10 Incredibly Fun Florida Factory Tours For Curious Day-Trippers Before 2026 Ends
In Florida, you can stand inside a working factory and watch cigars get rolled by hand at a company founded in 1895. I still find that wild.
A craft that old, still happening on a regular weekday.
Other stops get sweeter. One shop dips potato chips and bacon in chocolate.
Another turns citrus into candies and jellies, which feels like the most Florida move possible.
I love that these tours show the messy middle of how things get made. You see machines, copper, sugar, and people who know their jobs cold.
It beats reading a label in a grocery aisle.
So grab a friend, fill the tank, and pick a direction. Which sounds better to you right now: a giant copper still, an old ice plant, or a room full of chocolate?
Better yet, why not all three before the year runs out?
1. Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory
Chocolate bacon exists, and Daytona Beach is happy to prove it. That one item tells you plenty about the playful spirit of this shop.
Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory makes its confections in-house, right on site. You can tour the factory and see where the treats come together.
The shop itself is airy and simple, so the candy gets the spotlight. The display cases do the talking here, and they talk loudly.
Salty snack fans should look for chocolate covered potato chips. Chocolate covered pretzels deliver that same sweet and crunchy tug-of-war.
Prefer fruit with your sugar rush? Chocolate covered strawberries sit on the menu too.
There’s even a treat called Chocolate Heaven, which sets a high bar for itself. Assorted chocolates and fine chocolate candies round out the lineup.
Vegan visitors aren’t left out, since the menu lists a vegan candy option. That’s a thoughtful touch for groups with different needs.
Planning is easy because this counts as a quick visit. You can squeeze it into a beach day without rearranging your whole afternoon.
Hours run Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sundays open at noon and close at 5 p.m.
Want more elbow room? Sunday afternoons and Monday mornings tend to be quieter, while weekday afternoons get busier.
There’s no dine-in, so plan to take your haul to go. Honestly, a box of chocolate riding shotgun on the drive home is never a bad plan.
Address: 154 S Beach St, Daytona Beach, FL 32114
2. J.C. Newman Cigar Company
Some family businesses last a generation or two, but this one dates back to 1895. That’s a long time to keep doing something by hand.
The J.C. Newman Cigar Company sits in Tampa’s historic Ybor City neighborhood.
The area built its name on cigar making, and this factory keeps that story going.
You don’t need to be a cigar fan to enjoy the tour. History buffs and fans of old-school craftsmanship will find plenty to chew on.
Tours take you through the facility and explain how premium cigars get handcrafted. You’ll also learn about the company’s long run and the wider history of cigars.
A small museum on site adds more context. It’s a smart place to linger if you like old photos and artifacts.
Watching skilled hands roll tobacco leaves is oddly mesmerizing. It’s the kind of skill that machines still haven’t fully replaced here.
The building itself is part of the appeal. Its nickname, El Reloj, means The Clock in Spanish, and the tower makes it easy to spot.
Timing matters, because the factory keeps weekday hours only. Doors open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Weekends are closed, so plan a Friday road trip instead of a Saturday one. Booking a tour ahead is a wise move.
Pair your visit with a stroll around Ybor City afterward. The neighborhood’s brick streets and old buildings make a fitting encore.
Address: 2701 N 16th St, Tampa, FL 33605
3. Davidson Of Dundee
Oranges get squeezed into juice all over central Florida, but here they also become candy. That alone earns a detour off US-27.
Davidson Of Dundee is a traditional candy store with a factory attached. The specialty is handcrafted citrus candies and jellies.
Citrus is the whole personality of this place. If you love bright, tangy flavors, you’re in the right spot.
Factory tours let you peek behind the counter at how the treats get made. Guides also share the history of the business along the way.
That history piece is a nice bonus. It connects the candy on the shelf to the citrus country right outside the door.
Jellies make easy gifts, and they travel better than a bag of fresh fruit. Grab a few jars for the folks who stayed home.
Not ready to carry everything back? Delivery is an option, which is handy if your car is already packed.
The stop works well as a quick visit. You can tour, shop, and get back on the highway without losing your whole day.
Hours run Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays are shorter, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays are closed.
Dundee sits in the heart of Florida’s ridge country, surrounded by groves and lakes. Make it part of a scenic central Florida loop.
