun things to do so that my family will branch out and vacation in new destinations. We love to see how things are made and my children are young (2 & 4 years old)....so I'm thinking candy factories and toy factories would be highest priority.

Thank you!

pcgirl54 · November 5, 2006, 07:05 PM

Both the Food Channel and Travel Channel have shows devoted to this. I love this myself and tried to do this on past vacations.
http://travel.discovery.com/fansites...factories.html

http://travel.discovery.com/fansites...dsfactory.html

www.factorytoursusa.com - click on a state

book

http://www.factorytour.com

topcop400 · November 5, 2006, 07:09 PM

The Jelly Belly factory is just South of me in Fairfield, California. They give tours and kids especially love it. You can buy big bags of "Belly Flops".

judy.f · November 5, 2006, 07:22 PM

Nissan, Saturn, Corvette, and Toyota all do tours of their manufacturing facilities - Nissan in Smyrna, Tennessee (about 25 miles southeast of Nashville on I-24), Saturn in Spring Hill, Tennessee (about 30 miles south of Nashville on I-65) Corvette in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and Toyota in Georgetown, Kentucky, near Lexington - which is also in the middle of Kentucky horse country and home of the Kentucky Horse Park, which has a lot of horsepower of the original variety.

Not candy and toys, but still very interesting.

DeniseM · November 5, 2006, 07:41 PM

Our favorite factory tour is Anchor Brewing in San Francisco.

It's free, and after the tour they open the bar for about an hour, for unlimited sampling. It's so popular that you have to make a reservation. http://www.anchorbrewing.com/about_us/tourinfo.htm

Jeni · November 5, 2006, 08:13 PM

The Crayola Factory in PA is great for kids, but it's not so much of a factory tour anymore as a hands-on experience. Same for the chocolate tour at Hershey. In Lancaster County you can also tour the Herrs Potato Chip factory, the Wilbur Chocolate factory, and the Sturgis Pretzel House.

CSB · November 5, 2006, 10:15 PM

Great question Laurel.

Thanks for the links, pcgirl54. I went into the factory tours web site. Last year when we drove from Massanutten to Toronto, we stopped in Grove City PA on the way back because someone on TUG recommended the outlet mall located here. Little did I know that we could have toured Wendell August Forge. Next trip I will definitely check out the factory tours first.

Spence · November 5, 2006, 10:39 PM

www.howstuffworks.com/cp-archive.htm
www.bygpub.com/books/tg2rw/factory-tours.htm

Andi · November 5, 2006, 10:49 PM

One of the best tours we have taken is the Boeing Plant near Seattle.

Andi

tashamen · November 6, 2006, 09:01 AM

Kids that age would enjoy the Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory tour in Waterbury, and the Vermont Teddy Bear factory tour in Shelburne. Both are easy trips from the Stowe area or Smuggler's Notch.

Laurel · November 6, 2006, 08:42 PM

Thank you for all of the wonderful suggestions!

Laurel

MikeM132 · November 8, 2006, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeni

The Crayola Factory in PA is great for kids, but it's not so much of a factory tour anymore as a hands-on experience. Same for the chocolate tour at Hershey. In Lancaster County you can also tour the Herrs Potato Chip factory, the Wilbur Chocolate factory, and the Sturgis Pretzel House.

If you are in the Pennsylvania area, "Just Born" gives tours. They make jelly beans and those marshmallow "Peeps" candies. You get to eat warm Peeps on the tour, which are supposedly very good. This is near Crayola. Also in that general area (not so interesting for kids) is the Yuengling Brewery tour. This is the oldest operating brewery in the US and the tour is pretty interesting. THey have 2 every day as something like 10AM and 1PM.
Hopewell Furnace is a tour of an 18th century forge/foundry. This is down in the general Reading/Lancaster area. They operate this thing for tourists, and it was a major player in the Revolutionary War.
If you are really into it, PP&L (Pennsylvania Power and Light) gives power plant tours, too. You have to set this up in advance, but that is really interesting for everybody. This is just some stuff that I am familiar with in Eastern PA, and since Crayola was mentioned.

November 5, 2006, 05:39 PM	#1
Laurel TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Feb 16, 06 Location: Lakewood, Colorado Posts: 4	factory tours in the U.S. ?? Can anyone recommend a list of factory tours located in North America? I am hoping to find a book or a website listing factory tours I can attend on vacations. For example: Fenton Glass factory in Ohio, Jolly Rancher Candy factory in Colorado, etc. I'm looking for fun things to do so that my family will branch out and vacation in new destinations. We love to see how things are made and my children are young (2 & 4 years old)....so I'm thinking candy factories and toy factories would be highest priority. Thank you!

