Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Botanical Cactus Garden

We stopped here for part of our Hoover Dam tour. And although we were all tired, I perked right up to go go check out Ethel M’s chocolate. Through windows into the chocolate factory you will see plenty of workers, not umpa loompas, pouring out brittle, chocolates, and dipped apples! Although the tour itself is self guided and pretty short, it is informative and interesting to watch! Enter then into a huge retail shop filled with chocolates! The prices are pretty high, but you can purchase as little as you’d like starting at 1.99 per pc of candy.
I tried the sea salt caramels, toffee bites, and the amazing brittle! They have plenty of liquor-​infused chocolates too! They offer ice packs with your purchase at no charge which I thought was extremely awesome! A discount was also offered on purchases over $ 50. I’m glad I got a chance to stop here. There is also an Ethel M shop in the Las Vegas airport!
If I went back I would try out the tasting room that can be booked for your very own tasting! And the botanical garden outside full of dessert cacti!

The chocolate here is so good! It’s a little pricey but it is worth it for the quality. The workers are very nice and I came in June so they put ice packs in your bag to keep your chocolate from melting. I also like that there are no preservatives.

This place is really off the strip. Is it worth the trip? Eh… Try it once and I wouldn’t come back. I highly recommend going to the botanical cactus garden first and then go on the chocolate tour. After the chocolate tour goes straight to the chocolate shop. That way your chocolate wouldn’t melt when you walk around the garden.
The chocolate tour is self-​guided and it honestly will only take you 15 – 20 mins. I believed I went on a bad day because I barely saw any activities in the factory. The workers there are nice though. They like to wave to little kids.
Chocolate is great. The pecan brittle is freaking delicious! Expensive as hell. $ 50 for a box of brittle is crazy even though it really is tasty. They also have a great selection of chocolates. I personally liked the doing the hand-​picked box.
Not a bad experience.

Recently, when we visited the cactus garden on a weekday afternoon, we were greeted by a friendly security guard who gave us our own personal tour of the gardens! I can’t, for the life of me, remember his name, but I remember he’s a science teacher and had the most amazing way of explaining the plants and showing us things we would have missed on our own! He’s such a great employee and he deserves so many accolades, as a teacher, and as an Ethel M employee.
I love desert flora and fauna and this place is perfect for seeing some awesome plants (and little creatures, like the chipmunks and lizards that also inhabit the gardens). There are some really cool petrified cactuses (cacti?), impressive trees and bushes, and even some hidden surprises that you have to look close for (thanks to our personal tour guide for pointing out a bird’s nest in a VERY unusual place — the middle of a pointy cactus!).
It’s not large but it’s impressive and free, and everyone should stop by at some point. Don’t forget to head in for you free chocolate sample. But the prices for chocolate are outrageous so I don’t buy much.

This was such a fun experience to take my in-​laws to when they were visiting, especially since my father-​in-​law has a sweet tooth. We definitely learned a lot about the chocolate making process and especially about the Mars family.
They give you a fun sheet to evaluate the chocolate they set aside for taste testing and walk you through it. It’s funny to see how some people just put «tastes good» (father-​in-​law) and some people completely evaluate the different tastes they find (mother-​in-​law).
It’s fun for a date or to bring visitors and there will probably be characters in your class, as there were in ours (goofy other attendees, not M&M characters or anything). It was just the right amount of chocolate — one more piece and it might have been chocolate overload!
After, you can buy anything you tasted and then some. There is a whole M&M area as well. It’s a little confusing when you walk in, but you just have to ask or follow the signs to the tasting room.

The chocolate is good but insanely expensive… on the other hand so is everything else in the Vegas area so what the heck right? Treat yo self. I did find their dark chocolate selection to be notable. In my experience so far, one can find quite the variety of gourmet milk chocolates but often times those same varieties do not come in dark.
The cactus garden was bigger than I thought it would be and was pretty cool to walk around. There were tables out there as well if someone were inclined to have themselves a little picnic. I’m glad we stopped by.

