Florida factories to visit and tour

Florida 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 Florida and contact information and tips about visiting them.

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

1. Al's Family Farms - citrus packing house
   2001 N King's Hwy, Fort Pierce, FL 34951. Phone: (772) 460-0556. Email: Tours@AlsFamilyFarms.com. Email: custserve@alsfamilyfarms.com. Open: Store is closed Sundays. Typically they have self-guided tours from February to April and guided tours of the citrus packinghouse (dates and times are subject to change and tours fill up quickly). You can call aheadstarting January 2nd. Al's Family Farms is a vibrant institution that sells fresh fruit and citrus products in a classic barn. It also has a juice shop, chocolate shop, fruit and vegetable store, gift basket store, and ice cream shop.
2. Amazon Fulfillment Center - tour of the facility
   MIA1: Fulfillment Center, 14000 Northwest 37th Avenue, Opa-locka, FL 33054.
   MCO1: Amazon Fulfillment Center, 12340 Boggy Creek Rd, Orlando, FL 32824.
   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.
3. Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory - free tour
   154 South Beach Street, Daytona Beach, FL 32114. Open: Monday - Saturday: 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM, Sunday: Closed. Angell & Phelps has been crafting fine quality chocolates and candies since 1925. When you come to Daytona Beach make sure you stop by to get a chance to see our chocolates being made and FREE SAMPLES! Through large cottage windows, you'll view experienced candy makers doing things the Old-Fashioned way!
   FREE chocolate samples are given in the store front!
   Parking is FREE and Additional parking is located behind the building
   The store front is wheelchair and stroller accessible
4. Chocolate Kingdom - chocolate factory Adventure Tour
   9901 Hawaiian Court, Orlando, FL 32819. Phone: 407-705-3475. Open: Monday - Sunday (every day) from 11:30 am - 5 pm. Factory Tours Begin at 12 pm and are scheduled every hour on the hour until 4 pm. Please call ahead for availability. Walk-ins welcome. In 2023, Factory Adventure Tour Pricing is Adults $18.95 + taxes, Kids (4-12 years old) $14.95 + taxes. Chocolate Kingdom, the Factory Adventure Tour, is an interactive journey that uncovers how chocolate transforms from the bean into the creamy, dreamy chocolate bar. Our Personal Chocolate Tour Guide joins forces with a handsome Prince and his Dragon sidekick to take guests through a Cacao Tree Greenhouse, a one-of-a-kind Chocolate Museum, a Mystical River of Chocolate and a Bean-to-the-Bar Factory utilizing old world machinery.  With an opportunity to customize a 7 oz. chocolate bar where customers get to select the type of chocolate they want and up to 3 ingredients from our 17 selections and then we make it fresh at the end of the tour (for $9 extra), Chocolate Kingdom is the most unique chocolate experience in North America and will inspire and amaze chocoholics of all ages.  Tours last approximately 45 minutes. Samples are provided throughout the tour. Yum!
5. Key West - Famous as a home of Ernest Hemingway, free range chickens, See how key lime pies are made, a massive number of bars, and Jimmy Buffet songs, the self-proclaimed "Conch Shell Republic" s Florida's southernmost point, about 90 miles north of Cuba. You can get their by puddle jumping airplane from Miami, cruise-ships or from the mainland via the Overseas Highway. It has beautiful coral reefs for diving and snorkeling but few beaches.
   1. Key West Conch Train - tour train-trolley
       Since 1958, the Conch Tour Train has treated guests to a close-up view of the Southernmost City’s most popular places including Mallory Square, The Harry S. Truman Little White House, Overseas Railroad Museum, the Key West Aquarium and more. While on the tour, your engineer offers an interesting and amusing narrative filled with historical facts, trivia and humor, and recounts fascinating stories of the colorful people that make Key West so unique. The 1-day tour of the Conch Republic is one full loop through Old Town Key West, including three stops. FREE admission to the Sails to Rails Museum included with ticket. FREE coupons worth up to $50 in discounts. FREE Full color map.
      The Conch Tour Train departs daily from the Front Street Depot and ends at Mallory Square—one of Key West’s most famous spots. Throughout the tour, you’ll not only see the area’s well-known sights, you’ll also learn about the many residents, both past and present, that make the Conch Republic one of the world’s most unique places. See some of the spots Hemingway frequented and find out why Harry Truman spent so much time on the island. Listen to accounts of how pirates, Indians and wreckers lived, fought and worked, giving Key West its extraordinary reputation.. The historic Conch Tour Train tour is 75 minutes long .
   2. Key West Key Lime Pie Company - pie bakery with key lime baking classes
