4 factory tours in Nevada

From chocolates galore to colorful candy and even impressive engineering, these Nevada factory tours help you connect to the products you’re consuming.

Factory tours do a lot of good for businesses and consumers alike, and the science even proves it. Early 2025 research published in the journal “Industrial Marketing Management” shows that “trust” is built between consumer and business during factory tours, as well as “increased revenues” resulting from said newfound consumer faith in the factories’ products and processes. Essentially, factory tours lead to higher profits and consumer belief in the companies, while guests leave with heightened brand awareness, a stronger sense of community (especially if touring factories in your neighborhood, city, or state), and maybe some goodies for the road.

Much like the many Nevada festivals you need to put on your 2025 calendar, The Silver State’s got some factory tours that you don’t want to miss out on. Some fan-favorite factory tours have sadly concluded over the years, including the Jet Puff marshmallow tour at Henderson’s Favorite Brands International, but others are still going strong and bringing joy to locals and tourists alike, from candy and chocolate to liqueurs and cars. 

1. Kimmie Candy

Address: 405 Edison Way, Reno, NV 89502

Cost: Free

Length: 1 hour

Ages: All Ages

Reno’s Kimmie Candy is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and in addition to perusing this chocolate and candy manufacturer’s wide array of stunning treats, you can take a tour of the factory to see exactly how those treats are made. As if that doesn’t sound exciting enough, Kimmie Candy’s rooms all have deliciously enticing names. On the tour, you’ll meander through the Kaleidoscope Mixing Room, the Candy Carousel Room, Kimmy Candy’s Wonderland, the Candy Coating Cove, and more. Just like the rooms’ names, the entire building is colorful and enchanting, making you feel like you stepped into a real-life, well, Wonderland!

Before you leave, you can buy chocolates and candies, including ones themed after “Harry Potter” and Crush soda, as well as Kimmie Candy merchandise, like hoodies and T-shirts. Just don’t forget to book an appointment on the factory’s website, as Kimmie Candy’s tours are appointment-only—and you don’t want to risk missing your chance because this is one of the best factory tours in the area.

In fact, Nevadans and tourists alike flock to Kimmie Candy for a sweet time, and its reviews show how beloved it truly is. “This was a real life [Willy] Wonka Chocolate factory,” one Tripadvisor reviewer wrote. “Locally owned and operated by natives. Perfect event for a date night, family night, or a chocolate craving.” Others point out that you need to wear a hair net during your trip, which makes sense considering you’re walking through rooms where goods that’ll soon be sold are being carefully crafted. One reviewer specifically noted that they wished to hear more details about the founding family’s history, but overall, everyone noted that they loved the free tasting at the end of the tour.

2. Shelby Heritage Center Tour

Address: 6405 Ensworth St., Las Vegas, NV 89119

Cost: Adult: $59, Child: $49

Length: 1 hour

Ages: All Ages

The Shelby Heritage Center Tour immerses its guests in the Shelby American world of glistening muscle cars, which the company’s been known for since its inception in the ‘60s. Here, you’ll see cars in a variety of colors, but shiny blue and silver tones will likely steal the show, being hues that Shelby American is known for. Shelby American offers its Shelby Heritage Center Tours seven days a week and year-round, with the only notable off days including Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Independence Day, and Dec. 28 through Jan. 1 for the company’s annual inventory and New Year’s Eve and Day. 

Do note that while this is a more expensive tour on this list, each ticket does include a VIP gift that you’ll get at the end of the tour. Moreover, the Shelby Heritage Center is open daily for guest perusing—you can traipse along and check out the cars at your own pace for free without taking part in a VIP tour. That said, opting into the VIP tour grants you more history and information about the company and its cars, as well as views at “muscle cars being built in real time,” according to Shelby American’s website.

