The six-month-old plant churns calmly forward, the assembly line formed in the shape of a U. 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. "They make music posters," I said. "We find that our employees are more efficient and make fewer mistakes. The Tour: At the factory of this perfume maker, one of the most storied and venerable in France, visitors learn about the flowers, plants, and trees that are used in fragrances, and how they are distilled into essential oils in the laboratories. From a chance to learn about the history of Disney World to sampling freshly brewed beers, get behind-the-scenes secrets from some of the most fun factory tours … Veuve Clicquot, Credit: What part of me do you think it would eat first? For those on a budget, $10 gets you the standard factory tour—still thrilling, just no keys at the end. ", This tireless, meticulous labor accounts for the cost of the rods: ranging from $500 to $3,000. Fortunately, the gift shop sells only hats and sweatshirts. 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. With tons of fun mirrors and DIY projects, this tour of a former factory is a great way to … The Best Factory Tours In the Northwest. Tip Top Vent d'Arguin, Arcachon. If you know of any other outstanding factory or plant tours … "This is our cheese puff, corn puff, and popcorn department," said both our guide and, I hope, whoever greets me in the afterlife. Uwe Walter, Credit: The Best Factory Tours in France. "There's the big cat," I exclaimed, like some kid seeing a ballplayer parking his car. he asked, assuming I was a buyer. 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. The Tour: After a short film on this company’s colorful history, visitors see how the hot-pepper sauce—invented after the Civil War on this 2,200-acre island in the bayou country—is made, bottled, and packaged. Though perhaps not as magical as Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, four of the largest chocolate producers in the world offer fun tours … B. Lucky for me, I was already there.—Brian Barrett, Everett, Washington: 90 minutes; $20 (adults), $14 (age 15 and under). The factory store at the end offers unlimited samples. Having traveled thousands of miles and personally visited hundreds of factory tours since 1992, we invite you to explore some manufacturing mysteries of the world. 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. The Tour: Visitors see the company’s largest production facility (230 acres), along with the manufacturing and assembly areas where the famous hogs get put together. Before the inspection, some even dance while they paint the instruments. But the best part comes afterward, at the free tasting, when someone inevitably volunteers to try the inferno-level habanero sauce. Sandy Campbell /Gibson Guitar 2009, Credit: The Ethel M Factory Tour, Nevada09. Martin guitars have been played by Johnny Cash, Joan Baez, Paul Simon, and Beck, among many others. You can taste them at every stage of the tour, but save your appetite. Veteran employees, some who've been there 30 years, operate antique treadle machines customized to work with the brand's hallmark rugged twill. Whether you're traveling solo or planning a family vacation, here are the 50 best places to visit in 2021. A simple, centuries-old process that retains all the nutrients of the original grains and corn. The first time I saw a Fender Telecaster up close was in 1979 on the stage of the Hollywood Palladium. The tour is epic: four buildings, three hours, two and a half miles. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, The 30 Most Impressive Bridges in the World, How the Capitol Can Stop Another Storming, Saudi Arabia Is Building a City in a Straight Line, The Wild Conspiracy That the Titanic Never Sank, Watch a Capsized Cargo Ship Get Cut in Half, Everything You Need to Know About Clean Coal, Humans Take Their First Trip Inside a Hyperloop. 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. 20, 2019 Whether it's Ben & Jerry's in Vermont or the Pez Visitor Center in Connecticut, food factory tours are the most … Here is a list of many of the best factory tours in the USA, although admittedly a few of these are simulations of actual factory tours and some are service-oriented instead of product-oriented. 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. There are so many kilns. Factory Tour. We've got a yard now, and a dog, and some savings. Strummer was thousands of miles from his London home that night. 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. Filson started in 1897 to outfit Gold Rush prospectors has continued to thrive. Don’t Miss: The panoramic view of San Francisco from the brewhouse and, of course, the free tasting at the end. He smiled, pointed to a poster of Jimi Hendrix, and simply said, "Him." this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. 5.0. Then visit Avery Island’s Jungle Gardens, home to alligators and snowy egrets saved from extinction by a member of the McIlhenny family, which founded Tabasco and still owns it. There's probably no escaping taking the kids to an amusement park this summer—sweltering in long lines and paying for overpriced junk food. Then again, if that keeps him out of the taverns for a few extra years, maybe it's not all bad. Travel + Leisure is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation Travel + Leisure Group All Rights Reserved, registered in the United States and other countries.