November 5, 2006, 07:05 PM	#2
pcgirl54 TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 2,632 Resorts: Marriott Barony Beach & Marriott Harbour Point HHI Brewster Green Resort on Cape Cod	tours Both the Food Channel and Travel Channel have shows devoted to this. I love this myself and tried to do this on past vacations. http://travel.discovery.com/fansites...factories.html http://travel.discovery.com/fansites...dsfactory.html www.factorytoursusa.com - click on a state book http://www.factorytour.com __________________ PCgirl54 Last edited by pcgirl54 : November 5, 2006 at 07:09 PM.

November 5, 2006, 07:09 PM	#3
topcop400 TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: May 24, 06 Location: Northern California Posts: 230 Resorts: Wyndham Alexandria Cypress Pointe Grandvillas in Orlando	The Jelly Belly factory is just South of me in Fairfield, California. They give tours and kids especially love it. You can buy big bags of "Belly Flops". __________________ Becky Northern California "Where the air is clean, but the pay sucks."

November 5, 2006, 07:41 PM	#5
DeniseM Moderator TUG Lifetime Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Northern, CA Posts: 14,068 Resorts: Starwood-WKORV, SDO, & SVR, Branson-Roark Vacation Club, Tahoe-Kingsbury Crossing, Kauai Beach Villas - 2 weeks	Our favorite factory tour is Anchor Brewing in San Francisco. It's free, and after the tour they open the bar for about an hour, for unlimited sampling. It's so popular that you have to make a reservation. http://www.anchorbrewing.com/about_us/tourinfo.htm __________________ DeniseM "Starwood is hired to administer reservations, clean the toilets, and take out the trash. They are not paid to interfere with owners' usage. They're acting as if they own the place." - Pit

November 5, 2006, 10:15 PM	#7
CSB TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Thornhill, Ontario Posts: 382 Resorts: Carriage Hills	Great question Laurel. Thanks for the links, pcgirl54. I went into the factory tours web site. Last year when we drove from Massanutten to Toronto, we stopped in Grove City PA on the way back because someone on TUG recommended the outlet mall located here. Little did I know that we could have toured Wendell August Forge. Next trip I will definitely check out the factory tours first. __________________ Cindy

November 5, 2006, 07:22 PM	#4
judy.f TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Posts: 44 Resorts: Marriott Monarch at Sea Pines	Nissan, Saturn, Corvette, and Toyota all do tours of their manufacturing facilities - Nissan in Smyrna, Tennessee (about 25 miles southeast of Nashville on I-24), Saturn in Spring Hill, Tennessee (about 30 miles south of Nashville on I-65) Corvette in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and Toyota in Georgetown, Kentucky, near Lexington - which is also in the middle of Kentucky horse country and home of the Kentucky Horse Park, which has a lot of horsepower of the original variety. Not candy and toys, but still very interesting.

November 5, 2006, 08:13 PM	#6
Jeni TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Aug 1, 06 Location: Hampton Roads, VA Posts: 548 Resorts: Kings Creek Plantation, Williamsburg, VA SeaScape, Outer Banks, NC Marriott Cypress Harbour, FL	The Crayola Factory in PA is great for kids, but it's not so much of a factory tour anymore as a hands-on experience. Same for the chocolate tour at Hershey. In Lancaster County you can also tour the Herrs Potato Chip factory, the Wilbur Chocolate factory, and the Sturgis Pretzel House.

November 5, 2006, 10:39 PM	#8
Spence TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: MD Suburban Posts: 2,231 Resorts: Club Sunterra and a few others	www.howstuffworks.com/cp-archive.htm www.bygpub.com/books/tg2rw/factory-tours.htm

November 5, 2006, 10:49 PM	#9
Andi TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 13, 05 Location: Foley, AL Posts: 41	Tours One of the best tours we have taken is the Boeing Plant near Seattle. Andi

November 6, 2006, 09:01 AM	#10
tashamen TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 9, 05 Location: VT Posts: 1,420 Resorts: Club Intrawest points, Trapp Family Lodge, TUG member since Jan 2002	Kids that age would enjoy the Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory tour in Waterbury, and the Vermont Teddy Bear factory tour in Shelburne. Both are easy trips from the Stowe area or Smuggler's Notch.

November 6, 2006, 08:42 PM	#11
Laurel TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Feb 16, 06 Location: Lakewood, Colorado Posts: 4	Thank you! Thank you for all of the wonderful suggestions! Laurel

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