Texas factories to visit and tour

Texas 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 Texas and contact information and tips about visiting them.

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

• Amazon Fulfillment Center - tour of the facility
  FTW6: Amazon Fulfillment Center, 2601 West Bethel Road, Grapevine, TX 76051.
  ELP1: Amazon Fulfillment Center, 12101 Emerald Pass Ave, El Paso, TX 79928.
  HOU2: Amazon Fulfillment Center, 10550 Ella Boulevard, Houston, TX 77038.
  SAT2: Amazon Fulfillment Center, 1401 East McCarty Lane, San Marcos, TX 78666.
  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.
• Blue Bell Creamery Factory Tour - ice cream factory
  1101 South Blue Bell Road, Brenham, Texas 77833. Phone: 800-327-8135. Open: The Observation Deck hours are Monday to Friday from 8am to 2pm. View how they make ice cream . "Each day we produce different flavors to keep up with consumer demand." You can watch as half gallon, pint, quart, and cup containers are filled, as well as 3-gallons tubs that are used at ice cream parlors and restaurants. A Blue Bell employee is available in the Observation Deck to answer questions about our company and the production process.
  Visit us in our hometown of Brenham, Texas! Stop by for a scoop of ice cream at the Ice Cream Parlor and learn more about us in our Visitor Center.
  The Observation Deck sometimes closes, so check in advance. The Visitor Center, Country Store and Ice Cream Parlor are usually open.
  The Ice Cream Parlor is open Monday, Friday, 8am, 5pm (CST): Enjoy a scoop, or two, of your favorite flavor of Blue Bell Ice Cream. Our Ice Cream Parlor offers a wide selection of our top-selling ice cream and a few you can only find in ice cream parlors! We also offer Blue Bell Frozen Snacks and bottled water.
• Olive and Sinclair's Factory Tour - chocolate factory
  1628 Fatherland St, Nashville, TN 37206. Phone: 615-262-3007. Email: info@oliveandsinclair.com. Open: MONDAY 10AM-3PM, TUESDAY-SATURDAY 10AM-5PM, tours are on Saturdays last 30-45 minutes are for agess 6+ and are a walking tour. You’ll see for yourself how our antique melanguers (stone mills), modern European technique and classic Southern flavors come together to create true Southern Artisan Chocolate. By the end, you’ll have a good taste of what it feels (and smells!) like to be a Southern Artisan Chocolate-maker - and don't worry, you’ll get plenty of samples along the way! If you can't find a factory tour time to fit your schedule, our partner Music City Adventure Co. offers e-bike tours which include a brief tour of our facility and complimentary samples
• The Bureau of Engraving & Printing - Mint
  9100 Blue Mound Road Fort Worth, TX 76131. Phone: (817) 231-4000. Phone: (866) 865-1194. Open: Tuesday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The last tour of the day begins at 4:30. BEP's Western Currency Facility produces more than half of the nation’s currency order. Visitors can see where billions of dollars are printed from an enclosed walkway, which is suspended above the production floor! Available before or after the free self-guided tour, the experience includes an informative theater film, and visitors have the opportunity to walk through two floors of interactive exhibits and displays showcasing currency history and the intricate art of currency manufacturing. Also located in the visitor center is the Moneyfactory Gift Shop where the public can purchase souvenir items including uncut currency sheets and other specialty currency products. Restrooms and vending machines are available. The BEP recommends that groups of 10 or more schedule their self-guided tours in advance by calling the tour scheduler at (817) 231-4000 or toll-free (866) 865- 1194. Chaperone guidelines are enforced for school groups. Please request accessibility services at the time of your phone reservation, such as sign language interpretation, wheelchairs and/or devices for the hearing or visually impaired.
• The Chocolate Gallery - chocolate factory
  211 N Main St, Bryan, TX 77803. Phone: (979)779-2804. Email: ciana@bcschocolategal.com. Open: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Friday & Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday. They are located in Downtown Bryan, minutes from the Texas A&M campus. They have an in-depth tour of The Chocolate Gallery facility and operations, then on to a video in our classroom that covers the production of cacao into chocolate and traditional candy making. The tour concludes with a tasting of a variety of premium chocolate and chocolate ingredients. Tours last approximately 1 hour. The Chocolate Gallery is also a popular destination for school field trips. The Chocolate Gallery offers tours for elementary (ages 5+), middle school, high school and special needs students. The cost in 2023 is $7.00 per student. There is no charge for teachers and teacher’s aides (Maximum 1 free teacher/teacher aid admission per 15 paid students). Upon request, the Chocolate lecture can focus on how the chocolate industry relates to specific subjects that the students may be studying, such as: Math, Science, Chemistry, Health, Geography, Politics, STEM, Literature (The Candymakers) and History (Europe or Americas). To schedule a field trip or tour, please use the contact form on their website. A minimum of 15 paid attendees required for all tours. Groups of 35 or more will be split up into two groups to improve the learning experience. All parents will be charged the discounted student fee, in 2023, of $7.00 each when chaperoning a majority student tour. All parent chaperones must be paid 1 week in advance of the tour. They also offer tours for adults for $12 per person (Senior Citizens $10). n
• Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas - automobile manufacturer
  Toyota Texas Experience Center, 1 Lone Star Pass, San Antonio, TX 78264. Phone: 210-263-4775. Open: Tuesday to Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. CST; Tour Times Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Reservations required; times vary. Join us for a free, tram-driven tour through the home of the American-made Toyota Corolla (the world’s all-time best selling car) to experience how people and machines work together to build ever-better vehicles.
  

