Things to Do in Massachusetts: 3 Popular Factory Tours

Are you looking for a unique attraction to visit when you travel to Massachusetts, or are you perhaps a resident, in search of something different to do with your free time?

How about taking a food factory tour?

Many food manufacturers, with national and local distribution alike, allow the public to visit and tour their factory for an inexpensive price, and often times, for free. Factory tours are usually suitable for all ages and are a great opportunity to learn about a product, see how it is made, and try some tasty free samples.

Below is detailed information on three popular factory tours in Massachusetts that you might consider visiting while you are in the state:

Cape Cod Potato Chips

100 Breed's Hill Road

Hyannis, MA 02601

888-881-CHIP (2447)

(508) 775-3358

The Cape Cod Potato Chips Company began in 1980 when Founders, Steve and Lynn Bernard, set up a small shop on Cape Cod, in Hyannis, Massachusetts, to try to sell their favorite home cooked potato chips to the public. The business took off shortly after it started. The chips soon became popular among the locals as well as visiting tourists, who would take the chips back to other parts of the world and share them with friends. Eventually, Cape Cod Potato Chips became an international success, most famous for their distinctive crunch and kettle cooked flavor.

The Cape Cod Potato Chips Factory Tour draws in over 250,000 visitors per year. The tours are free of charge, self-guided, and suitable for kids and adults alike. The potato chip factory is open to tours on Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm; it is closed weekends and holidays.

Finagle-A-Bagel

77 Rowe Street

Auburndale, MA 02466

617-213-8438

When Finagle-A-Bagel was a small, 5-unit chain company, Laura Trust and Alan Litchman purchased the business and brought it to Boston, where they opened several bagel shops. It did not take long for the bagels to become famous, and soon Trust and Litchman began receiving letters from people who had either moved away from Boston, or who had tasted Finagle-A-Bagel bagels while visiting, that requested they open bagel stores in other areas of the country. Eventually, Alan and Laura found a way to meet this demand for the product by creating a frozen bagel product, modeled after the fresh favorite offered in retail locations, to be sold in groceries stores.

Finagle-A-Bagel bagels are hand baked at a factory in Newton, Massachusetts, and distributed fresh among Boston area retail locations and frozen, in over 750 grocery stores throughout the Northeast. The 4 oz. bagels are known for their all-natural ingredients and their ability to maintain a fresh taste even after being frozen and thawed. Finagle-A-Bagel bagels come in 6 varieties in the freezer section of several major grocery stores. They are also offered by mail in 14 varieties.

Finagle-A-Bagel tours are free and self-guided, and are available Monday through Thursday, 10am to 3pm. Mondays and Wednesdays are apparently the best times to view mixing and Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the optimal days to see the baking process. Visitors are advised to call ahead to verify hours, regardless, especially during the holidays.

Taza Chocolate Factory

561 Windsor Street

Somerville, MA 02143

617-623-0804

Taza Chocolate was founded by Alex Whitmore in 2006 after his travels in Oaxaca, Mexico left him inspired to make Mexican -style chocolate. Taza Chocolate Company was created with a mission to take the simplistic technique of making Mexican chocolate and manufacture a modern, high quality and sustainable product in a socially responsible way. Taza Stone Ground Organic Chocolate is now available in hundreds of retail stores across 40 U.S. states, Canada, the UK, and Germany.

The Taza Chocolate Factory in Somerville, Massachusetts currently offers tours four days a week: Thursdays and Fridays at 2pm and 4pm and Saturdays and Sundays at 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm. Chocolate tours are 45 minutes in length and feature a tour of the chocolate factory, education about cocoa beans, and lots of free chocolate samples.

Please note there are a few requirements for the Taza Chocolate Factory Tour: Visitors must wear closed-toe shoes, must not wear perfume or cologne, and should be prepared to wear a hair net throughout the tour, which Taza will provide. Tours cost $5 per person and children under the age of 3 are free. Reservations are required; contact 617-284-2232 or tours@tazachocolate.com to secure your spot.