I arrived around 11 am there was plenty of parking and no crowds. It took about 30 minutes to complete the self guided tour, checkout both gift shops and your the cactus garden. They offered samples in both stores and everyone was very friendly.
The prices are a little steep. Overall good place to bring the little ones to burn off some energy and grab a small treat. My toddler enjoyed it and I enjoyed discovering and pointing new cacti to her.

This is a great mini tourist stop. For my parents in their early 80’s. The strip is a little too much walking but the cactus gardens here make for a lovely leisurely stroll. I always enjoy the factory tour watching the chocolates made and packaged. Their pecan brittle either with or without the chocolate drizzle is by far the most delicious candy ever made in the whole wide world. The end! :)

Very cute place.
It’s not too big, but there is a M&M store you can go to on the property for any souvenir items you want. They also have a nice long walkway where you can view the factory doing its work in making chocolates. At the end of the walkway, you’ll hit their Ethel M store, which has the nicer chocolates, and things that you won’t see at a basic M&M store. The stuff in here is what I would give to my grandmother because it is that nice, rest her soul.
The botanical garden is nice. Please don’t climb the rocks, for your safety and for issues of liability! For those of you that like desert flora, this is the place for you! They were doing a bit of upkeeping while we were there, but everyone was really nice.
Service was great while we were here. The staff wanted to provide us chocolates (which our stomachs could not handle at the time), and everyone was so nice. We ended up only smashing the pennies we wanted.
Biggest issue I have is that it is a tourist trap, so the Asian buses of tourists (who I know can read English) were just doing whatever they wanted and not abiding by the rules. I give props to one of the staff members for calling out one of the families to get them off the rocks, but I would be exasperated on what else they can do in protecting their gardens.

One of my most favorite stops to make when we’re back in Vegas is to the Ethel M Chocolate Factory! Yes, this is their home, and if you are willing to rent a car to go away from the strip a bit you’ll be glad you did! I admit, I had never heard of them until about ten years ago. My wife living in Vegas had always talked about Ethel M on the West Coast being so popular. It is, by far, some of the best you’ll ever eat! The tour, which is free, will only take you about a half hour and it comes with a small sample at the end! You then are exited out into their store where you’ll find all sorts of upscale chocolate delights! Their most famous for their Pecan Brittle. It is absolutely delectable and not a hard crunchy version that you may be accustomed to from others! My personal favorite is their Liquor Chocolates! Chocolate bite sized barrels filled with your choice of bourbon, rum, Irish Crème, and amaretto! They are nice and strong, unlike anything you’ve ever had! There is a beautiful cactus garden in the front with a nice walking trail throughout. Nice way to learn about the different cactus native to the area. Tip-​If you are flying home, go the day before your flight and they’ll even give you dry ice packs for your purchases!

Remember coming here the first time I visited Vegas years ago. Made the husband come out this second go’round. Not sure if there is more «action» in different times of the day. We went soon after they opened and not much was happening in the factory. They give you a few free samples in the shop — delicious! Everyone was very helpful and pleasant — great service.
Only complaint? Too many delicious choices!!! :op They are a little pricey (16 count make you own box for $ 29.99) but not unreasonable. It’s well worth it. Try the chocolate covered strawberries — to die for!
The cactus garden is small and walkable. Nice little break when the weather is pretty. Fairly quiet and relaxing. Plenty of different kinds of plants.