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

• Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, Fritch, TX.
  

  13,000 years ago, this site was well-known by mammoth hunters as a source of flint for tools. Centuries passed but the colorful flint never lost its value and usefulness in the Texas Panhandle. Gain a sense of how integral this site was to the survival, commerce and culture of the High Plains. Visit Alibates Flint Quarries to see the many colors of the beautiful Alibates Flint.

  
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• Fort Davis National Historic Site, Indian Wars' frontier military pos
  Fort Davis, TX.
  

  Fort Davis is one of the best surviving examples of an Indian Wars' frontier military post in the Southwest. From 1854 to 1891, Fort Davis was strategically located to protect emigrants, mail coaches, and freight wagons on the Trans-Pecos portion of the San Antonio-El Paso Road and on the Chihuahua Trail.

  
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• Lyndon B Johnson National Historic Park, Historic house
  Johnson City, TX.
  

  ---Lyndon Baines Johnson Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park tells the story of our 36th President beginning with his ancestors until his final resting place on his beloved LBJ Ranch. This entire "circle of life" gives the visitor a unique perspective into one of America's most noteworthy citizens by providing the most complete picture of any American president.

  
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• San Antonio Missions National Historic Park,
  San Antonio, TX.
  

  Welcome to San Antonio Missions, a National Park Service site and the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas. After 10,000 years, the people of South Texas were faced with drought, European diseases, and colonization. In the early 1700s, many Native people of South Texas foreswore their traditional life to become Spanish, accepting a new religion and agrarian lifestyle in hopes of survival.

  
  • Alerts and Current Conditions
  • Info about the park
  • Park event calendar
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• Waco Mammoth National Monument, wooly mammoth fossils
  Waco, TX.
  

  Standing as tall as 14 feet and weighing 20,000 pounds, Columbian mammoths roamed across what is present-day Texas thousands of years ago. Today, the fossil specimens represent the nation's first and only recorded evidence of a nursery herd of ice age Columbian mammoths.

  
  • Alerts and Current Conditions
  • Info about the park
  • Park event calendar
  • Park maps

Texas 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

• Barton Warnock Visitor Center, Terlingua, TX.
• Battleship Texas State Historic Site, LaPorte, TX.
• Dinosaur Valley State Park, Glen Rose, TX
• Fort Leaton State Historic Site, Presidio, TX.
• Fort Parker State Park, Mexia, TX.
• Fort Richardson State Park, Historic Site &...Jacksboro, TX.
• Goliad State Park and Historic Site, Goliad, TX.
• Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site, El Paso, TX
• Lyndon B. Johnson State Park, and Historic Site, Stonewall, TX.
• Old Tunnel State Park, Fredericksburg, TX.
• Wyler Aerial Tramway, El Paso, TX

Texas Seasons, bugs, topography and climate

Texas is a huge state with a diverse topography, which means the weather varies widely, from arid in the desert west to humid in the coastal east..From east of Interstate 35 the state is subtropical, while to the west of Interstate 35 is arid desert. Texas ranks first in tornados in the U.S. with an average of 139 per year.

Camping in Texas

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.

To guarantee entry, we highly recommend reserving day passes and overnight stays before your visit.

Texas Online Camping Reservations

• Check availability and make an online reservation, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• You cannot reserve group facilities online.
• Use a credit card to confirm reservations.
• Get help with logging in to the reservation system and changing reservations.

How-to camping reservations videos

These videos walk you through the online reservation process.

• Purchase a day pass for parks with time entry windows:
  • time entry windows - desktop version
  • time entry windows - mobile version
• Purchase a day pass for parks without time entry windows:
  • regular entry - desktop version
  • regular entry - mobile version

Phone Reservations

• Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Make or cancel reservations.
• Use a credit card to confirm your reservation.
• Campsites, shelters, cabins and rooms (including those at Balmorhea): (512) 389-8900
• Group facilities or organized group reservations: (512) 389-8920. (Some parks are taking group reservations. Capacity may be reduced due to local COVID-19 regulations.)
• T.D.D. - Call (512) 389-8915 to reach a text-only telecommunication device for the hearing impaired.

There are both state parks and private campgrounds in Texas.