mars candy factory tours

Can You Visit the Mars Chocolate Factory? A Comprehensive Guide

• June 8, 2022
• Updated: February 1st, 2024
• Desserts and Baking Interesting

Nestled in the heart of Hackettstown, New Jersey, lies the iconic Mars Chocolate Factory, a symbol of confectionery excellence and innovation. This article aims to provide comprehensive information for those eager to embark on a fascinating journey into the world of chocolate production.

• Factory Tours: Mars Chocolate Factory offers guided tours at some of its manufacturing facilities around the world, including locations in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia.
• Reservations: Tours are typically available by reservation only and may have limited availability. It’s important to check the Mars Chocolate Factory website or contact the specific factory you wish to visit for reservation information and availability.
• Tour Content: Factory tours usually include a behind-the-scenes look at the chocolate-making process, from the selection of cocoa beans to the packaging of finished products. Visitors may also have the opportunity to sample Mars chocolates and learn about the company’s history and commitment to quality.
• Age Restrictions: Factory tours may have age restrictions, with some locations allowing children as young as 6 or 8 years old to participate. It’s important to check the specific factory’s guidelines before booking a tour.
• Accessibility: Mars Chocolate Factory tours may not be fully accessible for individuals with disabilities. It’s advisable to contact the factory in advance to inquire about accessibility features and accommodations.
• Safety Precautions: Visitors may be required to wear protective clothing and adhere to safety guidelines during the tour. This may include wearing hairnets, gloves, and closed-toe shoes.
• Photography: Photography and videography may be restricted or prohibited in certain areas of the factory. It’s important to follow the factory’s guidelines regarding photography and videography.

Overview of the Mars Chocolate Factory

The Mars chocolate company, renowned for its beloved brands such as M&M’s, Snickers, and Dove, has established a legacy of quality and customer satisfaction. The Mars Chocolate Factory in Hackettstown stands as a testament to the company’s commitment to excellence, employing over 1,200 associates and producing a significant portion of the M&M’s sold in the United States.

Booking a Visit

To experience the magic of chocolate creation firsthand, visitors can book a tour of the Mars Chocolate Factory. Reservations are essential and can be made through the company’s official website or by contacting the factory directly. Age restrictions and group size limitations may apply, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for all.

Factory Tour Experience

A tour of the Mars Chocolate Factory promises an immersive and educational adventure. Visitors are taken on a journey through the intricate process of chocolate production, witnessing the transformation of raw ingredients into delectable treats. Interactive exhibits and knowledgeable guides provide insights into the history, science, and art behind each iconic Mars chocolate brand.

Safety Regulations and Guidelines

To ensure the safety of both visitors and factory workers, adherence to safety regulations and guidelines is paramount. These regulations may include wearing protective gear, following designated pathways, and refraining from touching or consuming products during the tour. Visitors are expected to comply with these rules to maintain a safe and productive environment.

Additional Attractions or Activities

Beyond the factory tour, visitors can explore a range of nearby attractions and activities. The region offers historical landmarks, museums, and other chocolate-themed experiences, providing a well-rounded itinerary for a memorable trip.

The Mars Chocolate Factory tour offers a unique opportunity to delve into the world of chocolate production, uncovering the secrets behind beloved confectionery brands. With its captivating exhibits, knowledgeable guides, and strict adherence to safety regulations, the factory tour promises an enriching and unforgettable experience. Plan your visit to the Mars Chocolate Factory and immerse yourself in the delectable world of chocolate.

References and External Resources

• CNNMoney: Mars Joins Fortune’s ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ ( https://money.cnn.com/2016/01/20/news/companies/mars-fortune-best-companies/index.html )
• Business Insider: Take a tour of the Mars Chocolate office, where life-size M&M’s greet you at the door with free candy ( https://www.businessinsider.com/mars-office-2016-5 )
• Fodor’s Travel Talk Forums: Chicago Candy Factory Tour? ( https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/chicago-candy-factory-tour-159408/ )
• The Daily Tour: Mars Chocolate Factory Tour ( http://thedailytour.blogspot.com/2013/01/mars-chocolate-factory-tour.html )

How do I book a tour of the Mars Chocolate Factory?

To book a tour, visit the Mars Chocolate Factory’s official website or contact the factory directly. Reservations are essential, and age restrictions and group size limitations may apply.

What can I expect during the factory tour?

During the tour, you will journey through the chocolate production process, witnessing the transformation of raw ingredients into delectable treats. Interactive exhibits and knowledgeable guides will provide insights into the history, science, and art behind each iconic Mars chocolate brand.

Are there any safety regulations or guidelines I need to follow during the tour?

Yes, for the safety of both visitors and factory workers, adherence to safety regulations and guidelines is paramount. These may include wearing protective gear, following designated pathways, and refraining from touching or consuming products during the tour.

Can I take pictures during the tour?

Photography policies may vary, so it’s best to check with the factory in advance. Generally, photography may be allowed in designated areas, but certain sections of the factory may have restrictions due to safety or confidentiality concerns.

Are there any age restrictions for the tour?

Age restrictions may apply to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all visitors. Typically, children under a certain age may not be permitted on the tour, and children of all ages must be accompanied by an adult.

Is the factory tour accessible for individuals with disabilities?

Accessibility options may vary, so it’s advisable to contact the factory in advance to inquire about specific accommodations. The factory may have designated accessible routes, elevators, and facilities to ensure an inclusive experience for all visitors.

Can I purchase Mars chocolate products at the factory?

There may be a factory store or gift shop where you can purchase a variety of Mars chocolate products, including limited-edition items and souvenirs. Check with the factory to confirm the availability of a retail store on-site.

Are there any other attractions or activities in the area that I can visit?

The surrounding area may offer various attractions and activities, such as historical landmarks, museums, or other chocolate-themed experiences. Research the region to discover additional points of interest that align with your preferences.

Mission to Mars: Take a rare look inside the N.J. M&M's plant

• Updated: May. 21, 2015, 2:00 p.m.
• | Published: May. 21, 2015, 1:00 p.m.
• Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

If the oversized spokes-candies in front of the building don't get the point across -- Red and Yellow hold up the awning while Miss Green and Ms. Brown sit cross-legged on top -- the smell hammers it home. Imagine a saccharine whiff of candy apples fused with the rich essence of a fudge factory. It is everywhere and it is inescapable.

Here in Hackettstown, at the northwestern edge of the state in a sprawling complex on High Street, Mars Incorporated has been churning out M&M's, the company's iconic candy-coated chocolates, since 1958. Yet the candy-maker has called New Jersey home even longer -- 2015 marks 75 years.

Mars may have deep roots in the state, but the company's approach to selling M&M's has changed much over the last decade. The public perception of sugary products has resulted in some significant about-faces in the marketing of the chocolate buttons, which debuted in 1941 and were at first supplied exclusively to the military because of their resistance to heat ("Melts in your mouth, not in your hand").

Today millions of M&M's -- nearly half of the total sold in the United States -- are produced in Hackettstown  every year. The Mars campus is spread out over 104 acres, at a site that used to be inhabited by a farm. The plant alone measures 460,000 square feet, but the compound also serves as the headquarters of Mars Chocolate North America, which manages a sea of candy brands, from Dove bars to Twix.

The Blue Mile 

A walk through the M&M's plant -- usually, only new hires and family members get the privilege -- isn't exactly the stuff of Willy Wonka wonderland. While there are vats of swirling, shiny chocolate, there are no musical numbers or children with golden tickets dancing in their eyes. There is IP -- intellectual property -- company practices and procedures that Mars doesn't allow to be photographed or recorded. A sign on the lobby desk informs visitors about confidentiality expectations -- that they will not "disclose such information to any third parties."

The 'Blue Mile' hallway of the M&M's plant in Hackettstown. (Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

Inside the plant, employees refer to a long sterile hallway as The Blue Mile for the color of the floor. The M&M's-making process starts in a segment of the factory that clocks in at a not-so-tolerable 96 degrees Fahrenheit. Andy Burns, shift lead, will grab a few finished M&M's from time to time.

"With all things moderation," he says. He'll just sweat off the calories, anyway.

What starts as a chocolate paste moves to a conching stage in which chocolate is mixed with cocoa butter and smoothed before heading to a tempering unit to ensure optimal "shine and snap." The company used the same hefty conching machines in 1941. There are more than a few such souvenirs from Mars' original location in Newark -- the company last occupied a factory there at 200 North 12th St.

"A lot of these pans are older than I am," says Jim Price, 50, quality and food safety manager, gesturing to pods in which the M&M's tumble around for five to seven hours of continuous color spraying. Price is one of 1,000 "associates" who work in the Hackettstown plant.

Mars Chocolate brands

M&M's are made in Hackettstown as well as Cleveland, Tennessee and Topeka, Kansas. The millions of M&M's made in Hackettstown account for almost half of the total sold in the United States.

After going through a polishing tube, the candies head for what Price calls a "very secret" printing process that is not part of the tour, the stage where the white "Ms" are applied to the candy. Joking about the exclusivity, he is quick to dispel any rumor that hand-painting is involved -- or Oompa Loompas.

"I haven't seen it," says Anthony Guerrieri, 33, spokesman for Mars Chocolate North America.

In the packing room, Jackie Bailie, a Mars "team member" who grew up in Hackettstown with the factory smell wafting over her home, ensures M&M's bags are sealed properly. She opens one every hour to check for quality. However the bite-sized candies are not her favorite Mars candy -- that honor goes to Snickers.

The Martians 

Even though there's not all that much whimsy on supply in the M&M's plant, more fanciful evidence that this is a candy company can be found in the adjacent headquarters of Mars Chocolate North America. Employees call themselves Martians. The vending machines dispense free M&M's, Snickers, Twix and Milky Way bars.

Signage for a quiet nook inside the Mars offices. (Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

On the flip side, employees have access to treadmill desks and a gym. Though there are technically no offices -- the workspace is open-plan -- rooms are named for brands and characters.

A conference room is modeled after a Snickers bar, with a brown ceiling for the chocolate and irregular-shaped drop lighting for the nuts.

Still, the sweet aroma of M&M's isn't always pleasant, especially when it becomes your personal smell. In the attempt to divorce themselves of the special essence of M&M's, some employees keep their street clothes in a sealed plastic bag so they can change after work. When stale, the sugary scent can conjure the distinct odor of "baby puke," says Sarah Wagner, 30, senior assistant brand manager.

Jeff Herb, 59, a facilities and services manager, has worked at Mars since 1975. If people ask about the smell in his car, he always has a reply -- "That's my paycheck."

Mars claims a total of 1,500 employees in New Jersey. Others work at the global chocolate headquarters in Mount Olive and Mars Retail Group in Mount Arlington.