What is sweeter than a box of Ethel M chocolates is their chocolate factory and three acre Cactus garden.
Living in Henderson, I see The Ethel M Cactus Gardens and Chocolate Factory as a glorified local park that just so happens to have a chocolate factory. This is a glorified park that I often visit to breath in the olfactory of chocolate and fresh air.
Ethel M is located at the intersection of Sunset and Mountain Vista Roads. It is a short drive from the rooftops of Henderson, Southeast Las Vegas, and the Las Vegas Strip. On account of being near Sunset Road; Ethel M makes for a nice spot to visit after breakfast or lunch, and before dinner. Better yet, it is the perfect place to have a picnic in the shade of a mesquite tree.
After parking my car in the decent sized parking lot, my first stop is to walk through the chocolate factory. The chocolate factory is anchored between a small M&Ms World at the entrance and an Ethel M Candy Shop at the exit. Between the anchor shops is a self-​guided chocolate tour. The self-​guided chocolate tour features three bays that lead you on a journey of the creation of a gourmet chocolate candy. The best time to visit is Monday through Thursday 10 am to 4:30 PM when the workers star on the stage that are the three windows: the kitchen, production line, and packing lone. When I get to the end of the tour, the only thing I might buy is a cup of coffee. The Ethel M Chocolate shop also serves decent coffee that is enjoyable outside in the gardens. If you catch the Ethel M Chocolate Shop at the right time, there is a chocolate Cactus.
It is outside in Nevada’s first Botanical Cactus Gardens that I spend most of my time. Being a nature lover, I appreciate the descriptive signs that explains some of the over 250 species of plants. Strolling along the windy walking paths, I am in a horticulture paradise. Bordering the walking paths are hedgehog cacti, barrel cacti, teddy bear cholla, creosote, mesquite, beavertail, prickly pear, towering saguaro, a skeleton saguaro, desert trees, and shrubs. The creatures that I have seen from the walking paths include birds and bunny rabbits. Bordering the Cactus Gardens is a solar panel field that is a prime spot to observe a distant Frenchman Mountain that is mesmerizing during dawn.
During Christmas the Cactus Gardens transforms into a Winter Wonderland throughout December. When Mother Nature turns off the switch on the sun, Ethel M turns on the switch to thousands of Christmas lights illuminating from cacti and trees. The Christmas lights shine a light on M&Ms dashing through the snow, penguins sliding off a polar bear, more Christmasy M&M characters, Santa opening the door to his house, and numerous Winter Wonderland scenes. It is a time when thousands of people share the walkways of the park taking in the Christmas and Holidays season. This annual Ethel M Winter Wonderland is a popular Las Vegas Christmas and Holidays attraction that draws people from all over. The upshot is that you want to get there early and expect a long delay leaving the parking lot. A couple of months after the Christmas lights turn off, the Cactus Gardens display Valentines decorations where people walk under Valentines arches and along hearts with displays that spell «love.» Soon after the gardens display the spectacular wildflower bloom. Soon the Cactus Gardens change with the next season.
Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Cactus Gardens truly is a sweet park to appreciate both candy and sunshine in a box. The candy will melt in your mouth and the sunny Botanical memories will stay in your soul.

What a cool corner of the world. In the middle of a commercial park there is a spot of serenity, with coffee and tons of chocolate. The gardens are beautifully maintained and the customer service at Ethel M’s was outstanding. Everyone was in such a good mood, there must be something in the chocolate…
Stop in to see the gardens, stay for the candy!

Great little spot for something fun and different to do with visitors– it’s a functional chocolate factory and a cactus garden (no idea what inspired that combo!), complete with a chocolate shop for purchases.
The chocolate factory has a viewing window and «tours», which are short– walk through the hall, look through the windows, and read the plaques. They offer guided tours where employees provide more info, but it’s still pretty short. Afterward you get a chocolate coin as a sample. There is a shop of Ethel M chocolates (higher end, made on site), and an M&M store (more basic, Mars candies), both a bit pricey– note that they also have coffee and hot chocolate beverages available.
After grabbing a drink, wind your way through the cactus garden! It’s lit up and decorated for the holidays, between November-​January, but even a day time visit is fairly interesting with informative plaques provided about the different cacti. Fun to wander around, nothing too strenuous, good spot for photos. There are even a few tables and chairs off the path, good for sitting and catching up with a friend.