Leave a little room in the snack budget. Citrus candy has a sneaky habit of disappearing before you reach the next town.
Address: 28421 US-27, Dundee, FL 33838
4. Whetstone Chocolates Store and Tasting Tour
Key lime chocolate sounds like a Florida dare, and it’s one of the samples here. Spoiler: it works.
Whetstone Chocolates started in 1967 as a small family business making chocolates and fudge at home. Today it’s a factory store with guided tasting tours on King Street.
The tour runs about 45 minutes and covers chocolate’s history and how it’s made. Guides keep things funny and lively instead of dry.
You get to watch the inner workings of the factory. Candy makers turn out treats like chocolate caramel nut clusters right in view.
Then comes the best part, the tasting. Samples include milk, white, and dark chocolate, plus unique flavors like key lime.
Fun fact for trivia night: the company once supplied chocolates to Walt Disney theme parks for years. It also helped develop melt-resistant chocolate for the military in 1991.
Melt-resistant chocolate in Florida? Now that’s a useful invention.
Hours run daily from 9:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday afternoons get the busiest, so mornings are a smart pick.
The tour fits neatly into a walking day around downtown St. Augustine. You can stroll historic streets before or after.
Expect to leave with a bag of goodies from the store. The samples make sure you know exactly which ones to grab.
Address: 139 King St, St. Augustine, FL 32084
5. Saint Augustine Distillery
Long before air conditioning, this building kept St. Augustine cool by making ice. Now it’s a working distillery with tours.
Saint Augustine Distillery sits inside a restored ice plant dating to around 1907. The old industrial bones give the tour serious character.
Big windows, brick, and tall copper stills make it a photographer’s playground. Old meets new in a way that feels earned, not staged.
Tours walk you through how the distillery crafts its products. You’ll see the stills and watch bottling done by hand.
The story goes beyond machines. You’ll also learn about Florida’s distilling heritage, which is older and quirkier than most people guess.
The company opened its doors in 2014. It became the first legal producer of its kind in northeast Florida since Prohibition.
That’s a fun fact to drop on your road trip crew. It makes the building feel like a time capsule with a plot twist.
Doors open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. That generous window makes it easy to slot into your schedule.
Crowds peak on Saturday afternoons. Tuesday mornings are the quietest, so pick those if you like a calmer pace.
The distillery sits a short hop from downtown St. Augustine. Combine it with lunch nearby and a walk through the old city.
Address: 112 Riberia St, St. Augustine, FL 32084
6. Wicked Dolphin Distillery
Size matters at this stop, because the copper pot still here is the largest in South Florida. It’s a shiny showstopper.
Wicked Dolphin Distillery opened in 2012 in Cape Coral. The founders wanted to create a product that felt truly tied to Florida.
Location helps with that goal. The distillery sits just miles from the state’s fertile sugarcane fields.
The team uses 100 percent Florida sugar along with local ingredients. Production happens in small batches on that American copper still.
Tours explain the process from start to finish. Expect a fun, informative walk-through rather than a stiff lecture.
Seeing local sugar turn into a finished product is the cool part. It’s farm-to-bottle in a very literal, very Florida way.
Gulf Coast day-trippers will appreciate the easy access. Cape Coral is a simple drive from Fort Myers and nearby beaches.
Hours run Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays are closed.
The facility offers a gender-neutral restroom. Small details like that make a visit smoother for everyone.
Pair the tour with a waterfront lunch in town. Cape Coral is famous for its canals, so a boat-watching break fits right in.
Bring your questions about that giant still. Guides clearly enjoy showing it off, and who could blame them?
Address: 131 SW 3rd Pl, Cape Coral, FL 33991
7. Sweet Pete’s Candy
Most candy shops fit in a strip mall, but this one fills a historic 22,000-square-foot building in downtown Jacksonville. Talk about a sugar palace.
Sweet Pete’s Candy pairs gourmet candies and chocolates with an ice cream counter and an American eatery. You could spend a whole afternoon here without trying.
The factory is fully working, and a balcony lets you watch candy makers below. It’s like a theater where the actors make lollipops.
Hands-on classes take things further. Workshops include lollipop making and chocolate bar making, so you can play candy maker yourself.
Schools love it for field trips, and grown-ups have just as much fun. The tour and candy making appeal across age groups.
The shelves hold over a thousand types of candy. Retro treats, handmade chocolates, and gluten-free and vegan choices all share space.
