Attractions
Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Botanical Cactus Gardens |
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Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Botanical Cactus Gardens Details
- Hours of operation: Open daily, 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Live chocolate production hours vary, but are generally Monday - Friday until 3:30 p.m. Chocolate factory workers are not available on Saturdays and Sundays. Please call for more details.
- Cost: Free.
- Payment options: Not applicable.
- Reservations: Reservations not necessary.
- Location: Roughly 10 miles from the Strip. Take Tropicana Avenue to Mountain Vista Ave. Turn Right (south) on Mountain Vista. Take Mountain Vista until you reach the intersection with Sunset Road. Turn left (east). Follow the signs to Ethel M.
- Age/Height/Weight restrictions: Not applicable.
Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Botanical Cactus Gardens Review
Ethel M Chocolates is a delicious treat found only in the Las Vegas desert.
Admission to the Ethel M Chocolate Factory, located 15 minutes from the Strip, is free, making it that much more irresistible. Once inside, visitors take a self-guided tour, complete with step-by-step placards and video demonstrations. Large glass windows provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the candy-making process, from the preparation of candy fillings to each piece of candy being wrapped individually in foil.
The tour ends in the Chocolate Shoppe, where visitors are tempted with an expansive array of confections. The first sample is free, but few visitors are able to stop at just one. The Lemon Satin Cremes, Almond Butter Krisps, Caramel Splendors, Pecan Caramel Raptures, Coconut Delights and Almond Clusters are nearly impossible to resist.
The Ethel M Chocolate Factory is the result of a century-long family tradition of using unique recipes and the finest ingredients to make chocolate. Two years after his "retirement" from the candy-making industry, Forrest Mars launched a gourmet line of chocolates and named it after his mother, Ethel. The factory now draws more than 700,000 visitors a year.
After the factory tour, visitors can stroll through the lush, 3-acre Botanical Cactus Gardens to walk off some of that chocolate. With more than 350 different species, the cactus garden is one of the largest of its kind in the United States. Some of the many cacti and succulents displayed at the garden are Ocotillo, Beavertail cactus, Compass Barrel cactus and Teddy Bear Cholla.
Walkways weave their way through the garden, and visitors are able to sit on benches throughout the property and take in the scenery. Various trees, from the Twisted Acacia to the Desert Willow, provide shade.
Another attraction not to be missed at Ethel M is the "Living Machine." Using live bacteria, algae, protozoa, snails and fish, the revolutionary wastewater-treatment system recycles 100 percent of the factory's wastewater. Located just beyond the gazebo in the Botanical Cactus Gardens, the "Living Machine" recycles 32,000 gallons of water a day using no chemicals. The water is used for site landscaping.
Special guided tours are available by request for groups of 10 or more.
-- Review by Noelani Jones