Jackie Bailie, a Hackettstown local and M&M's employee (Mars calls her a 'team member'), checks bags of candy for imperfections. (Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

The candy company runs in three generations of Nicole Lee's family. Her grandparents were employees of the Newark plant. She started out in the packing room during summers off from college. Now 32, she's an internal communications manager.

"It's just kind of a part of who you are," Lee says. "I grew up with it."

'Not a food'

Mars has grown exponentially since 1911, when Frank Mars started selling candies out of his home in Tacoma, Washington. Today based in McLean, Va., the private company says annual net sales amount to upwards of $33 billion. More than 100 years later, there are other changes. Marketing strategies have been altered to address consumer concerns about calorie counts and sugar.

"We don't advertise to children 12 and under," says Tracey Massey, president of Mars Chocolate North America. In 2013, the company rolled out front-of-package labeling of calories-per-serving on all products (plain M&M's have 240).

Massey, who assumed the post last year, hails from England, but has lived in the U.S. for 11 years and worked at Mars for 25. One constant of the job is having to formulate a response to the notion that there are various flavors involved in M&M's.

"They'll say, 'Oh, I like the blue ones!'" she says. Another refrain: "How are you not the size of a house?"

"Chocolate is an indulgence," Massey says. "It's a treat. It's not a food."

In January, M&M's Crispy (180 calories), introduced in 1999 and discontinued in 2005, were brought back after customers kept asking about the candies with the crunchy center. For her crunch, Massey prefers M&M's Pretzel.

Tracey Massey, president of Mars Chocolate North America. (Mars) 

Her reasoning: At 150 calories per serving, she can afford to eat more of them.

Mars'  Dove Chocolate Discoveries program , launched in 2007, banks on the persistence of "treat" mentality in adults. "Be a chocolatier -- no experience needed," trumpets a pitch for women to -- a la Tupperware -- host chocolate parties, selling items like chocolate martini mix.

One wall in the plant tracks the evolution of the M&M's spokes-characters from peppy-faced rounds taking candy showers and diving into milk-chocolate swimming pools to more human-looking candy people. Massey says the company does not use children in its advertising. The current aim: " adult humor " -- adult humor she calls "a bit silly."

In 2014, a Super Bowl commercial teaser saw Yellow, the peanut M&M, twerking. A current TV spot uses an action-film feel to advertise M&M's as movie candy.

"We're all gonna die!" screams the character Orange, frantically driving a bus. The band of spokes-candies are seen strapped to a missile, a timer ticking away for blastoff.

"This is the movie you've all been waiting for," a narrator says. " ... That's actually not a movie. But really, just a commercial ... reminding people to eat M&M's."

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at  [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup . Find NJ.com Entertainment on Facebook .

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Here's an inside look at how M&M's are made

Most of us know (and love) M&M's — those tiny, colorful chocolates that "melt in your mouth, not in your hand."

But very few of us are familiar with the process of how they're made.

Lucky for you, Business Insider  recently visited the Mars Chocolate North America campus in Hackettstown, New Jersey, where 50% of all M&M's sold in the US are made.

Mars Chocolate — a segment of the $33 billion Mars candy, pet care, and beverage company — is the producer of M&M's, along with 10 other billion-dollar brands including Snickers, Dove, Milky Way, and Twix.

The Mars Chocolate North America campus, which opened in 1958 and employs 1,200 people, is home to a corporate office as well as the M&M's factory.

While touring the campus, we learned that the M&M's brand was founded by Forrest E. Mars, Sr. in 1941, and that it was the first candy in space in 1982.

Leighanne Eide, the Mars Chocolate North America site director, walked us through the factory and explained each step of the process. We were restricted from taking photos of certain top-secret areas — but below you'll get a better idea of how the M&M's-making process works:

The smell of sweet chocolate hit us as we approached the factory, which is a few hundred yards from the Mars Chocolate office in Hackettstown, New Jersey.

Upon entering the factory, we were asked to remove all jewelry. Next, Eide examined our fingernails to see if we were wearing nail polish. (They don't want chipped nail polish getting mixed in with the product.) Mine were polished, so I was asked to wear gloves. We were also required to wear a Mars-branded lab coat, like all factory associates.

Next we were given hard hats, safety glasses, ear plugs, and hair nets.

Everyone who enters the factory is required to wear this gear.

Before heading in, we were asked to wash our hands (even if we were wearing gloves for the tour).

The tour finally begins! We start by walking down this colorful hallway lined with lively paintings of M&M's characters.

The Hackettstown plant creates M&M's Milk Chocolate, M&M’s Minis, and Peanut M&M’s, as well as 21 different colors and custom print products.

"Mixing and tempering the chocolate are key," Eide explains. "Conching" is the first part of the process, when all of the raw material for chocolate is mixed together.

The chocolate is then sent to standardizing. where it is tempered to the correct temperature needed to create the desired shape of M&M's.

Next, the chocolates are sent through the cooling tunnels to ensure they are cooled and ready for the coloring process.

Eide let us try the M&M's chocolates at every stage in the process. "Fresh" and "sweet" don't even begin to describe how they tasted.

Once the chocolates are cooled, they are given their signature colors — a process that can't be rushed.

The coloring drips slowly until the pieces are vibrant.

The signature colors are yellow, red, green, brown, orange, and blue, the newest color. Blue was introduced in 1995 after consumers voted on a color to replace the tan M&M's, which had been around since the late 1940s.

For Peanut M&M's, the nuts — which are mainly supplied to Hackettstown from the Southeast region of the US — go through a roasting process. Then they are sprayed with chocolate three times to get the right chocolate-to-nut ratio.

"Millions of M&M's are made here each day," Eide says. The factory, which is approximately 460,000 square feet, is very loud and sweet-smelling. "The odor gets into your clothes, and it might be pleasant now, but once you get home it smells more like spoiled milk," one associate explains.

A lot of the process is proprietary and we were not allowed to see — or photograph — certain areas of the factory. "For such a small piece of chocolate, M&M's are surprisingly sophisticated," Eide explains. "We can't share all of the details behind the production process because we want to keep the magic and mystery behind the 'M' alive." For instance, she says, everyone always wants to know how they place the "M" on each M&M," but that's still top secret,"she says.

One the "M" is placed on each candy, the pieces are packaged and sent across the country.

"M&M's today taste just as great as they did when the first M&M's were produced in 1941 and that’s a direct result of our extreme focus on delivering consistent, outstanding quality," Eide says.

From start to finish, she says, it takes anywhere from 10 to 12 hours to create a bag of M&M's.

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Factories are one of the many reminders of our state’s prized industrial heritage. From coins and motorcycles to potato chips and chocolate, many Pennsylvania factories offer tours and are the perfect places to find Made-in-PA keepsakes.

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• Chocolate Candy

Chocolate and Candy Factory Tours in the U.S.

If You're Lucky, Try Some Treats Fresh off the Line

Maskot / Getty Images

Jelly Belly

Theo chocolate.

• Boehm's Candies

Hammond’s Candy Company

Sweet’s candy company, cerreta candy company, the candy factory, rebecca ruth chocolates, anthony-thomas chocolates, sanders and morley candy makers, webb’s candy shop.

If you have ever watched "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," you have probably dreamed of setting foot inside a candy factory one day. Well, there are many working candy factories today in the U.S. that offer free or low-cost tours. They might not include Willy Wonka’s chocolate rivers or edible vegetation, but these factory tours can be a lot of fun.

Candy factory tours offer an exciting look at how beloved sweets are made behind the scenes, and in addition to seeing the assembly methods, visitors often learn about candy making and the history of the specific candy and candy company.

Touring a candy factory can be a great family activity since it appeals to all ages and is affordable—almost all of the tours listed below are free. (If you are a large group, it is always a good idea to call ahead to schedule a tour that can accommodate you). Best of all, candy tours often end with free samples of the merchandise, fresh off the assembly line.

Note that most of these candy factories use nuts in the process, so a tour would require special precautions for anyone with a nut allergy. Browse this listing of candy factory tours, see if there is one near you, and enjoy.

The main  Jelly Belly factory is located (appropriately enough) at One Jelly Belly Lane in Fairfield, California. The company was founded by Gustav Goelitz in 1869. As you may have guessed, jelly beans , in more than 50 flavors (including pomegranate and chili-mango) rank as its primary product. The self-guided tour is free, and it takes about 45 minutes to cover the quarter-mile area that includes interactive exhibits, films depicting the intricacies of candy making, and examples of Jelly Belly art. You can skip the line with a personal guided tour for one to six people included for a single fee, but you must make a reservation.

In Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, you can visit the Jelly Belly warehouse and distribution center. Learn how these jelly beans are made on a free, 30-minute train ride through the facility complete with whimsical decorations and jelly bean characters fun for children and all kids at heart.

Theo Chocolate is considered one of the first organic, fair-trade certified chocolate makers in North America. Around since 2006, the factory is located in a former brewery building and trolley car depot in the Fremont neighborhood of North Seattle, Washington. About 60,000 visitors tour the factory per year. Tours have an admission fee except for free tours on Fremont Third Thursday. The guided tour is about one hour long, includes chocolate samples, but children under age 5 are not permitted on the tour. For those under age 5, a weekly children's storytime tour is offered. You can also book a private tour for groups of up to 24 people, which can include young children and babies.

Boehm's Candies

Boehm's Candies has been around since 1942 when Austrian Olympian runner Julius Boehms opened his first candy shop in the Ravenna area of Seattle, Washington. He later designed, built, and relocated his shop to an authentic Swiss-style Alpine chalet in the Issaquah foothills, which reminded him of home. Tours of the Issaquah production facility and shop are available during the summer months only for a small fee per person (under age 1, free). On a 40-minute tour, you can see how their famous truffles , caramels, and nut candies are made. Outside of the summer months, if you have a group of 10 or more, you can inquire about scheduling a tour.

Carl T. Hammond, Sr., founded Hammond's Candy Company in Denver, Colorado, in 1920. You can visit the factory and watch as treats like lollipops, candy canes, and other popular Hammond's treats are pulled, twisted, shaped, and packaged by hand. The 30-minute tour is free. No reservations are required, but you can call ahead. The tour is offered every 30 minutes on the hour and on the half. Children are welcome. Wheelchairs and strollers can access the facility.

The Sweet Candy Company first opened its doors in 1892 in Portland, Oregon. In the 1900s, the company moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, where it has been ever since. Sweet Candy Company remains family-owned and operated by the third, fourth, and fifth generations of the family. Their specialty is taffy , gummies, chocolate sticks, and the company produces 250 other candies. The tour is free, by appointment only, Monday through Friday. The guided tour includes fresh factory samples and educational and interactive stations.