I have been a customer of Ethel M’s Chocolates for quite some time now. In the early 2000’s, the shops were found at a lot of casinos, malls, etc… over the years, they have diminished.
We did a family trip to Vegas one year and brought the kids. We rather enjoyed it. It’s nothing overly exciting, but it was neat to go to an actual chocolate factory. They do give you free candy at the end of the tour, (I have been in recent years… I get an itch to go to the actual factory on occasion) but not nearly as much as they used to.
The service here is meh… used to be very good at one time. They would give you more than one sample. There were ladies stationed in different locations at the tour and would hand out goodies… They seemed to be a lot friendlier and welcoming. Now. not so much and you only get a chocolate disk on your way out.
They have a small gift shop (expensive) that offers lots of M&M memorabilia. It’s a cute store. but that’s where it ends for me… the cactus garden… well. it’s a cactus garden. :)
My first trip there, I got to try their pecan brittle. and all I can tell you is that it is one of the most delicious pieces of candy that I’ve ever eaten… it’s buttery. the texture is crispy but not sticky (think Butterfinger) and won’t stick to your teeth. It’s just a really delightful piece of candy… As for their chocolate… just not impressed! It misses the mark for me. It’s waxy and just kinda blah… See’s is a much better choice… (my absolute favorite) Godiva is better as well… However, the price tag on their candy… is HIGH!
As for their chocolates… just not impressed! My last trip to Vegas which was a few weeks ago, I went to their downtown location at the California Hotel. I bought 2 pieces of pecan brittle and 4 pieces of chocolate. The total was $ 13! I am such a chocolate lover that I usually take a chance on buying their chocolates just by sight, although I know what the end result will be… don’t ask why… I just do… but every time… the chocolate disappoints… I bought 2 eggnog truffles and a salted caramel & a brittle piece (good but very tiny)…the chocolate pieces did nothing for me. The pecan brittle on the other hand. Is EVERYTHING…
They offer a chocolate striped pecan brittle… It’s ok. but not as good as the original…
My thoughts in short… Great pecan brittle… it would be hard to duplicate this piece of candy… they have this recipe down pat… Quality, always good… I will continue to be one of their customers because of this piece of candy… The chocolates are overpriced and mediocre at best. The gift shop is cute and the factory is a rather neat experience. The chocolate shop is laid out well… very clean and neat. and their displays are set up nicely… The pecan brittle itself is 5 stars. The factory tour…3 stars… The M&M store…3 stars. Layout of store…5 stars… The chocolates.2 star… I’d even say that Lindt and Dove puts out better tasting chocolate. Prices are too high for what you get.
I recommend visiting this location at least once if you are in the Las Vegas area. Don’t skip the pecan brittle.

Our greeter seemed really, really bored with her job.
Not much to see in the factory. The staff in the chocolate shop was really nice.
I guess the cactus garden was nice, but… it’s cacti. Sorry, cacti just aren’t the kind of botanical displays that take your breath away with their beauty.

I’ve been here on two different occasions because I am a fan of their vast array of cactus in the botanical gardens. We went for the Christmas lights display and we were astonished at how many tourists were visiting somewhere decently far from the strip. It’s nice to know the Ethel M has a name for itself garnering more than just local support.
We arrived around 8:45 PM while knowing that the lights would go out around 10 PM. There was a security guard walking around letting people know the time the attraction closed so nobody would be surprised when close time came.
As we walked around the garden, my only thought is that a nice cup of hot coco is the only thing that could have made this better. In fact, if I came during business hours (not on Christmas) I would have been able to purchase this beverage in the chocolate shop. The lights were truly mesmerizing and I’d hate to be the guy putting Christmas lights all over cactus. They weren’t stingy on the lights either, each cactus had its own glory being lit up in festive colors. High in some of the taller plants, speckled lights shined down and illuminated the walk ways. This was truly a magical experience, without a penny spent to see it.
Let me go back in time and talk about my first experience. I came here excited for the cactus, but also the «Chocolate factory tour»… the tour wasn’t all that its cracked up to be. You literally walk down a hallway that has windows to different areas of chocolate making. You are lucky to see anything happening equipment wise and I am sure that they only do a small amount each day. I wouldn’t really call it a tour, just a glimpse into a chocolate factory. After you get past the hallways, you are able to purchase chocolates for a rather expensive price. It significantly better than a Hershey bar, so I didn’t mind paying a bit more. I spent about $ 32 for a box of 16 chocolates. Some were filled with alcohol, others were nutty caramel clusters, all were very delicious. To prevent my chocolate from melting due to the summer heat here in Las Vegas, they put a complimentary reusable ice pack in my bag! That is some good service.
So the cactus garden is definitely a 5 star freebie and the chocolate factory would be a 4 star experience. Go check it out!