Car aficionados will undoubtedly appreciate this tour, with one writing on Tripadvisor, “I absolutely love mustangs of any kind. I was like a kid in a candy store.” Based on how colorful and immersive this tour it, we’d imagine anyone would have a blast, but if you’re with someone who’s truly not into it, just follow this reviewer’s advice: “If you’re not into cars, there are some benches to sit on while you wait – they are inside, so out of the weather.” 

Visitors of the Shelby Heritage Center looking at souped-up cars in striking shades of silver and blue. (Charles Siritho/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

3. Ethel M Chocolates Factory

Address: 2 Cactus Garden Dr, Henderson, NV 89014

Self-Guided Tour: Free

Chocolate Tasting Experience: Adult: $25, Child: $15

Self-Guided Tour Length: Varies

Chocolate Tasting Experience Length: 30-45 minutes

Ages: All Ages

The Ethel M Chocolates Factory is a fun but interesting case, as it’s one of the self-guided tours that have been popping up more and more across the country. Here, guests can visit between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday to see expert chocolatiers in the flow of making the very treats that you can buy in the Ethel storefront or online. You’ll see every step of the process, from making the chocolates to packaging them, and since it’s self-guided, you can fall into the mesmerizing nature of chocolate-making for however long you’d like. Additionally, you can take a stroll through the factory’s cactus garden, which is equal parts tranquil and beautiful.

There’s no better place to enjoy fresh sweets—that contain zero artificial preservatives, per the company’s website—and savor the experience you just had than in the cactus garden. If you enjoy your self-guided tour, you can book one of Ethel M Chocolates’ chocolate tasting experiences, which includes more rich information about “how our gourmet chocolate is sourced, refined and produced, and understand how to identify subtle flavor notes in our chocolates,” per the factory’s website. For an extra $10 per adult, you can add wine to your tasting experience.

This chocolate experience is one of the most popular factory tours in Nevada, with hundreds of thousands heading outside of the Las Vegas strip to indulge in it each year—and they simply love it. “Paid $20 for the chocolate tasting ‘class.’ Learned more here than all my reading and visits to Hershey,” one Tripadvisor reviewer wrote after their visit. “The free education is offered through a glass wall watching the crafts people making the delights. And bonus – be on the lookout for free samples.” Another reviewer added that “[t]his is a must do while in Vegas.” That sounds promising to us!

A peek inside the Ethel M Chocolates Factory showing chocolate creations on a conveyor belt. (Ken Lund/CC BY-SA 2.0)

4. Ferino Distillery

Address: 541 E 4th St, Reno, NV 89512

Cost: $25

Length: 1 hour

Ages: 21+

Ferino Distillery in Reno offers tours of groups up to 10 people, and when you arrive, you’ll have the chance to kick off the party early by purchasing and imbibing some craft cocktails or full bottles. But don’t worry—you’ll have the same opportunity after the tour, which is particularly divine because the tour includes a smattering of samples, and you’ll be able to purchase full bottles of any drinks that really grab your attention and taste buds. In addition to drinks throughout your hour-long excursion, the tour at Ferino Distillery includes fascinating information about the business and the folks who founded it, with the business’ website noting an “ancient connection to Italian spirits.” Moreover, you’ll get a close-up view of the distilling and factory processes involved in making these flavored alcohols.

As for what you’ll be tasting, the flight includes award-winning bevvies like the Caffe Notte Coffee Liqueur, the Cannella Cinnamon Cordial, and the Amaro Cannella. If you sense a theme, you’re correct—Cannella is the surname of Ferino Distillery founder Joe Cannella, and it translates to “cinnamon” in Italian, which is precisely why cinnamon is featured in a variety of drinks here.

People love a good beverage, and they also love a good tour. Thankfully, Ferino Distillery has one of those factory tours that offers both. “One of the best if not the best so far tours that I have experienced,” one Tripadvisor reviewer wrote after visiting. Another said, “Will be back next time I’m in Reno, and I’ll bring a bigger bag so I can take some bottles home!” Overall, the tour has mostly 5-star reviews online, making it a must-do next time you’re in Reno. 

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.