The Cerreta Candy Company is a family-owned business founded in 1968 by Jim Cerreta, Sr., in Glendale, Arizona. He had learned the art of candy production in his father-in-law’s factory in Canton, Ohio. He then passed the skill on to his children and grandchildren. Four generations later, the business is going strong. Their signature candy is French mint chocolates followed closely by chocolate caramels and creams. The free, 30-minute guided tour is offered Monday through Friday at 10 a.m. and at 1 p.m. A VIP tour package is available for a small fee.

Visit The Candy Factory in Columbia, Missouri, and observe some of the traditional candy-making processes in use since they opened their doors in 1974. The Candy Factory creates chocolate assortments of truffles and, for free, you can take a sneak peek at the process through their viewing room.

When you think Kentucky, there are likely two things that come to mind: the Kentucky Derby and bourbon whiskey. It stands without question that Rebecca Ruth Chocolates in Frankfort, Kentucky, has tipped a nod to both in its lines of chocolate samplers and liquor-filled chocolates. From its famous bourbon balls to its Triple Crown Assortment, the selections are something you can only find in Kentucky. A 20-minute tour is available for a small fee. Children under 5 are free.

Walk the glass-enclosed, suspended "catwalk" and observe nine assembly lines producing 30,000 pounds of chocolates at the Anthony-Thomas factory in Columbus, Ohio. A tour guide explains each process step-by-step from the kitchens to the final packaging on a one-hour tour. View huge copper kettles where the gooey centers of some of the candies are created and take a look at the network of silver-wrapped pipes that carry liquid chocolate throughout the factory. The tour is available for a very small fee and is free for children under age 3. The admission fee can be applied to a candy purchase. No reservations are required.

Since 1875, Sanders fine chocolates have been woven into the fabric of Michigan culture. With chains throughout the Great Lakes region, it was the regional chocolate. With its own rich history since 1919, Morley Candy Makers bought Sanders in 2002. The Sanders and Morely Candy Makers chocolate factory tour in Clinton Township, Michigan, is great for all ages and it is free. Guided tours are available by appointment only. But you can stop by any day for a free self-guided kitchen tour.

Somebody at the helm was paying attention to marketing when developing the product lines at Webb's Candy in Davenport, Florida—each product is unique. From goat's milk fudge bars to citrus jelly candies made with real citrus juices, Webb's is the real deal. To learn more about them, take a free, self-guided tour

• American Desserts

Made in Chicago Museum

Mars Inc., est. 1911

Museum Artifact: Three Musketeers, Milky Way, Snickers, and Mars Toasted Almond Bar Display Boxes, 1930s-1950s

Made By: Mars Incorporated, 2019 N. Oak Park Ave, Chicago, IL [Galewood]

“The finest quality ingredients blended by the most skillful workers in the most modern institution of its kind.” – Mars Bar display box, 1930s

Still consistently ranked among the top ten largest privately owned companies, of any kind , in the world, Mars Incorporated ($45 billion in sales in 2022) stands in stark contrast to most of the cherished but long-defunct Chicago confectioners of yore—a graveyard of ex-rivals that includes Curtiss , Bunte , Williamson , Shotwell , and Peerless , to name just a handful. So monstrous is the Mars empire, in fact, that it recently absorbed one of Chicago’s other international snack giants, the Wrigley Company , with the casual “why not” attitude of an impulse buy at the grocery store. This acquisition added a line of leading chewing gum brands to a Mars stable of products that already boasts the country’s top selling candy (M&M’s) and candy bar (Snickers), plus shopping cart ubiquities such as Ben’s Original Rice and Pedigree and Whiskas pet food.

Naturally, a corporation of this size—with a century of history in its rearview—has generated plenty of attention and analysis over the years. In its early days, such scrutiny was welcomed by flamboyant company founder Frank C. Mars, whose lavish, country-club style Chicago factory once had an open-door policy to the world. Across subsequent generations, however, the keepers of the Mars empire have maintained an almost notorious shield of secrecy—often unwilling to give interviews, have photos taken, or even allow outsiders to tour their factories. The family’s massive wealth, similarly, wasn’t flaunted with eye-catching extravagances, as a low profile became the strict Mars dress code.

“The ability to be secretive is one of the finest benefits of having a private company,” third-generation company president Forrest Mars, Jr., said in a rare address at Duke University in 1988. “Privacy at times today seems like a relic of the non-media past, but it is a legal right – morally and ethically proper and even desirable – and a key to healthy, normal living. It allows us to do the very best we can, the very best we know how, and to do so without being concerned with self-aggrandizement.”

Paradoxically, the silent nature of the Marses (Martians?) only made them the focus of more intrigue over the decades, as a long line-up of journalists tried to unravel the various mysteries baked into the business, from the debated origins of its most popular products to the hidden turmoil underlying its leadership. In particular, the bitter fallout between Frank Mars and his son Forrest Mars, Sr.—while certainly not a part of the official corporate timeline—has always seemed essential to understanding the company’s unique evolution.

[ Left: Company founder Frank Mars and an 1930 American advertisement for the Milky Way. Right: Frank Mars’s son Forrest Mars and a 1948 British ad for the Mars Bar]

You can still find evidence of that 90 year-old family feud, in fact, if you visit the United Kingdom, where the candy bar we know as the “Milky Way” is called a “Mars Bar,” and the bar they call a “Milky Way” actually tastes like a “3 Musketeers” (which doesn’t exist overseas). Up until the 1990s, even the beloved Snickers was known to the Brits as the “Marathon” bar. These random incongruities, amongst others, are left over from the 1930s, when Forrest Mars, Sr.—booted out of Chicago by his dad and banished to England—turned Mars Candy into two polarized but parallel family businesses, separated by a literal and metaphorical ocean.

Led by conflicted figureheads with conflicting philosophies, the two halves of Mars would eventually re-converge into the company we know today, but not with any happy family reconciliations. Mars might be the fourth planet from the sun, but before that, lest we forget, it was the Roman god of war.

[The concept for M&Ms, one of Mars’s flagship candies, was actually developed by Forrest Mars, Sr., when he was in exile from Mars Inc.’s Chicago mothership during the 1940s]

History of Mars, Inc., Part I. The Rover

Like any good multi-billion dollar company worth its salt, Mars Inc. began in the most humble of fashions—with early days spent scrounging for cash in some of the colder corners of the country.

Around the turn of the century, Franklin Clarence Mars (b. 1882)—a polio survivor and son of a gristmill worker—was working as a chips salesman in Wadena, Minnesota, trying meagerly to support his first wife, Ethel G. Mars (Kissack), and their young child, Forrest (b. 1904). Looking for a new opportunity, Frank soon moved his family across the country to Tacoma, Washington, but once they got there, his struggles only continued.

By 1910, Ethel had run out of patience. She divorced Frank, citing his failure to provide for the family. In the aftermath—due to her own limitations—she had to send away 6 year-old Forrest to live with his grandparents in Saskatchewan, where he would spend most of his youth enduring a very strict, Episcopalian upbringing.

While young Forrest maintained a warm correspondence with his mother during his Canadian exile, there was no such relationship with Frank, who offered little in both communication and child support money. One can surmise that the idiosyncrasies and insecurities of Forrest Mars—and his bitter feelings toward his father—were forged during these years.

In fairness, Frank Mars wasn’t necessarily resigned to the role of the irredeemable deadbeat dad. Still a young man, he was trying his damndest, it seems, to make up for past missteps.

Starting in 1911, he had invested all his energy (and dwindling capital) into a DIY candy business in Tacoma, which he operated with his second wife, coincidentally also named Ethel . . . in this case, Ethel V. Mars (Healy). Even after another string of failures nearly ruined them, Frank and Ethel 2 kept the business going, developing an original line of butter cream candies that gained a small following.

After World War I, the couple moved back east to Minnesota, where Frank started a candy business called “The Nougat House,” with a line of hand-made “Patricia” candies named for his daughter (his only child with Ethel 2). His next big product, the Mar-O-Bar—a “whip cream style” chocolate bar—was introduced in 1920, well timed with America’s emerging post-war candy bar obsession. It did well enough to give Frank his first firm footing in the industry, and he launched the Mar-O-Bar Company in Minneapolis to produce it, hiring a young, skilled Italian-American candy maker named Thomas Dattalo (b. 1895) as his very first full-time employee.

[The “Mar-O-Bar,” Frank Mars’s original chocolate bar, as advertised in 1922]

According to a retrospective in a 1960 edition of the Mars company newsletter, Milky Way News , “business fluctuated daily” at the old Mar-O-Bar Co. “When it was good, it meant long hours of toil. When it was bad it meant money wasn’t always available, and paychecks were by no means certain.” Despite that lack of security, Frank’s righthand man Thomas Dattalo “never thought of quitting. His faith in Mr. Mars was boundless. If ever a young company had a loyal employee, Mars had one in Tom Dattalo.”

The Mar-O-Bar never came close to the sales numbers of Hershey or Curtiss’s Baby Ruth, but it set Frank Mars on a new path; at the age of 40, he’d become a source of inspiration rather than a disappointment. This set the stage for the most important meeting in Mars company history, as a father and his estranged son put aside their differences to hatch a billion dollar idea . . . or so the story goes.

II. Milky Way or the Highway

In 1922, Frank Mars supposedly invited his now 18 year-old son Forrest—a student at Cal-Berkeley—to come to the Twin Cities and discuss the budding “family business.” They hadn’t seen each face to face in years.

In the most colorful but likely apocryphal version of the meeting that followed, dad and son sat down at a local Minneapolis diner and politely chatted over a couple malted milkshakes. Frank brought Forrest up to speed on his new Mar-O-Bar Company and the pros and cons of the Mar-O-Bar itself—how it tasted great, but didn’t transport well over long distances. Forrest, the typical unimpressed teenager, made his own spur-of-the-moment suggestion: Why don’t you make a candy bar version of a malted milk drink?

Roughly 100 years later, the corporate timeline on Mars.com describes the creation of the Milky Way in similar terms: “1923: Father and Son Collaborate and Launch New Candy Bar.”

Left out of this narrative, unfortunately, is the aforementioned Thomas Dattalo, the man Frank Mars often referred to as “the Master Candy Maker.”

According to some of his surviving family members, Dattalo was the true inventor of the Milky Way, along with quite a few other famous Mars confections. “Mars had the money,” Dattalo’s granddaughter Rosanne Eiternick told the Made In Chicago Museum, “my grandfather knew how to make candy.”

Another of Dattalo’s grandkids, also named Tom Dattalo, sent us some evidence to substantiate these claims—in the form of his own correspondence with Forrest Mars, Sr., back in 1989.