The cactus garden holiday lighting is a special event put on by the Ethel M Chocolate factory. This impressive display of holiday lights is truly hard to beat and is open to the public (for free!) from November to January. Guests can stroll through the garden at a leisurely pace. Rest assured, there are plenty of photo opportunities among the thousands of lights draped across cacti and trees. To make this holiday experience even better, make sure to get a free sample of chocolate and a warm hot chocolate in the store ($ 4.99).
According to the website, Santa makes a trip to the garden every Friday to Sunday until Christmas from 5−9PM. Local choirs also make an appearance every Friday to Sunday from 6−8PM. I hear that the garden is pretty busy in the days leading up to Christmas — I went two days after Christmas and the park was still steadily busy. Since it was post-​Christmas, the holiday candy was actually 50% off. A small bag of chocolates was $ 9.99. This is actually quite the deal since 1 piece of candy at the store is $ 3.99.
A trip to the Ethel M Cactus Garden Holiday Lights is a must-​do during the holiday season! It’s a great free family event that gets everyone in the holiday spirit.
*I thought the cactus lighting deserved its own page because coming here for the holiday lights is a completely different experience then coming to the gardens during the summer or spring!*
Unilocal 100 CHALLENGE 2015: #266

Ethel M. Chocolate Factory is part factory, part gift shop, and part cacti garden. Tours of the factory are free and self-​guided. Visitors are restricted from entering the area where the chocolates are created, but you can observe everything from behind the window. Information about the chocolate making process can be found along the walls.
There’s an M&M gift shop where you can find a variety of M&M branded merchandise. But I think the best part are the M&M dispensers containing different flavors. The Ethel M. shop is located next door and sells an assortment of delicious chocolates and other candies. A café is also located onsite within the shop, but you’re better off buying your drinks at the Starbucks down the road; beverage prices here are steep.
The cacti garden lights up during the holiday season, which I think is the perfect time to visit.

Located at the Ethel M candy factory and chocolate museum, this cacti garden is quite impressive at night when lit up with the thousands and thousands strands of lights. It’s a free presentation, open until 10, on the weekends Santa is there in the gazebo waiting to hear present requests, and the gift store is open.
It’s a cacti garden with a nice variety of different plants from saguaro cacti to barrel cacti to bottle brush, strands in festive colors wrapped around each. They have some blow up decorations and moving structures such as deer or angels.
You meander through the intertwining pathways that takes about 20 – 30 minutes. It’s stroller friendly and is a good family outing for all ages.
We had to park down the street in one of the many business center parking lots, but the whole event is free which is really great if you are looking for a less expensive alternative to other holiday lights presentations.

Wow! I’ve been living in Nevada for about 8 years now, and I’m just finding out about this place!
First of all, it is open to general public, no entrance fee. Great place to bring the kids over and keeping the budget intact! We went here on their last third thursday of the year, Decadence in the Desert. They had arts and crafts for sale, perfect for Christmas gifts. They also had food trucks that night, and a free photo Op with Santa using your own camera, yet they also have a professional photographer and they print out the photo taken if you want to purchase and take it home with you.
The place is really beautiful! Tbh, I think I liked this one better than the Magical Forest, and the fact that it is free, beat that!
Looking forward to come here again next year!

