Colorado factories to visit and tour

Colorado has factories to visit and tour. Below, first are the active, working factories. The next section has historical operations which often have demonstrations or renactments. These incluse both large and small operations, from several person chocolate factories and cheesemakers to large manufacturers making paper towels, wood products, beverage cans and bottles, are open to the public with real tours, exhibitions and fun education.

In some cases, such as a manufacturing process that is no longer in use, the only way to see it and learn about it is a museum or living history center. So, we also provide information about engineering facilities and museums, dinosaur digs, even government facilities, like NASA, astronomy oberservatories and more that are open to the public on certain days and times. And if there is some place that is just plain fun to visit, we add that, too!

These are perfect for homeschooling, for STEM and for fun! Kids love visiting these places! They're learning and getting an education without even realizing it. And most of these are either free or under $10! What's better then fun, entertaining, good for children and families, educational and free?

Here are some of the top factory tours in Colorado and contact information and tips about visiting them.

Factories, Engineering, Museums and other fun demonstrations and exhibits to visit in Colorado

• Amazon Fulfillment Center - tour of the facility
  DEN3: Amazon Fulfillment Center, 14601 Grant Street, Thornton, CO 80023.
  BOOK ON THEIR WEBSITE. Each tour is approximately 60-90 minutes long. On the tour you may walk up and down at least one flight of stairs and walk approximately 1 mile. Amazon says "Ever wondered what happens when you shop on Amazon? Book a free walking tour of an Amazon warehouse and see how our people and technology deliver for customers." The also have the following recommendations and requirements:
  Arrive Early - arrive 15 minutes prior to your tour.
  Attire - All guests must wear flat, closed-toed, and closed-heeled shoes (no sandals, clogs or high heels). We recommend wearing comfortable shoes or sneakers. Additionally, long hair must be pulled at or above shoulder length. Loose fitting clothing (long-hanging jewelry, scarves, or ties) are not permitted. Headscarves worn for religious reasons are permitted but must be tucked in securely.
  Identification - Upon your arrival, your tour leader will ask for a government issued photo ID. Please ensure that guest information submitted during sign-up matches the guest ID.
• Bee Family Centennial Farm Museum - farm museum, U-pick rhubarb in season,
  4320 E. County Rd. 58, Fort Collins, CO. Phone: (970) 482-9168. Email: info@beefamilyfarm.com. Open: May - October or by appointment, Friday and Saturday, 9 am to 4 pm. Directions: From I-25 take Exit 271 to east frontage road. Go north 4 miles to County Road 58, then 1/4 mile east. Demonstrations, museum/historical bldgs., farm tours, farm animals, gift shop. Handicap access, motor coach/bus access. The farm museum offers a one-of-a-kind learning experience as you journey through time with the Bee family's efforts to cultivate the arid prairie of northern Colorado. Click here for a link to the Facebook page.
• Celestial Seasonings - Tea Factory
  4600 Sleepytime Dr, Boulder, CO 80301. Phone: (303) 581-1484. Open: The tours are held daily from 10 AM to 6 PM.  They are free, 45-minute factory tours. From raw ingredients to finished products, you’ll learn all about the wonderful world of tea and see how tea products are blended, packaged and shipped. The tour is $5 per person and takes 45 minutes to complete. After a short introduction in the theater, visitors enjoy a walking tour through the tea factory. Please see below for important information about wheelchair accessibility, minimum age requirements, and tour restrictions. The tour includes:
  A short video introduction
  A 30-minute walking tour of the factory
  A walk through the art gallery
  Tea sampling of over 90 teas
  A look at the manufacturing and packaging processes
  A visit to the mint room
  A look at the on-site tea shop.
• Coors Brewery - beer brewery
  13th St & Ford Street, Golden, CO. Phone: 303-277-2337. Open: brewery tours Fridays-Sundays.; get tour reservations four weeks (28 days) in advance. Sampling only (without the tour) reservations are available to book one week (7 days) in advance. This is the largest single brewery in the world, started in 1873. Brewery Tours (includes sampling and shopping) are available Thursdays*, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at various times 10:15 AM - 3:45 PM. open for the brewery is also open for sampling-only on Thursdays, however brewery tours will not be offered that day. We are closed Mondays-Wednesdays, along with some holidays, company events, and brewery maintenance or construction. See and taste traditional brewing at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in the largest single-site brewery in the world! Since 1873 the Coors Brewery has thrived on a legacy of quality, innovation and customer service. The Coors Brewery Tour showcases the history and passion for brewing in a 30-minute look at the malting, brewing and packaging processes. We also share old photos, neon signs, historical beer cans, bottles and memorabilia from the archives.
• Hammond’s Candy Factory Tour - candy factory
  5735 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216. Phone: 303-333-5588, ext. 110. Open: Free tours are Monday-Saturday 9:15am - 2:15pm, CLOSED ON SUNDAYS. This centuries-old confectioner invites you to see how it makes its lollipops, candy canes and other treats. Looking through large viewing windows, your crew will be gobsmacked at how the colorful candies are shaped and packaged. Ever wonder how lollipops, candy canes and other Hammond’s treats are made? Bring your curiosity and your sweet tooth for a complimentary tour of the factory. Thousands of kids and kids at heart visit us every year to watch as their favorite treats are pulled, twisted, shaped and packaged by hand, just like they have been since 1920. With large video screens installed throughout the factory, you’ll get an “up close and personal” look at how the delicious candies are made, while learning about the history in the Mile High City and hearing fun tidbits about the nostalgic candy you know and love. Plus, take home a tasty sweet treat, fresh from the factory!
  TOP FIVE FACTORY FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW:
  Tours run every half hour on the half hour during factory business hours, which are listed below.
  Tours last approximately 30 minutes and can accommodate up to 45 people.
  Reservations are required to guarantee tour availability. Please book your tour below.
  Large groups can be accommodated.
  Strollers, wheelchairs and walkers are welcome!
  BOOK YOUR FREE TOUR NOW ON THEIR WEBSITE.
  Ready to book your visit to Hammond’s Candy Factory? Use the online scheduling tool to sign up for your complimentary tour or call 303-333-5588, ext. 110. Please remember to include every member of your group, including the little ones, when submitting your party size.
• The Taffy Shop - candy maker, candy factory
  121 West Elkhorn Ave Estes Park, CO. Phone: (970) 586-4548. Open: Monday - Saturday: 10:00 - 5:00, Sunday: Noon - 5:00. You watch the taffy pullers behind the glass in their shop. Many days we may open earlier or close later. Please call ahead to confirm specific hours in person if you're traveling a long distance. To keep the taffy at it's freshest, we make the taffy as we need it. That means no firm production schedule. You're welcome to call us in the morning to see what the cooking schedule will be that day, and make sure you see the K Kiss machine in action- perhaps even get a piece straight from the sorting bin!
  