[Correspondence between Tom Dattalo, grandson of Mars’s former Master Candy Maker, and Forrest Mars, Sr., from 1989. These letters have not been officially substantiated, but appear to be legitimate.]

In contrast with the interview he gave in 1966, an elderly Forrest Mars acknowledged in this private letter that the idea for a malted milk candy bar hadn’t come from his own mind; nor had it been a case of random inspiration.

“Your grandfather was a great candy maker and developed the Milky Way,” Mars wrote to Dattalo’s grandson. “My dad and I used to drink thick chocolate malted milk shakes and my dad decided we should make it into a bar. He wanted something that tasted like a thick chocolate malted milk shake and Tom Dattalo knew how to make it; hence the Milky Way.”

“I can remember my dad getting tired of me sitting around the office all day. He said to me, ‘Get out of that chair and go back in the factory and let Tom Dattalo teach you how to make candy. You can hire lawyers, accountants, bookkeepers, etc. to take care of business, but who can you hire to make you rich? Go back and work with Tom and learn how to make candy — that will make you rich.’ That was the best advice I ever received.”

Dattalo’s success in perfecting the malted milk bar vaulted the Mar-O-Bar Company into the big leagues. Cleverly named the “Milky Way” (as a reference to both its malted milk content and Frank Mars’s astronomical surname), the new bar did $800,000 in sales in its first year ($12 million after inflation)—not bad for a 5-cent chunk of chocolate that cost half as much to produce as most of its competitors.

Even the famous Borden Milk Company put out advertisements celebrating their mere association with the Milky Way: “The Mar-O-Bar Company of Minneapolis have capitalized on the popularity of Malted Milk and are using a carload of Borden’s Malted Milk every 15 days in the manufacture of their ‘Milky Way’ Malted Milk Bar,” read a 1924 ad. “There are many other bars on the market but none that has grown in public favor as fast as the Milky Way—whose growth has been phenomenal.”

Milky Way had made Frank Mars a wealthy man, and he wasted no time basking in all the perks that 1920s high society had to offer.

While young Forrest was off studying industrial engineering at Yale, the family business continued to grow, and the Mar-O-Bar Company soon gave way to Mars, Incorporated. Even more importantly, the decision was made to move the factory from Minneapolis to a new building in Chicago, where distribution could be maximized and a cheaper freight rate would save on expenses. Forrest Mars later took credit for this idea, too, suggesting he had to push his reluctant father into pulling up stakes.

III. The Chicago Plant

“Chicago’s position as one of the sweet tooth centers of the nation will be considerably strengthened when the new plant of Mars, Inc., now under construction at 2019-59 North Oak Park Avenue, is completed,” the Chicago Tribune reported in 1928.

By the end of 1928, a year before the stock market crash would only amplify its comparative opulence, the new Mars factory was completed in Chicago’s Galewood neighborhood. It employed over 300 people at the outset, more than half of whom were existing workers who opted to make the move from Minnesota. Frank Mars coaxed them with the promise of building the “most beautiful” candy plant in America, and by most accounts, he certainly seemed to have a solid claim to the title.

Built on 16 acres of land purchased from the former Westward Ho Golf Club, the Mars factory—which would remain one of the company’s North American Chocolate Division facilities well into the 21st century—was unlike any other manufacturing plant of its time, or any time since, really.

Chicago Tribune reporter Al Chase summed up the factory on the occasion of its 25th anniversary in 1953. At the time, it still purported to be the largest candy plant in the world.

“The Spanish type structure is an outstanding bit of architecture, and it stands in a beautiful setting of brilliant green bent grass, beds of flowers, shrubs, and towering trees,” Chase wrote.

“A casual passersby who didn’t know what it was probably would think it a fashionable club or some important institution—never a factory. The tinted walls, rich red tile roofs, two-story high curved top windows, and a long canopy extending 100 feet or more from the main entrance to the sidewalk, give no hint of manufacturing activities.

“Even after one steps through wide, inviting doors into the big, high ceilinged lobby, the illusion of ease instead of labor persists. Fine oil paintings are hanging on throughout the general offices. Oriental rugs are scattered about. Except for the sound of assembly line production sifting through from the manufacturing area, one still never would guess it was part of a manufacturing plant.”

[Inside the Mars Chicago plant in the 1930s. Left: A battery of beaters whips egg whites with sweet syrup for the centers of 3 Musketeers bars. Right: Inspecting eggs (top) and breaking eggs (below) for use in the Milky Way]

Frank and Ethel 2 weren’t just spending their Milky Way money on swank factory features, either. Unlike the generations that would follow them, these Martians had no shame about visibly waving their wealth flags.

Depression be damned, Chicago’s new candy power couple purchased themselves a Duesenberg town car worth $20,000 (a ridiculous $300,000 in modern cash) and were gleefully chauffeured near and far, from the factory grounds to as far north as their new palatial estate in Minocqua, Wisconsin. Like many of the other leading Chicago tycoons of the period, Frank Mars also jumped into the ranching and horse breeding game, employing 100 people to run his nearly 3,000 acre “Milky Way Farms” in Tennessee. Ethel Mars kept the ranch going after Frank’s death, and eventually got a Kentucky Derby champ out of the effort, the 1940 winner Gallahadion.

With his fortune made, Frank seemed to lose a bit of his motivation when it came to the confectionery arts. That responsibility was largely left in the hands of the ever reliable Tom Dattalo, whose family now lived in a house that Frank had bought for them on Oak Park Avenue, just down the road from the Chicago plant.

“When operations were moved from Minneapolis to Chicago, Tom [Dattalo] came with the company,” according to a 1960 edition of the Milky Way News. “ With the change came increased responsibilities. Three shifts of candy making required Tom to get up around 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. to oversee the end of the third shift operations. It required him to stay through the day and supervise the beginning of the second shift operations. This would keep him on the job until 6:00 or 7:00 p.m. Also for many years Tom came to work on Saturday and Sunday.”

While Thomas Dattalo ran the candy lab, his nephew James Dattalo got into the business helping the landscaping crew on the factory grounds, before gradually getting his daily lessons on all aspects of the confectionery trade. Years later, in 1963, James would open up his own candy shop in Old Town, the Fudge Pot, which is still in business today, operated by James’s son, Dave Dattalo.

Such endearing tales of generational succession only seem more quaint when compared to the mess that was the Mars family dynamic.

Case in point, the very same year that Frank Mars opened up the new Chicago factory/resort, an unexpected new employee also re-joined the fold—the fresh Yale graduate Forrest Mars. I suppose it’s certainly possible that both father and son were genuinely committed to finally patching up their tenuous relationship and working together for the good of the family. It’s also possible that Forrest saw a lucrative opportunity to dive straight into the deep end of corporate America, using nepotism or fatherly guilt as his bridge. Either way, things were never destined to go smoothly.

[Images from a 1938 promotional booklet called “A Trip Thru Mars,” showing how public tours of the N. Oak Park Avenue factory used to be commonplace, and even a key means of marketing. “We have about 40,000 visitors a year,” the booklet reads, “mostly from Chicago and nearby towns. And our greatest sales increases have come from nearby, where more people have seen how the candy is made in our plant.”]

IV: Mars vs Mars

“If you like peanuts and chocolate too, then Snick-Snick-Snickers is the bar for you!” –Mars advertising jingle, 1950s

Right off the bat, the new Mars partnership was faced with the brutal uncertainty of the market crash and the threat of a total economic depression. To make matters worse, Frank’s old-school solutions for keeping the business afloat bared little resemblance to Forrest’s fresh Ivy League sensibilities and militant preference for efficiency over “beauty.”

The Snickers Bar, which was named after one of Frank and Ethel Mars’s prized race horses, was also likely a Tom Dattalo concoction. The recipe essentially just added peanuts to the Milky Way blueprint, but the change was enough to distinguish Snickers as its own thing and eventually turn it into one of the best selling candies of all time.

The 3 Musketeers bar, meanwhile, was so named because the original design included three separate pieces—one vanilla, one strawberry, and one chocolate, with whipped mousse on the inside. Restrictions during WWII eventually cut the production down to just the chocolate version, and so it would stay.

There wasn’t a great deal of focus on individually advertising the Snickers or 3 Musketeers in their early years. By the time Mars Inc. was sending out display boxes like the one in our museum collection (1958), however, these slickly branded bars had achieved stardom through a new sort of marketing medium—TV commercials. This meant you wouldn’t just be daydreaming about candy bars, you’d be singing about them, too.

[Snickers TV commercial from 1954]

Anyway, despite a productive first few years in Chicago, it soon became clear that Frank and Forrest Mars wouldn’t be able to peacefully co-exist much longer, and that the heir to the Mars throne might not be destined for the role. After challenging his father relentlessly about the best way to run the business—and demanding ownership of one-third of Mars Inc. for himself—Forrest finally pushed one button too many in 1932.

If Frank Mars really did say this, it seems doubly insensitive, considering it’d mark the second time he’d essentially banished his son to a foreign land. This time around, however, Forrest Mars was more than prepared to take on the challenge.

“Things got bitter,” Forrest recalled in video recording made for the Mars family archives, which was later quoted in the aforementioned Emperors of Chocolate book in 1998. “I’m not proud of this. I told my dad to stick the business up his ass. If he didn’t want to give me one-third right then, I said I’m leaving. He said leave, so I left.”

Forrest forgot to mention that he also had a wife, Audrey, and a young child, Forrest Jr., at the time. So, technically, he should have said “we left.” But anyway, the destination was England. And thus the alternative / bizarro / thoroughly British version of Mars Candy was about to be let loose upon the world.

V. Is There Life On Mars (or in Britain)?

Yes, the simplest way to explain why the “Mars Bar” is so much more prominent in the UK, or why Snickers went by another name for decades, is that there were, essentially, two separate Mars companies in operation during much of the 20th century.

Noting the preferences of British candy lovers, Forrest got started by tweaking the original Milky Way formula to add a little extra sweetness. He called his creation the “Mars Bar,” and introduced it to the UK market in 1932. Production was initially based out of a small factory in the city of Slough (home of the Wernham Hogg Paper Company in The Office ), employing just the 12 people he could afford with his dad’s financial aid. When the Mars Bar proved every bit as popular with the Brits as the Milky Way was with the Yanks, however, Forrest suddenly was the well-to-do captain of his own substantial organization—still shy of his 30th birthday, but already taking orders from nobody.

One one hand, the young ex-pat mogul was achieving a stunning level of success in the midst of the Great Depression. Unfortunately, Forrest was also fueling himself on a sort of maniacal urge to outdo his father (or some other inner demons), and he began running an increasingly tight ship at his UK factory, often lashing out at employees for the slightest misstep.