Twas a couple weeks before Christmas
And all through the garden
People were laughing and stirring
At lights shaped like a mouse
The lights were all hung
From the trees with care
In hopes that the tourists
Would soon come here
The children were all bundled
Against the cold winter wind
While tastes of Hot Chocolate
Danced on their little tongues
$ 4.99 hot chocolate, that is… for a small.
This is truly a visual delight if you like Christmas lights, and I do. Its free to come in and look around. Over 500,000 lights adorn the cactus garden, there’s a gift shop, a brief tour of the candy making factory (no I didn’t see Willy Wonka), and a candy shop filled with thousands of assortments of chocolates, peppermint bark, pecan brittles, and a place where you can build your own special box of candy.
It was Sunday night at 6pm, and I thought it wouldn’t be crowded. Wrong! It was packed with people Parking only took a few minutes to find, and a short walk over to the lighted display which is pretty cool. The lines for the gift checkout, and photos with Santa were pretty long, a good 20+ minute wait. Might be better to come on a weeknight. No one was working in the candy factory either so that was a bit disappointing. A great way to spend 30 – 45 minutes just wandering around though.
But I heard him exclaim
As we drove out of sight
Merry Christmas to all
And to all a good night

The holiday tradition continues!
I took family from out of town to experience the awesome display at the cactus garden and once again it did not disappoint! There are always a few new things in the garden each holiday season, and this year they have some new projecting lights that are cool and project onto the walkways. Most lights are LED, but they still have some «old school» lighting which made me happy. Be prepared for crowds during the holiday display and there is more parking at the nearby business complexes.
Their candy is top quality, and it’s reflected in the price. You can choose your own box or get a prepackaged mix. They also sell hot beverages (no alcohol). Show your Nevada ID to get a discount at the store, and watch the production line of the on-​site factory before getting a sample before browsing through the store.

I can’t help it. This is an amazing holiday tradition that is close to my house. Every year, my daughter asks to go here for the holiday lights and chocolate tour. Ethel M’s knows what it is doing. While there is a free coin chocolate at the end of the factory tour, but we always stop and buy chocolate, brittle, and/​or hot chocolate. I wish the chocolate covered pecan brittle was less expensive because I would eat it all of the time!
The lights are beautiful. The carolers from the local high school were a nice touch.
I highly recommend making this a part of your families holiday tradition.

When I first started coming to Las Vegas on vacation, I’d come here often with friends. Later, when I became the driver for different groups of people (family and friends), I would bring them here for the factory tour, cactus garden, and free piece of chocolate.
I never knew about the Winter Wonderland until I read an article in the magazine on the airplane.
Oh wow.. It was magical! I brought my friend and her sister and they were blown away, too. We could see it from a distance and we all were excited instantly!
I read Norm’s tip about going at 9pm to avoid the crowds, but I didn’t expect the employees to still be working! Really! However, the lady passing out the free chocolate wasn’t there.. :(Also, it was bedtime for Santa, so he wasn’t there, either. However, the m&m’s store was open and they gave my friend a complimentary blanket with her large purchase! Mahalo!
So, if you are in Vegas during the holiday season, stop by for this free activity! I’m so glad that we did! Happy Holidays!

I love going to this chocolate factory =) I always have a good experience whenever I go, and I’ve been going since they hosted tasting event at the Springs Preserve for an early 2015 Valentine’s Day event.
Hahaha… Fell in love with their chocolate since then, and it’s honestly my boyfriend’s go-​to if he has to apologize. In fact, he still claims how grateful he is for the nice staff — they were very patient and informative/​knowledgeable, and they still are.
The chocolate is not exactly cheap — around $ 50 for a box of 48 pieces. We do like taking advantage of special promotions whenever possible though. For example, the boyfriend spent about $ 50 for my box and a single piece for himself, and got 8 free chocolate bars (dark and milk chocolate).
The tour itself isn’t very interactive, and it’s a short walk to get general information, but staff at the end are knowledgeable enough to have a conversation with you in regards to the production line and such. Speaking of production… It’s always cool to see the line (s) running, but we have yet to figure out when their set times are for the full experience. Going this past weekend, we got to see about 5 – 7 people working and 2 different belts running to making the chocolate, and it was on a Saturday between 4−5PM.
Another feature I like about the factory is the outdoor garden area that exhibits Nevada’s natural vegetation, yet landscaped aesthetically. Reminds me of UNLV’s Xeric Garden/​Desert Landscape. It seems unrelated, but it tells me that the factory is aware and appreciative of their location in Vegas.
Oh! Before I forget, I do love how clean and organized the factory always is — inside and out. It would be horrendous if it was otherwise!