The business has a fun backstory too. The founder grew up around chocolatiers and opened his first shop in 2010.
An appearance on CNBC’s The Profit in 2014 helped launch the move to this downtown spot. Not a bad glow-up.
Plan around the hours, since Mondays are generally closed, except during December when the shop also opens on Mondays. Thursday through Saturday hours extend until 8:30 PM.
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday hours run 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday afternoons draw the biggest crowds.
Address: 400 N Hogan St, Jacksonville, FL 32202
8. Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards
Rolling hills in Florida? Yep, and they’re covered in grapevines in Clermont.
Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards opened in 1989 and spreads across 127 acres. Around 70 of those acres are planted with vines.
Native Muscadine grapes grow here alongside other varieties. Muscadines handle Florida’s heat and humidity far better than many fussier grapes.
Guided facility tours last about 45 minutes. They start with an audio-visual presentation on how production works and how Florida’s grape history unfolded.
After the video, you walk through the facility. Expect views of the vineyards and a look at the production area.
The tours are complimentary, which makes this an easy yes for budget-minded travelers. A free road trip stop is always welcome.
The property also hosts regular music and food festivals. Check the calendar, because a festival weekend turns a short visit into a full outing.
Dog owners get good news here. Dogs are allowed inside, so your four-legged copilot doesn’t have to wait in the car.
A gift shop sells gourmet foods and accessories. It’s a handy spot to grab a souvenir for the kitchen.
Hours run Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays open at 11 a.m., and weekdays are much calmer than Saturday afternoons.
Clermont sits west of Orlando, making it a sweet escape from theme park lines. The open sky alone feels like a vacation upgrade.
Address: 19239 US-27, Clermont, FL 34715
9. Hemingway Distillery
Ernest Hemingway used to dock his boat just yards from this spot. Now the neighborhood has a distillery that leans into that adventurous legacy.
Hemingway Distillery sits in the heart of Key West. The theme draws on the famous writer’s love of the sea and bold living.
Tours mix storytelling with production. Guides cover a brief Hemingway history before explaining how their products are made.
That blend keeps things lively. Literature fans and process nerds both get something to enjoy.
Classes and other special experiences are also on the menu. They’re a fun option if you want more than a quick walk-through.
The gift shop is worth a browse after your tour. It carries branded goods tied to the distillery’s sister labels.
Key West is compact, so you can walk here from many downtown spots. Parking is paid only, which makes walking or biking a smart choice.
Hours run Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays open earlier, at 10 a.m.
Sundays follow the 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule too. Monday mornings tend to be the quietest window.
Pair the visit with the Hemingway Home or a sunset stroll at Mallory Square. It makes a themed day that’s hard to top.
Hemingway wrote about big fish and bigger adventures. A tour here feels like a small chapter of that story.
Address: 201 Simonton St, Key West, FL 33040
10. Funky Buddha Brewery
Yucca tots and eggplant fries aren’t standard factory snacks, but this stop isn’t standard either. Oakland Park brings its own flavor to the Florida brewery scene.
Funky Buddha Brewery is a large production facility in Oakland Park, offering public brewery tours on Saturdays at 4, 5, and 6 PM. Big steel tanks and production equipment give visitors a closer look at how the operation works.
Tours show how a large operation runs day to day. It’s a peek at serious machinery on a serious scale.
The taproom keeps things no-frills and relaxed. Games give groups something to do while hanging out after the tour.
Hungry? The food menu goes well beyond basic bar bites.
Bison sliders, funky wings, and a double smash burger cover the hearty side. A Cuban sandwich adds a classic South Florida touch.
Plant-based eaters can grab the vegan yucca tots. Eggplant fries and a Greek chicken fold add even more variety.
Candied bacon is also on the list, because why not? It’s a sweet and salty finale for the snack crowd.
Hours stretch late, which helps with flexible plans. Friday and Saturday stay open until midnight.
Saturday afternoon is the time to visit if you’re interested in a brewery tour. Choose one of the scheduled tour times and check availability in advance to make sure you don’t miss out.
Oakland Park sits just outside Fort Lauderdale, making it easy to pair a brewery tour with lunch and a trip to the beach for a full day of Florida fun.
Address: 1201 NE 38th St, Oakland Park, FL 33334