Then, just two years into his time in England, Forrest got word from back home. Frank Mars was dead at the age of 52.

No one can know for sure how Forrest processed the news, but it’s believed he didn’t bother flying home for the funeral. He also soon learned that his father had left the majority of Mars Inc. in the hands of his second wife, Ethel V. Mars, along with their daughter Patricia. The father-son war, it turned out, couldn’t even end in death.

VI: “Not In Your Hand”

It would take another three decades for Forrest Mars to finally reclaim what he believed to be his birthright—total ownership of Mars Incorporated USA. In the meantime, though, he managed to build a global company (eventually known as Food Manufacturers Inc.) that actually outclassed the American Mars mothership in nearly every department, particularly during the 1940s.

In that sense, then, the Chicago-Mars story in the years after Frank Mars’s death is one of comparative stagnation. In the ’40s, while Forrest was breaking back into the U.S. market producing M&Ms in New Jersey and Uncle Ben’s in Texas, the old Mars Inc. plant in Chicago was merely holding steady—selling the same marquee candy bars with little expansion.

Even after the death of Ethel V. Mars in 1945, Forrest Mars remained just a minority owner in his father’s company, as his half-sister Patricia held the power. Patricia, in turn, decided to leave her uncle William Kruppenbacher as CEO of Mars Inc., fanning the flames of Forrest’s rage all the more.

[The Mars factory in Chicago continued producing chocolate bars during WWII, with many of them shipped overseas for the troops]

“Slip,” as Kruppenbacher was known to colleagues, was a capable businessman himself, and he did guide the company through much of the Depression and the war, with employment at the Chicago plant growing to over 2,000 workers by 1950. Recognizing the benefits of cross-promotion and new modes of advertising, Kruppenbacher took some bold steps in that arena, too, including a Mars sponsorship of what would become one of the country’s most popular radio and TV quiz shows, “Dr. IQ.”

“When Forrest Mars came back,” Dattallo’s grandaughter Rosanne Eiternick says, “he claimed all the rights of the candy making and closed off all the information towards the history of the company. . . . We feel our grandfather got the raw deal.”

As the power struggle waged on, Forrest Mars Sr. seemed to have less and less patience with the people around him, no matter which plant he was stalking. In her book The Emperors of Chocolate , author Joël Glenn Brenner describes the increasingly gloomy atmosphere at the M&M factory in New Jersey, where Forrest had long since run his old business partner Murrie out of town.

“Explosive fits of screaming and cursing pierced the order of the factory floor several times a day. It seemed anything could set [Mars] off when he arrived at the factory. An employee who forgot to wash his hands, a messy pile of papers on a salesman’s desk, or a speck of chocolate on a uniform could send him reeling into an abusive rage. Most workers eventually learned to shrug off these episodes, waiting patiently with heads bowed until the blood rushed out of Forrest’s face and the taunts and name-calling ceased, almost as abruptly as they had begun.”

According to one former employee, Forrest Sr. “treated everybody in the world like they were stupid—except him.”

Kruppenbacher, like Murrie and Dattalo before him, finally had enough in 1959, retiring and leaving the CEO position to Patricia Mars’s third husband, James Fleming. It soon became clear, however, that Fleming was out of his element. Mars Inc. started going in the wrong direction.

With few other obvious candidates waiting in the wings, and Patricia herself diagnosed with cancer, the unavoidable moment had finally arrived. Forrest Mars bought out the remaining stock and became the new president and CEO of Frank Mars’s old candy company in 1964, simultaneously merging Food Manufacturers Inc. and its properties under the Mars name, as well. There was now one and only one Mars Inc., worldwide.

The friendly corporate version of events might make it sound like a proud legacy was merely carrying on through the family line, but it’s worth emphasizing that Forrest Mars Sr. had to buy Mars Inc. rather than inherit it. And while he did bring his own sons into the business, those relationships proved no warmer than the one he’s experienced with his own dad.

VII: Forrest for the Trees

One might have hoped that Forrest Mars Sr. would have found some peace by the age of 60. But he had no intentions of celebrating his hard fought victory by letting Mars Inc. carry on as it had for the past 40 years. His arrival at the Chicago factory as the company’s new CEO became the stuff of legend.

Here’s how Fortune magazine recounted the event several years later in a 1967 company profile:

“[Forrest] Mars did not just walk into the room; he charged in. His ring of hair was gray around his gleaming scalp, but he still had the athletic stance of a much younger man. He wore an English suit with wide lapels, and his tie was unstylishly wider still. ‘We didn’t know if he was ahead of the times, or behind,’ recalls a participant. After a few quips, which sparked a little dutiful laughter, Mars talked of his plans and hopes for the Mars Candies Division, as the Chicago operation was henceforth to be known. He paused. ‘I’m a religious man,’ he said abruptly (he’s an Episcopalian). There was another long pause, while his new associates pondered the significance of his statement. Their mystification increased when Mars sank to his knees at the head of the long conference table. Some of those present thought that he was groping on the floor for a pencil that had slipped from his hands. From his semi-kneeling position, Mars began a strange litany: ‘I pray for Milky Way. I pray for Snickers…’ “

It was immediately clear to the Chicago workers that it wasn’t going to be business as usual from that point forward. But that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

While Forrest Mars spent much of his first year eliminating some of the fancier and cuddlier elements of the Chicago plant and offices—goodbye, stained glass windows, wall paintings, executive dining room, PR events, etc.—he didn’t forget to appease his employees in other ways. Salaries were raised for workers at all levels, and benefits and bonuses were improved. The factory was kept cleaner and made more efficient by the installation of new machines and technology, and all employees—regardless of their position—ate lunches together and punched the same clock.

It wasn’t necessarily that Forrest was more compassionate than his predecessors. As the Fortune article noted, it was simply about “applying mathematics to economic problems.” With good wages and benefit programs, the hardline conservative Mars was able to bust unions and keep Mars Inc. free of labor movement rumblings. And by keeping everyone on the same level in the factory ecosystem, the management team would never rest on its laurels either.

As no surprise to Mars himself, the changes paid off.

With the Mars Inc. world headquarters now located in suburban Washington D.C. (and Chicago serving as a candy bar hub), Forrest Sr. started focusing on expanding factory development in Europe during the 1960s, to great effect. In the U.S., the Hershey Company, as always, remained the primary competition in the chocolate business. But by producing its own chocolate and peanuts completely in-house for the first time, Mars Inc. was able to cut costs and move past its Pennsylvania rival for the majority of the years to come.

Meanwhile, most of America’s smaller candy makers were disappearing or merging to try and hold onto any niche in the market they could. In 1965 alone, three of Mars Inc.’s old Chicago contemporaries were purchased by larger corporations— Williamson Candy (by Warner-Lambert Pharmaceutical), E.J. Brach & Sons (by American Home Products), and Reed Candy Co. (by P. Lorillard). With fading competition and the power of M&Ms, Snickers, Milky Way, and 3 Musketeers—all top ten sellers in the industry—Mars became the undisputed mega-power in confections.

And yet . . .  as ever, Forrest Mars Sr. was a deeply dissatisfied man.

VIII: Mars Attacks

In the late 1960s, as his sons Forrest Jr. and John Mars took on larger roles in the company, employees described very tense relationships between the three men, with Forrest Sr. often berating his children much as he did the workers at the M&M plant years earlier.

A Mars profile in a 2001 issue of Biography Today further describes a moment during a 1964 company meeting when Forrest Sr. angrily ordered one of his sons “ to kneel on the floor and pray for the future of the company. He then resumed the meeting, leaving the young man to kneel silently on the floor for an hour in front of his co-workers. The son reportedly rose to his feet only after his father called an end to the meeting and walked out of the conference room.”

Forrest Mars Sr. had also developed a deep distrust of people and increasingly refused to share any information about himself or his company. Some believe the attitude dated back to the 1940s, when a magazine article about his company’s success with Uncle Ben’s Rice led to the U.S. government asking Mars for the recipe (they were hoping to duplicate it for military use). If you reveal details about your products, he now believed, it only opened the door to others taking advantage of you.

Even in 1966, when Mars finally agreed to do a rare interview with Candy Industry and Confectioner’s Journal , he reportedly was so furious about being misquoted in the article that he wrote off all media contact for his family AND Mars employees from that point forward.

The madness of King Mars didn’t conclude with his retirement from the company in 1973. Instead, he proved unwilling to completely walk away from the multi-billion dollar machine he’d engineered for so long. When his sons finally refused to deal with him any further, Mars Sr. started a new candy business, Ethel M Chocolates (named for his mother, Frank Mars’s first wife Ethel G. Mars), in Henderson, Nevada.

[Headline from a story on Forrest Mars Sr. and Ethel M from the Reno-Gazette Journal , Oct 20, 1986]

Throughout the 1980s, Forrest Sr. not only went to work everyday at the Ethel M factory, he lived there—an elderly man staring down on his factory employees from a penthouse office with one-way glass windows. They came to call him the “Phantom of the Candy Factory.” In a complete reversal from his old philosophy, Mars also wanted the Ethel M plant run as a tourist attraction to draw more revenue. Its lavish gardens, not unlike those maintained back at the Oak Park Avenue plant in Chicago, welcomed thousands every year—not that any guest ever caught a glimpse of the phantom.

In 1990, shortly after the death of his wife Audrey, Forrest Sr. sold Ethel M to his children at Mars Inc.—including his daughter Jacqueline, who had joined the family business. All of them were billionaires and among the 50 wealthiest Americans. But, like the generation before, money had not been enough to heal old wounds.

Mars Inc. refused to share any information about Forrest Mars Sr. with the media throughout the 1990s, as well. Until his death was formally announced in 1999, no one had been completely sure if the great business titan was still alive. Employees supposedly had learned to avoid mentioning the father’s name around his kids—even when the kids themselves had reached retirement age.

Still, for all the animosity, Forrest Mars Jr. and John Mars—much like the grandfather they never really knew—had an undeniable respect for Forrest Mars Sr. as a strategist, manager, and innovator. They followed his belief in absolute privacy, and they trained future leaders of the company in the so-called “Five Principles” of the Mars business: Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency, and Freedom . They didn’t suffer fools easily, and in the most commonly cited example of their perfectionist nature, they made human employees taste test the pet food.

In a nice sign of change, the company’s fourth generation of leadership, with Victoria Mars as Chairman and Grant F. Reid (a rare outsider) as CEO, has shown signs of creating more direct involvement with the community and giving people a look behind the curtain. Mars continues to maintain a presence in Chicagoland, as well, with an ice cream plant in Burr Ridge, a candy factory in Yorkville, and a pet food plant in Mattoon. The global headquarters of its chocolate and chewing gum subsidiary, now known as Mars Wrigley Confectionery, is also still here, inside Goose Island’s “Global Innovation Center.”