Best chocolate and pecan brittle!!! Good for food allergies especially corn! I had seen this place in postings all over the Internet for free things to do in Las Vegas for years. Finally we decided to take a trip over here.
In the front you have an M&M’s store. I’m not a M&M fanatic so I didn’t really care. We walked through on our way to the tour. The tour is small. The tour is short just walk though looking at the factory through glass. I watched some workers mixing stuff on a production line in the back. There was a huge strip of what looked like their brittle cooling. And when I say huge I mean like 6 feet long.
At the end of the tour is the chocolate shop where they have soo much yummy goodness. They give you a sample and if you ask nice enough they will look up the ingredients for you. My boyfriend has a corn allergy so we had to make sure he could eat the chocolate. And glad to say that all the ones we pestered the ladies about did not have corn or corn by products in them. But the Carmel does have corn in it according to the package.
The prices are high but I could pronounce and knew ingredient in them. This place is doing chocolate right!!!
Note: ask to sample the brittle I couldn’t help but buy some right after!!!

Growing up in Las Vegas, it was always a huge highlight to take a field trip to the Ethel M Chocolate Factory. Not only was free candy in our future, but we got to see how it was all made. I always remembered the workers being friendly and if you played your cards right, they might forget they had already given you a piece, so you got a double serving. I’m probably being a little more generous on the star rating for nostalgia… but if you go into it knowing that this isn’t Willy Wonka’s factory of fun, and know that it’s going to be a super quick stop, then you’re setting your expectations at a reasonable level.
Fast forward a lot of years and I took Jaime here to experience it for himself since he’s a super chocolate lover. The tour is self guided and depending on when you go, can be super underwhelming if they aren’t really packing or molding anything. You still get that free piece at the end though, which is totally worth it. Regardless of where you start, you end up in the gift shop where you can pick and choose and assortment of candy to buy… which we did.
The cactus garden is exactly what it sounds like… an area full of cactus. They have some pathways so you can walk around, and even some event spaces if you decided you wanted to get married or hold a special event at the facility. Depending around what holiday you visit, they usually decorate the plants in some sort of thematic way, which I don’t understand since it doesn’t make the natural scenes look any nicer.
The chocolate is really good and if you shop the specials on bars, it’s not too expensive. It’s good quality, so of course it’s going to be a little bit more expensive than your average Hershey’s Bar.
If you have kids, they’ll really get a kick out of it. Adults might find it boring, but it’s a cool, free roadside attraction you can hit up if you just so happen to be in the area. Regardless, you’ll still get your piece of chocolate at the end of the tour!

Mood = disappointed!
I think I just hyped myself up too much on this so-​called «chocolate factory.»
Honestly, it’s a bonafide candy store IS ALL.
Came one afternoon, no one in the parking lot which I thought was cool cuz no one would bother us.
Walked thru the cactus garden and it was like walking thru the park. No big deal. Sure, cactus and plants I’ve never seen before. But, let’s be honest and say — who looks at cactus anyways.
Then walked to the chocolate factory and THERE WAS NO CHOCOLATE BEING MADE.
Just empty racks, no one even working, no lines or machines on. Basically walked thru what looked like to be a deserted factory.
We went to their store/​shop and I asked one of the workers «was there a better time to come cuz no one was in the factory.» Worker said they were changing shifts and didn’t know when would be a better time. Mmmmkaaaayyyy!!!
We went to the chocolate/​candy part of the factory and they offered samples of chocolate and all but, I don’t want no samples. I wanna see a Willy Wonka like workers all merry and happy just making chocolate.
It was really saddening. Like this place was about to go out of business or something.