Colorado Historical Forts and Sites, Famous buildings, Active Federal facilities to tour, Geology: like fossils and volcanic areas

• Bent's Old Fort National Historical Site:, La Junta, CO.
  

  Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site features a reconstructed 1840s adobe fur trading post on the mountain branch of the Santa Fe Trail where traders, trappers, travelers, and the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes came together in peaceful terms for trade. Today, living historians recreate the sights, sounds, and smells of the past with guided tours, demonstrations and special events.

  
  • Updates, fire alerts, warnings and conditions
  • Info about the park
  • Park event calendar
  • Park maps
• Dinosaur National Monument, Vernal, Utah and Dinosaur, Colorado, CO,UT.
  

  Dinosaurs once roamed here. Their fantastic remains are still visible embedded in the rocks. Today, the mountains, desert and untamed rivers flowing in deep canyons, support an array of life. Petroglyphs hint at earlier cultures. Later, homesteaders and outlaws found refuge here. Whether your passion is science, adventure, history or scenery, Dinosaur offers much to explore.

  
  • Info about the park
  • Park event calendar
  • Alerts and Current Conditions
  • Park maps
• Hovenweep National Monument, Blanding, Utah and Cortez, Colorado, CO,UT.
  

  Once home to over 2,500 people, Hovenweep includes six prehistoric villages built between A.D. 1200 and 1300. Explore a variety of structures, including multistory towers perched on canyon rims and balanced on boulders. The construction and attention to detail will leave you marveling at the skill and motivation of the builders.

  
  • Updates, fire alerts, warnings and conditions
  • Info about the park
  • Park event calendar
  • Park maps
• Mesa Verde National Park:, Cortez and Mancos, CO.
  

  This wild landscape of deep canyons and expansive vistas is home to over a thousand species, including several that live nowhere else on earth. For over 700 years, the Ancestral Pueblo people built thriving communities on the mesas and in the cliffs of Mesa Verde. Today, the park protects the rich cultural heritage of 26 tribes and offers visitors a spectacular window into the past.

  
  • Info about the park
  • Park event calendar
  • Conditions and Alerts
  • Park maps
• Pony Express National Historic Trail, Various States CA,CO,KS,MO,NE,NV,UT,WY.
  

  It is hard to believe that young men once rode horses to carry mail from Missouri to California in the unprecedented time of only 10 days. This relay system along the Pony Express National Historic Trail in eight states was the most direct and practical means of east-west communications before the telegraph.

  
  • Updates, fire alerts, warnings and conditions
  • Info about the park
  • Park event calendar
  • Park maps

Colorado State historic sites and parks

These are state-run parks, museums and historic sites that present the history of some manufacturing process, industry, or living settlement

• Barr Lake
• Chatfield
• Cheyenne Mountain
• Crawford
• Eleven Mile
• Jackson Lake
• Lake Pueblo
• Mancos
• Ridgway
• St. Vrain
• Staunton​​​
• Steamboat Lake
• Trinidad Lake

Colorado Seasons, bugs, topography and climate

Located in the Rockies and at the edge of the plains, Colorado has a cool, dry climate. The average annual temperature for the state is 43.5 degrees Fahrenheit (F), which is 13.7 degrees below the global mean. In the summer, it tends to be hot during day and cool at night. Winters can be brutally cold. Many roads are closed or impassible in the winter.

Bugs are thankfully few!

Camping in Colorado

If you're looking to save money on your trip, camping may be a fun alternative to hotels and motels, especially, if you already have the gear, or are looking to get some. BTW, this websites ( https://RoadTrippingAndCamping.com ) explains everything you need to know about camping gear and where to the best gear at the lowest prices.

Reservation at a Colorado state parks are available online. With full-hookup RVs , a luxury cabin, the online reservations site can help you find and book your accommodations.
Colorado State Park Camping reservations are available at any time.
Or book now by phone: Toll free 1-800-244-5613
For park or policy information: CPW Call Center 1-800-678-2267 or 303-297-1192
​With over 4,000 campsites and 58 cabins and yurts located throughout the state, Colorado State Parks' affordable accommodations offer something for everyone.

There are both state parks and private campgrounds in Colorado.