As for the legendary Galewood candy facility . . . it’s still in use, but the company announced that it will permanently close in 2024, putting close to 300 men and women out of work, and leaving the building just a few years shy of its 100th anniversary. Mars execs say they will donate the campus to the community for a new use.

Unlike eating a Snickers bar, the Mars Inc. story doesn’t always satisfy. It wasn’t the rags to riches tale of a Norman Rockwell family, nor do the heroes of the story always elicit our sympathy. Like a Mars Bar posing as a Milky Way, things aren’t always what their packages would suggest. But once you can see it for what it really is, it may prove admirable in some other ways you never anticipated.

Corporate Cultures and Global Brands , edited by Albrecht Rothacher

“Forrest Mars Sr.,” Biography Today: Scientists and Inventors Series , 2001

Mars.com “About Us” Timeline

“Minneapolis Candy Firm Moving Here” – Chicago Tribune , Aug 12, 1928

“The Sweet, Secret World of Forrest Mars,” Fortune Magazine, 1967

“Standard Set By Mars Plant Built in 1928,” Chicago Tribune , Nov 15, 1953

“The Mysterious Candy Man” – Reno Gazette-Journal , Oct 20, 1986

“The Candy Man,” The Guardian , 1999

“Sweet Secrets: Opening Doors on the Very Private Lives of the Billionaire Mars Family,” The Washingtonian , 1996

“Life in Mars: Reclusive Dynasty Behind One of World’s Most Famous Brands,” The Guardian , 2008

On Leadership , by Allan Leighton, 2007

“Life on Mars: The Mars Family Saga has All the Classic Elements,” by Joel Glenn Brenner, The Independent , 1992

The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars , by Joel Glenn Brenner, 1998

Bitter Chocolate: Investigating The Dark Side Of The World’s Most Seductive Sweet , by Carol Off

Crisis in Candyland: Melting the Chocolate Shell of the Mars Family Empire , by Jan Pottker, 1995

Archived Reader Comments:

“My folks took my brother and I to “Super Circus,” a TV show on Sundays during the 1950s. The program was telecast fro the Civic Opera House/Kemper Insurance Bldg on Wacker Drive just south of Lake Street. It was sponsored by Mars Candies…Milky Way, 3 Musketeers and Snickers (which I sometimes still indulge myself). My uncle worked for Kimball Candy on Belmont Avenue, a business that produced a most horrible tasting coconut candy.” — Dave, 2020

“Does anyone remember Mrs. Stevens candy co ??? It was located just south of Chicago Av. on Franklin Blvd. About 700 north.” — Just Curious, 2019

“My grandfather Thomas Dattalo and Mr. Mars made candy together in Minnesota. They started the business together. Mars had the money, my grandfather knew how to make candy. But he never got any recognition for this. They came down to Chicago together with my grandfather’s nephew, James, to start the business on Oak Park Ave. I believe around the Depression time. My uncle did the landscaping for years until he died. My uncle lived in Elmwood Park. My grandfather was the Master Candy Maker. He lived on Oak Park Ave. Mr. Mars had bought the house for him. When Mars’s son came back, he claimed all the rights of the candy making. Thomas’s nephew, James Dattalo, went on to open the Fudge Pot in Chicago on Wells Street. His son still operates it today. Dave Dattalo. . . . We tried to get information to prove this but when Mars’s son came back he closed off all the information towards the history of the company. Is there anyway you can dig a little for us. We feel our grandfather got the raw deal. Forrest Mars did send a letter to my brother regarding my grandfather.” — Rosanne Dattalo Eiternick, 2017

“Hi Rosanne, this is great info. I will try to dig around for old news stories that might mention your grandfather and Mars. Do you still have the letter Forrest Mars wrote to your family? If I can substantiate the story, I will happily add Thomas Dattalo to the Mars origin story. Many thanks!” — Made In Chicago Museum

“I have an old display box for the “Two Bits” candy bar and I am wondering why there is no mention of this bar in the history ? I would appreciate more information and an approximate date this candy was made.” — Janice, 2017

“Hi Janice. The “Two Bits” was a variation on the Milky Way, featuring chocolate, peanuts, and cream caramel. It was introduced in the mid 1930s and was still available at least into the 1950s, it appears. There are a number of Mars products not mentioned in the history above, as short-lived brands didn’t carry the same significance to the business.” — Made In Chicago Museum

10 thoughts on “ Mars Inc., est. 1911 ”

My sister was friends with Judy Fleming. She was Patricia’s daughter. Judy invited my sister and me to come to Marlands for a vacation during the summer of 1956 or so. We went back for several more wonderful visits. Judy’s 1/2 sister, Pat, was coming up from Phoenix and I was to be friends with her. I ended up being in her wedding several years later. Those were amazing memories and crazy times. Patricia had seven children and they were all there with various friends. We put on water ski shows for the adults, had parties every night, and one street dance where we wore gunny sacks over bathing suits and the boys wore white formal jackets over their swimming trunks. They had Mars bars on this long table in a bowl that most people use as fruit bowls. It was 40 acres of fun and wonderful memories.

Sadly Mars announced the pending closure of the Galewood factory earlier this year. No timetable was given. It was the site of the best field trip I ever had in grade school (back in the early 1960’s).

After reading this article I realizes I didn’t know as much about the family as I thought. I worked in Cleveland , Tenn.plant 20 yrs. I was Good Will ambassador to Confectionates. I met Forest Sr. At Ethel M and had breakfast with him and his little dog Susie. He learned I was there after losing my son in military. We talked times. He had his regrets about the problems with his dad. After having his stoke and moving to Miami I visited him. He was a gracious host. I gave him a golf shirt from the Minnapolis Country club his father had designed. The Milky Way Farms main house is designed After the club. Mars tops any company for employment in my opinion. The family was very personal with their associates. First name basis alway. They lived the 5 principles. So did we..a choice not a force

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I lived in Nevada in the 70s and 80s and really enjoyed Mrs. Mars candy which was liquor filled. Are they still being made? Thank you for your reply.

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My father and some of his high school friends worked there in the mid-1940’s. One of the funny stories Dad told was they let you eat as much candy as you wanted while on shift. He said after about 2 weeks, you could not stand the thought of eating it any more.

My Aunt and brother each worked at Mars candy at the facility on Oak Park Avenue.My Aunt was there in the 40’s and beyond and was secretary to William Kruppenbacher. She had many photos and memorabilia from there. She also had the picture of Fran Mars on his farm in Tennessee and a hand carved cane that belonged to Frank Mars. I also have a hand written journal from Mrs Kruppenbacher for an around the world cruise they took in 1960. Please let me know if you have any interest in these items.

HI Judy. My Aunt Glorene Snell Parcel and her husband Millard Parcel worked at the Chicago plant during the 40’s as well. I am trying to locate any info and/or photos of them during that time. Also anyone that may still be living that may have been friends of theirs that might have any stories to share. Thank you for your reply. God Bless You.

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A look inside the Mars Wrigley Confectionery in Waco

You may know Waco as home to the Baylor Bears, but its also home to some of the sweetest creations.

The Mars Wrigley Confectionery may look like any basic factory, but the smell is unlike any other.

"We run into people in the community and they talk about we smelled your plant this morning. Smelt the chocolate you were making or smelt the fruit flavor from the rainbow skittles,” Mars Wrigley Confectionery, Plant Director, Dan Braswell said.

Mars Wrigley has been in operation for more than 100 years, but it was back in the 70's that the company set up shop in Waco.

“So we started this operation back in 1976 making Starburst and Snickers. And we've continued to grow all those great brands around Skittles, Starburst and Snickers in this facility"

The plant in Waco produces over 65 percent of all the Snickers all over North America, 80 percent of all the Skittles and 100 percent of all the Starburst in North America.

How they make each candy is top secret, but we were able to get a little taste of part of the process.

“We do make all our products from start to finish, so we bring in all our own raw products like coco, like the great flavorings we have in our products. We blend all those products up,” Braswell said.

Each Skittle you eat is wrapped with 43 layers of candy, then marked with signature "s", sorted and packaged.

And how do they pack all that juice into their Starbursts?

Foot after foot of fruity taffy cut perfectly into squares, then wrapped and sorted.

Of course the best part, like many of the workers, KENS 5 got to try the much anticipated new duo Starburst that combines two flavors into one.

"We absolutely taste our product. It's great to work for a great confection company," Braswell said.

We followed our noses to the final area of the plant where each year $75 million pounds of chocolate is poured into the signature Snickers bars.

That led us to another top secret find.

The new line of creamy Snickers which replaces the whole peanuts with butters like almond and peanut.

"Our consumer is changing a lot. They are requiring more innovation, they are requiring more packaging types, they are requiring different products and at a certain pace," Braswell said.

But despite the growth and evolution of the candy you can always bet that Texas made, Starburst, Skittles and Snickers won’t disappoint.

“We are proud to have three of the top ten confectionary products in the United States and to make those right here in Waco... Again, we are Waco made Texas proud,” Braswell said.

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7 Fantastic Factory Tours You Can Only Take In Tennessee

Discover seven fun and educational factory tours in Tennessee, each offering unique experiences and samples.

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Factory tours tend to get a bad rap, but we think they are some of the most enjoyable and educational outings that money can buy. We scoured the state to find a solid seven that are worth your while, fun and quirky while also appealing to that ever-incessant sweet tooth of yours. Ready for a bit of fun? Yep, we are too. Let's go!

1. Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Co - Nashville

Olive and Sinclair is a Nashville favorite, serving up chocolate and other confections from their historic East Nashville location. Tours are offered on Saturdays, are $5 per person and last about 30 or 40 minutes. Tours include samples, which is worth the price of admission by itself.

2. The Nissan Plant - Smyrna

The Nissan Plant in Smyrna is an operational vehicle assembly line and offers tours every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 AM and 1PM. Guests must be 10 years old and reservations are required. Tours are free, so they recommend that you reserve a spot at least four weeks in advance.

3. Lodge Cast Iron - South Pittsburg

The Foundry Tour at the factory for Lodge Cast Iron Manufacturing in Pittsburg is a truly unique opportunity to see the behind-the-scenes workings of how cast iron is made. Tours are only available during the National Cornbread Festival each spring, but they're definitely worth waiting for.

4. Sugarlands Distilling Company - Gatlinburg

Sugarlands is a favorite in the town of Gatlinburg, serving up real, Smoky Mountain moonshine. Tours are $15 per person and feature samples. They're only offered on Fridays and Saturdays, so be sure to book in advance on their website.