      511 Greene Street, Key West FL 33040. Phone: (305) 517-6720. Open: 9am - 9:30pm Monday thru Sundays, Christmas Eve 10am - 4pm, Closed: Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Go behind the scenes and learn to make your own mini key lime pie. If you have little ones, we also offer a fun Toddler Time class for ages 2-4 years old. Get more information about our classes or sign up for a Key Lime Pie Class online here.
6. Maverick Boat Company -  boat manufacturer
   3207 Industrial 29th Street, Fort Pierce, FL 34946. Phone: 772-465-0631. Email: webmaster@maverickboats.com
   Factory tours available Friday afternoons by reservation only. Please call (888) 742-5569 to make your reservation.
7. Peterbrooke Chocolatier - chocolate factory
   Locations. Phone: (904) 273-7878. Their website is not clear, but it is reported that they offer free factory tours that are 30-45 minutes long and cover topics like: The chocolate making process, The company's goals, Manufacturing, How molds and popcorn are made. Peterbrooke Chocolatier was founded in 1983 in Jacksonville, Florida. They have 14 locations in Jacksonville as well as a location in Norcross, GA, and throughout Florida. ions in Jacksonville. They also have summer camps, camp times and activities vary by location, so interested parties should phone their neighborhood Peterbrooke. Similarly, ages for campers vary by shop, with some beginning as young as 6 years old, while other shops require children to be a few years older.  As with every summer, Peterbrooke expects camps to fill quickly. Interested parents are urged to phone their neighborhood Peterbrooke shop as soon as possible to confirm details and reserve a space.
8. Raymond James Stadium -  baseball stadium
   4201 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, FL 33607. Phone: (813) 350-6500. Email: stadiumtours@tampasportsauthority.com.  Open: year-round tours of the stadium, Stadium tours are offered Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and select Fridays and Saturdays with limited availability.. This 75 minute-long walking journey will give you backstage access to many different aspects and workings of the stadium.  Your tour will take you to a stadium club, a luxury suite, hall of fame club, the famous pirate ship, visiting team locker room, the university of south Florida home team locker room, the field and more!!  please note the tour route is subject to change based on stadium operations. Tours must be booked in advance and first come first serve. Upcoming tours are listed and made available to book the week prior on Friday mornings.  Tours the week of an event are subject to cancellation. Tours leave promptly at the scheduled time, please arrive 15 minutes prior.  To verify stadium tour dates and times to ensure tours will run on your preferred date, please contact us. See their page for more information such as pricing, faq and directions.
9. Regal World Headquarter - Tours are currently closed, there is a Virtual tour
   2300 Jetport Drive, Orlando, FL 32809. Virtual Tour. We apologize for any inconvenience, but at the moment, our factory tours are not available for in-person visits. Nevertheless, we have great news! We are now providing a virtual tour of our boat-making process, which we hope will give you an enjoyable and informative experience.
10. Ringling - John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art - A 66-acre museum complex
    This was John Ringling's home and art museum. He was one of the 4 brothers who founded the Ringling Brothers Circus - in Sarasota, Florida, featuring the State Art Museum of Florida, Circus Museum, Ca’ d’Zan mansion, and Bayfront Gardens.
11. Sweet Pete’s Candy Shop - candy factory
    400 N Hogan Street, Jacksonville, FL. Phone: 904-643-4172. Email: info@sweetpetescandy.com. Open: Designed for educational groups, Available for elementary through high school. Curriculum adapted to grade level. Minimum 20 students. 120 Maximum. 2 hours long. (Camps are 1 hour long and do not include classroom activity.) Learn the history, science, and art of traditional candy making. Includes: Hands on candy making activity, classroom session, factory tour, and shopping spree.
    Candy Experiences Offered:
    August - May (excludes December): Taffy, Lollipop, or Chocolate Bars
    High School Students: Trips geared toward learning the business side of Sweet Pete's available.
    ***Note: All summer field trips are 1 hour long camp style only***
    Seasonal Experiences:
    September 1 - September 30: Sour September (Hard Candy Pull and Foaming Sour Powder)
    September 15 - November 15: Fall Chocolate Apples
    November 15 - December 31: Candy Canes
    January 1 - February 2: Candy Slime (Make Gummies that turn into Candy Slime)
    February 21 - March 31: Dr. Seuss Taffy & Oobleck
    2023 Pricing and Add Ons:
    $8.50 per student. No charge for chaperones.
    $6 candy boxes for children to fill
    $2.50 ice cream scoops (small half chocolate/half vanilla scoops)
    