5. Gibson Guitars - Memphis

One of the most iconic electric guitar brands, Gibsons are manufactured in Memphis. You'll be able to see luthiers making guitars right in front of you. Tickets are $10 per person and last about an hour. Tours are offered seven days a week at the downtown factory.

6. Bush's Baked Beans - Dandridge

Bush's visitors center is located in Dandridge, Tennessee, about 40 miles East of Knoxville. Be sure to see the museum and the historical movie, and get a photo with Duke the Dog!

7. Jack Daniel's Distillery - Lynchburg

Possibly the most famous factory tour in Tennessee, Jack Daniel's offers something for all ages. Tours run every day except for Thanksgiving and Christmas and start at $14. For those of age, we recommend a tour that includes a tasting sample.

Hungry after your tour? Make sure to keep in mind This Restaurant In Nashville Doesn’t Look Like Much – But The Food Is Amazing .

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Experience A New Side Of Tennessee On This One-Of-A-Kind Adventure

We have been to the Smokies countless times; it is my family's favorite national park and every visit brings unique experiences and special memories. We have driven the scenic roads , hiked the majestic mountains , and enjoyed many attractions outside of the park, but not once have we been in a helicopter. Well, that changed when my wife surprised me with tickets for Scenic Helicopter Tours in Sevierville, Tennessee -- but little did I know it would be one of our most epic trips to date.

When we arrived on site there was excitement in the air and helicopters were already taking off to the clouds.

We checked in and were invited to hang out until our time for our first helicopter ride. Not only do we get to embark on a high-flying adventure, but before and after you can play lawn games, have lunch, and listen to live music. Finally, our time had come and headed out to the helipad.

We were briefed on the safety rules and outfitted with a set of headphones.

The blades began to spin faster and faster and we were gently propelled into the air. It surprised me how fast we ascended 500 feet above the ground with relative ease. Soon we experience a smooth and scenic one-of-a-kind ride. The tour we chose was the Scenic Introduction Flight which took us up on a five-mile loop that only took two minutes. We loved it so much that as soon as we landed we walked right back into the building and scheduled a longer tour.

This time we planned on doing the Ridge Runner tour and we couldn’t be happier with our choice.

This tour features a 30-minute-long ride that makes for a more relaxed experience, satisfying and stoking our high-flying wanderlust.

Soaring high in a helicopter once again, we were both blown away by the views.

We already knew just how pretty this part of Tennessee is, but seeing it from the sky was a whole different experience. Our pilot was amazing and told us a little bit about his experience and some of the mountains we soared over. He also surprised us by saying we were one of the few Tennessee residents he has taken on a tour and I hope more locals take advantage of this unique adventure because it is completely worth it.

The Great Smokies towered in the background and some of the other tours actually take you deeper into the mountains getting views from the sky over our national park and the quaint mountain town of Gatlinburg. As promised, our tour took us along the ridge line of the Chilowee Mountains. We even hugged the tree line as we tilted and turned along the peaks.

I was gobsmacked by the views that seemed to stretch on for miles and miles. We saw the glistening of the Sun Sphere in Knoxville as well as ponds and lakes shimmering in the heat of the day.

It was an experience I will never forget and I highly recommend anyone to take a tour themselves.

When you are looking for a one-of-a-kind experience in Tennessee, look no further than the Scenic Helicopter Tours in Sevierville, TN. We loved our trip to the clouds, and I hope you do too. For more information, please visit the Scenic Helicopter Tours website. Also if you are looking for an unreal deal make sure you check out the Ridge Runner Tour on Viator. Check out our journey on the helicopter with both tours with our Adventuring in the Moment video:

Looking for more adventures in the Smokies? Check out our Smoky Mountain weekend trip for some ideas for your next getaway.

The Train Ride Through The Tennessee Countryside That Shows Off Fall Foliage

Don’t you just love a good old train ride? The nostalgia, the views, the rhythm of an engine as it rolls down the track... what's not to love about that? And in the height of fall foliage in Tennessee ... there's nothing better. If you're looking for a unique way to enjoy some leaf peeping this fall, hop on board and take a scenic train ride in Tennessee.

The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is the perfect place to take off on a grand iron horse adventure . Even if you have been on one of their rides before, the railroad offers lots of experiences, making a new adventure well within reach.

You can enjoy many different excursions along the tracks like the seasonal favorites of the Halloween Eerie Express or the very popular North Pole Limited Christmas Train . And when it comes time for the leaves to change, every one of their "normal" excursions transform into something spectacular.

The Copperhill Special is one of your best options when it comes to scenic seasonal train rides. In the morning, guests will head out through the countryside for an eight-hour journey that highlights the area's best assets: bridges, the famous loop around the mountain, and, of course plenty of fall colors.

There are several options when it comes to seating; "the dome," for example, affords stunning, 360-degree views.

Along the scenic route, you can get up and walk around on the train and even visit the snack bar where they offer various treats to munch on as you look at the leaves.

Eventually, you will arrive at Copperhill. There, you can walk across the border into Georgia and visit a small town called McCaysville. You will have a two-hour layover here, so you can exit the train and do a bit of exploring on foot. Take a trip to the Cuban Cafe for some delicious food for lunch -- save room for a piece of rum cake for dessert!

Hopping back on the train you will start your return trip, but this time, you'll sit on the opposite side. The train does not turn around, so switching sides allows everyone to take in the views from all directions.

When it comes to scenic train rides in Tennessee this is a great option for those looking for unique ways to enjoy the fall colors. I love getting a chance to see the leaves change and this experience is certainly a special way to make this autumn memorable. For more information please visit the Tennessee Valley Railroad website.

Looking for a place to stay the night? Check out this modern cabin near the train depot.

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If You Only Have One Day to Visit This Small Town in Mississippi, Here’s Everything You Absolutely Can’t Miss

Bay St. Louis is a small town in Mississippi located right on the Gulf of Mexico that's perfect for a day trip.

The Remote Destination in Iowa Where The Drive Is Worth the Final View

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Dine for Less Than $10 a Person at This Iconic Bar & Kitchen in Rhode Island

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American chocolate & candy factory tours | see chocolate & candy made in the usa.

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Here’s your golden ticket to American chocolate & candy factory tours! O.K. it’s not an actual golden ticket but you don’t need one with these candy makers and chocolatiers inviting you, your family, your classroom, or your group to see how they make all the treats and goodies your sweet tooth craves.

Candy & Chocolate Factory Tours in the USA

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Visit a USA Candy or Chocolate Factory

Arizona candy factory & chocolatier tours.

Cerreta | Glendale, AZ

Tours of Cerreta’s chocolate factory are available Monday through Friday. They offer fun tour activity upgrades too. Kids can pull taffy, make their own chocolate pizza or chocolate bar, and many other options.

California Candy Factory & Chocolatier Tours

Jelly Belly | Fairfield, CA

Walk above the factory at your own pace in Jelly Belly’s self-guided tour. Participate in interactive exhibits and games along the tour lane, shop at the Jelly Belly store, and dine at the Jelly Belly cafe.

Visit the Official Jelly Belly Amazon Store

#Jelly Belly

Colorado Candy Factory & Chocolatier Tours

Hammond’s Candies | Denver, CO

Bring your curiosity and a sweet tooth to see where lollipops, candy canes, and other Hammond’s treats are made on the complimentary Hammond’s candy factory tour. See your favorite treats pulled, twisted, shaped, and packaged by hand as they’ve been since 1920.

Visit the Official Hammond’s Candies Amazon Store

#Hammond’s Candies

The Taffy Shop | Estes Park, CO

Watch the K Kiss machine in action and get a fresh piece of taffy straight from the sorting bin when you visit The Taffy Shop in downtown Estes Park.

Visit the Official Taffy Shop Amazon Store

#The Taffy Shop

Connecticut Candy Factory & Chocolatier Tours

Fascia’s Chocolates | Waterbury, CT

Check the event calendar to enjoy a chocolate experience where adults and children alike can make a candy bar, or choose a Chocolate Decadence Tour by train where chocolates will be paired with spirits from regional distilleries, breweries, wineries, and vineyards.

#Fascia’s Chocolates

PEZ | Orange, CT

Experience PEZ in person in a self-guided visit to the more than 4,000 square feet visitor center dedicated to all things PEZ. The visitor’s center includes memorabilia, PEZ history, and even a PEZ motorcycle built by Orange County Choppers.

Shop PEZ on Amazon

Florida Candy Factory & Chocolatier Tours

Davidson of Dundee | Dundee, FL

The Davidson family personally invites you to visit the original factory and retail store located in Dundee, Florida where you can see how the candies, chocolates, marmalades, and jellies are made by hand, one batch at a time. 

#Davidson of Dundee

Whetstone Chocolates | St. Augustine, FL

Learn the history of Whetstone Chocolates and taste freshly made chocolates and confections while you walk through the factory in St. Augustine’s original chocolate factory tour.

#Whetstone Chocolates

Hawaii Candy Factory & Chocolatier Tours

Original Hawaiian Chocolate | Kailua Kona, HI

Original Hawaiian Chocolate offers guided plantation tours of the working plantain. Reservations are required. Take a scenic walking tour of the cacao orchard and sample delicious milk, and rare criollo chocolates. The tour is full of information about every step in the chocolate-making process from growing the trees to molding each handmade, delicious bar.

#Original Hawaiian Chocolate

Illinois Candy Factory & Choclatier Tours

Long Grove Confectionery Co. | Buffalo Grove, IL

See the famous chocolate factory tour that’s great for all ages. Smell the buttery chocolate and taste the rich caramel as you view the production and enjoy a chocolate treat.

#Long Grove Confectionary Co.

Indiana Candy Factory & Chocolatier Tours

DeBrand | Fort Wayne, IN

Visit the beautiful corporate headquarters and see the chocolatiers in action when you view the chocolate-making kitchens. DeBrand offers both open public tours and private scheduled group tours. Tours vary as production varies daily.

South Bend Chocolate Company | South Bend, IN

Adults and children alike will enjoy a tour of the 58,000-square-foot South Bend Chocolate Company factory and museum. Tour guests are led through the entire chocolate-making process and treated to a sample at the end of the tour.

#South Bend Chocolate Company

Maine Candy Factory & Chocolatier Tours

Haven’s Candies | Westbrook, ME

Free self-directed window tours are available at the Westbrook location anytime the candy shop is open. Additionally, the open house is typically held every year on Columbus Day when the public is invited to come make their own candy.

#Haven’s Candies

Massachusetts Candy Factory & Chocolatier Tours

Harbor Sweets | Salem, MA

Harbor Sweet offers tours that can be arranged by email.