12. Sally Corporation - robotic animatronics manufacturer
    745 West Forsyth Street, Jacksonville, FL 32204. Phone: 904-355-7100. Email: tours@sallycorp.com. Open: as of October 2023, their website still says "** NOTE -- Due to the ongoing pandemic, tours are currently suspended.". Tour of the robot factory. Tours are (were and maybe again) offered on Tuesday and Thursday hourly from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Tours are free of charge. Maximum is 30 persons per tour. Minimum age is 7 years. By reservation only (call or email). Not conducted June through August. Cash only gift shop
    To make a reservation please call or use the form on their page.
13. Walt Disney World - amusement park
    Orlando, FL 32801. Walt Disney World offers over 30 behind-the-scenes tours. These tours take guests to areas that regular visitors don't usually see.  The tours usually range in price from $25 to $299. Some of the tours include:
    Backstage Tours: 1 hour, $30 per person
    Backstage Tours and Experiences: $129–$149 per person, plus tax
    Behind the Seeds Tour: $35 per person
    You can call Disney at 407-WDW-TOUR to make reservations.
14. Whetstone Chocolates - chocolate factory
    139 King Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084. Phone: 904-217-0275. Email: kingst@whetstonechocolates.com. Open: 7 days, Monday to Sunday: 9:45am to 5:30pm. Their Chocolate Tasting Tour takes you into Whetstone Chocolates for inside knowledge and tasting tips. The Whetstone Chocolate Tour is a great experience for all ages. And with group sizes of up to 15, you can bring the whole family. This chocolate factory tour comes with delicious samples, fascinating knowledge and coupons toward your next purchase at our King Street store. Book today on their website.
    Over 45 minutes, you will learn the best ways to understand different types of chocolate, how it should be tasted and what to look out for. As you progress through the tour you will also discover how to pick out the flavors and texture influenced by such things as the type of cocoa used, and other secrets of the trade. The 10,000 square foot factory was constructed in 1984 on Highway 312, south of St. Augustine. More wholesale products were added and contract work expanded as Nestle’s, Hershey and M&M Mars became significant wholesale customers of Whetstone Chocolates. Although it remained small by comparison, Whetstone Chocolates became highly sought after among the giants of chocolate for its production quality, creativity and innovation. Tours are accessible for handicapped and Wheel Chair visitors.
15. D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc. - Brewery, draft house and Gift Shop
    11109 N 30th St, Tampa, FL 33612. Phone: (813)-488-6444. Open: Monday: 4pm-10pm, ,Tuesday & Wednesday: Closed, Thursday: 4pm-10pm, Friday & Saturday: 11am-11pm, Sunday: 11am-10pm. There's no other info available now; it just says "coming soon"
    
16. See the wildlife - Nature's factories!
    Swim with the manatees (November to March)
    Swim with dolphins
    Visit SeaWorld

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

1. The Kennedy Space Center, aka Cape Canaveral - Rocket launch
   Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Space Commerce Way, Merritt Island, FL 32953. Phone: (855) 433-4210.
   north of the Cape Canaveral, has a NASA shuttle launch simulation and astronaut memorabilia. You can visit the Air Force Space and Missile Museum, the Manatee Sanctuary Park with a waterfront boardwalk and more. There are many things to do near and around NASA’s launch headquarters. Whether you’re here to train like an astronaut, attend a special event or tour Kennedy Space Center, great experiences are just minutes away. Choose from a wide range of options in Cocoa Beach, Titusville, Melbourne and Merritt Island − all are close to beautiful Atlantic beaches and nearby Port Canaveral.
   
2. St. Augustine, FL - on the northeast coast of Florida, at over 450 years old, is the oldest city in the U.S., with Spanish colonial architecture, including the Castillo de San Marcos, a 17th-century Spanish stone fortress. It also has Atlantic Ocean beaches and a protected wildlife sanctuary.

• Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, St. Augustine, FL.
  

  Built by the Spanish in St. Augustine to defend Florida and the Atlantic trade route, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument preserves the oldest masonry fortification in the continental United States and interprets more than 450 years of cultural intersections.

  
  • Updates, fire alerts, warnings and conditions
  • Info about the park
  • Park event calendar
  • Park maps
• Davidson of Dundee - chocolate, candy and jelly factory, citrus packer
  28421 Highway 27, Dundee, FL 33838. Phone: (800) 654-0647. sales@davidsonofdundee.com. Open: the factory tour is open during retail hours. It is a factory tour of Davidson of Dundee, a candy and jelly factory located off Highway 27.You watch the candymakers from behind glass enclosed walls. Davidson of Dundee is a citrus candy factory, marmalade factory, and fruit packing house all at the one location. They still make their products the old-fashioned way, a single batch at a time. Davidson of Dundee has been featured on the TV shows, like the Food Network, they have Free Tours, Free Tasting Samples, Citrus Candy Factory, Marmalade and Jelly Factory, Gift Fruit Packing House, Florida Citrus Juice Bar, Novelties and Gifts.
• De Soto National Memorial:, Bradenton, FL.
  

  In May 1539, Conquistador Hernando de Soto’s army of soldiers, hired mercenaries, craftsmen, and clergy made landfall in Tampa Bay. They were met with fierce resistance of indigenous people protecting their homelands. De Soto’s quest for glory and gold would be a four year, four thousand mile odyssey of intrigue, warfare, disease, and discovery that would form the history of the United States.

  
  • Updates, fire alerts, warnings and conditions
  • Info about the park
  • Park event calendar
  • Park maps
• Fort Matanzas National Monument, St. Augustine, FL.
  

  Fort Matanzas National Monument preserves the fortified coquina watchtower, completed in 1742, which defended the southern approach to the Spanish military settlement of St. Augustine. It also protects approximately 300 acres of Florida coastal environment containing dunes, marsh, maritime forest, and associated flora and fauna, including threatened and endangered species.

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

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

• Florida has 175 state parks - find them all on the Florida State Parks interactive map here.

Florida Seasons, bugs, topography and climate

The north and central parts of Florida are humid and subtropical. Most of South Florida has a hot, humid tropical climate. The rainy season is from May through October, when air mass thundershowers that build in the heat of the day drop heavy but brief summer rainfall. The Tampa area is the lightning strike capital of the US and most of central Florida experiences afternoon thundershowers in summer afternoons. Don't ask about the giant cockroaches that are called Palmetto bugs. They're huge and they can leap and fly. Eeew. Keep your tent zipped up.

Camping in Florida

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.

Camping and cabin reservations can be made using one of the following methods:

book a cabin or campsite at one of our Florida State Parks. Just visit the new Florida State Parks Campground Reservations site or call toll free at 1-800-326-3521 or TDD 888-433-0287 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern time.​​ You can buy day passes there, too.
• Online - Reserve Florida State Parks.
• Call center - 800-326-3521 or TDD 888-433-0287 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time.
• At a park - Visitors can contact the park directly to make reservations for primitive sites, primitive group camps and developed group camps.

Most state parks are open 8 a.m. to sundown, 365 days a year. Visitors may make campsite or cabin reservations before 1 p.m. on the same day until 11 months in advance.

Cabin reservations may be made from one day up to 11 months in advance of your arrival date.

Reservations can be made beyond 11 months only when the reservation period starts within the 11-month period and ends outside that period. The result is reservations could extend 11 months and 14 days in the future.

There are both state parks and private campgrounds in Florida.