#Harbor Sweets

Taza | Somerville, MA

Book a tour of the Somerville chocolate factory where you can watch chocolate being made. Tour guides are hand to answer questions about the process.

Visit the Official Taza Amazon Store

Michigan Candy Factory & Chocolatier Tours

Chocolates by Grimaldi | Grand Haven, MI

Learn about chocolate from pod to bean and indulge in FREE samples! See where the chocolatiers create their recipes and watch our 38-foot enrober in action at this Michigan chocolate factory tour.

#Chocolates by Grimaldi

Gilbert Chocolates | Jackson, MI

Gilbert Chocolates free tour includes information about how chocolate is made, the history of Gilbert Chocolates, and an opportunity to watch the chocolate creation artists at work.

Visit the Official Gilbert Chocolates Amazon Store

#Gilbert Chocolates

Nevada Candy Factory & Chocolatier Tours

Ethel M Chocolates | Las Vegas, NV

Visit the Las Vegas factory and flagship store to experience a self-guided tour, gourmet chocolate and wine tastings, and walk the cactus gardens.

Visit the Official Ethel M Chocolates Amazon Store

#Ethel M Chocolates

Kimmie Candy | Reno, NV

Visit the biggest little candy store in the world for a variety of candies and a virtual factory tour.

Shop Kimmie Candy on Amazon

#Kimmie Candy

French Broad Chocolates | Asheville, NC

Classroom factory tours, private tours, chocolate and wine tastings, and more. Tours include an overview of cacao farming, a guided viewing of the chocolate factory, and plenty of tastings.

#French Broad Chocolates

Ohio Candy Factory & Chocolatier Tours

Anthony-Thomas Candy Company | Columbus, OH

Tour groups can experience candy making from start to finish in the 152,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art candy factory. Walk along the comfortable, glass-enclosed suspended cat-walk and observe nine lines producing 30,000 pounds of chocolates per shift. The experienced tour guide explains each process step-by-step from the kitchen to the final packaging. View the huge copper kettles where the centers of some of the candies are created and the unique silver-wrapped pipes that carry liquid chocolate throughout the factory.

Visit the Official Anthony Thomas Amazon Store

#Anthony-Thomas Candy Company

Fannie May Chocolate | North Canton, OH

Explore the Fannie May factory with a behind-the-scenes look at how they carefully craft gourmet chocolates. Enjoy the enchanting aroma of fresh chocolate and get an exclusive look at the love and passion behind each chocolate.

Visit the Official Fannie May Chocolates Amazon Store

#Fannie May Chocolate

Spangler Candy Museum & Store | Bryan, OH

Spangler Candy Company has been in business for more than 110 years and is still family-owned. The new museum highlights the history of Spangler Candy Company’s products, achievements, and leadership since 1906. 

Visit the Official Spangler Candy Amazon Store

Pennsylvania Candy Factory & Chocolatier Tours

Hershey’s Chocolate World | Hershey, PA

Hershey’s Chocolate World is more than a factory tour, it’s an entire chocolate adventure. Ride the train to colorful candy worlds, meet Hershey’s characters, create your own candy bar, and even go on a chocolate factory ride.

Visit the Official Hershey’s Amazon Store

#Hershey’s

Tennessee Candy Factory & Chocolatier Tours

Olive & Sinclair | Nashville, TN

Learn about Olive & Sinclair and the unique process of making bean-to-bar chocolate on a 30-45 minute walking tour of the facility.

#Olive & Sinclair

Texas Candy Factory & Chocolatier Tours

The Chocolate Gallery | Bryan, TX

Tours and field trips offer an hour-long, in-depth tour of The Chocolate Gallery facility and operations. Learn about the production of cacao into chocolate and traditional candy making concluded by a chocolate tasting.

#The Chocolate Gallery

Vermont Candy Factory & Chocolatier Tours

Lake Champlain Chocolates | Burlington, Stowe, & Waterbury Center, Vermont

Visit Lake Champlain Chocolates stores at multiple locations in Vermont where you can try factory seconds and enjoy an expresso.

#Lake Champlain Chocolates

Washington Candy Factory & Chocolatier Tours

Boehm’s Candies | Issaquah, WA

Free, self-guided window tours are available anytime during regular retail hours. Public and private guided tours are available by reservation.

#Boehm’s Candies

Theo Chocolate | Seattle, WA

Discover the origins of cacao, and see how chocolate is crafted from scratch. You’ll get an inside view of the factory to see where the chocolate is made and enjoy a tasting at the end of the tour.

Visit the Official Theo Chocolate Amazon Store

#Theo Chocolate

Did we miss a USA candy factory that offers tours? Please share it with our community in the comments below.

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Libertyorchards.com located in Cashmere, WA. Wonderful tour – makers of the original Aplets and Cotlets and also have a large variety of other candy products.

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The 2 Sweetest Spots To Put On Your Washington State Itinerary

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• United States

Tacoma, Washington, has a long history of candy making and in fact, Mars Inc. (Snickers, M&Ms, Mars, and many more), one of the largest candy companies in the world, got its start in the city. In 1911, founder Frank C. Mars started making candy in his kitchen, but the business failed to succeed due to competition from Brown & Haley, maker of Almond Roca, which was established in 1912.

A small family-owned business, the Johnson Candy Company , got its start in 1925 making chocolates using vintage chocolate molds.

The Brown & Haley Company was founded by Harry L. Brown and J. C. Haley in 1912. Their Tacoma factory (the only one) has churned out candy for over 100 years. Almond Roca was created in 1923 after lots of trial and error to develop the perfect candy. This delicious combination of almonds, butter-rich toffee dipped in chocolate, and rolled in more almonds is now exported to over 63 countries around the world. Beautifully packaged in gold foil and placed in pink boxes or tins, it is now the largest exported gift candy in the United States. Roca is now made in a variety of flavors, expanding the line. The company is also known for its Mountain Bars which have a creamy center of vanilla, peanut butter, or cherry and are smothered in peanuts and chocolate.

The Johnson Candy Company began in 1925 with founder Russell Johnson selling chocolates made using vintage chocolate molds. He purchased recipes from an old candy maker and with his wife, Irene, established a family business that has stood the test of time. Their son Ron took over the business in 1963. Now the third generation is running the business, William Johnson has the same exacting standards as both his father and grandfather and continues the legacy. Ron still comes in each day, and you can find him dipping ice cream bars or making peanut clusters.

This is some seriously good candy and my new go-to shop for gifts. One of its top sellers is the open-faced caramel which combines a rich buttery caramel with roasted California almonds. The squares are then dipped in either milk or dark chocolate. The caramel is soft and just firm enough to hold its shape. Another favorite is the mint squares which are an upscale version of an after-dinner mint. Rich dark chocolate surrounds a square of creamy mint candy.

Here are a few reasons why you should visit these iconic candy makers in Tacoma.

Cool Neon Lights And Iconic Buildings

The Brown and Haley factory building is in downtown Tacoma. The building is painted white and adorned with a bright pink neon sign. The structure is over 100 years old. In front of the factory is a round kiosk-type building which was once the ticket book at the Seattle World’s Fair. On an interesting note, Elvis Presley filmed It Happened at the World’s Fair and he was in this building to keep away from the crowds between takes.

The Johnson Candy Company sits in the Hilltop District of Tacoma and was built in 1949. Famed local architect Silas E. Nelsen designed the building. It still serves as the shop and factory for this family-owned business. A classic neon sign sits atop the building and draws attention to it.

Family Owned

The Brown & Haley Company is still owned by the Haley family while the Johnson Candy Company is still owned by the Johnson family. It makes a difference when your family name is on the sign. Both families carry on the tradition of crafting good quality candy made from the freshest ingredients. Haley family members are still actively involved with the company. The Johnson Candy Company is smaller, and the candy is handcrafted by William “Bill” Johnson as well as his father Ron who still comes in each day to make candy.

The Brown & Haley Company has two outlets in Tacoma. My favorite is the charming ticket booth from the Seattle World’s Fair. This cute building is situated in front of the factory and sells a variety of Brown & Haley products dramatically discounted. Look for the plaque inside that marks Elvis Presley’s visit on August 9, 1962. Whenever I have guests visiting, I always bring them to the outlet to shop for souvenirs. There are so many great gift options. The most popular is a rectangular-shaped tin box with popular attractions such as Mt. Rainier, the Space Needle, the Brown and Haley factory, and a Washington State ferry on the lid. If you just want to eat the candy, the outlet sells factory seconds. This is candy that just didn’t make the cut appearance-wise but is no less delicious.

Pro Tip: If you like to bake pastries or make candy, you can purchase a 10-pound slab of milk or dark chocolate for $30. This is so much better than grocery store baking chocolate and much less expensive. It can be challenging to work with such a large block of chocolate but well worth it for the good quality of this chocolate. Make sure to visit the Brown & Haley website for some delectable recipes using Brown & Haley products as ingredients.

Support Local Business

I prioritize visiting local businesses when I travel. It keeps my tourist dollars in the local community. One of my favorite things about this is meeting the residents that make a town so interesting. I often find things to see and do recommended by community business owners or employees. One of the intriguing things about Tacoma is I will often stumble across these pockets of shops and restaurants. It’s almost like little, small towns within the bigger city. Hilltop is one such area. As its name suggests, it sits atop a hill just above downtown that overlooks much of Tacoma. It is one of the oldest residential areas in the city. Check with the Historic Preservation Office for walking tour maps. After visiting the Johnson Candy Company, I was surprised to see one of my favorite ice cream shops, Ice Cream Social, as well as a variety of interesting looking restaurants. There are more than 50 businesses in the Hilltop area. For information on discovering these lesser-known districts, visit Explore Tacoma to learn more.

The city has a tagline — “Mountain, City, Sea.” You can spend a morning hiking Mt. Rainier, the afternoon on a kayak in Puget Sound followed by dinner, and a night at the theater. So, in addition to candy, there are tons to see and do in this area. Tie in a visit to the Johnson Candy Company and explore the Hilltop District. When visiting the Brown & Haley outlet add in time exploring downtown Tacoma. The Tacoma Museum District offers six major museums each with its own unique experience. Learn about the history of the area. See why art glass is so popular by exploring the Museum of Glass and the Chihuly Bridge of Glass. Four of these museums are within a short walk of each other on Pacific Ave. Across the street is a variety of shops and restaurants. Check out Travel Tacoma for more information.

Pro Tip: If you can’t visit the shops, both Brown & Haley and the Johnson Candy Company offer online ordering of their products.

If you get the opportunity to visit these two stops, check out other area attractions:

• 7 Interesting Places To Explore In Tacoma, Washington
• The Washington State Hidden Gem Locals Love
• 4 Unique Woodinville, Washington Wineries To Visit

She currently lives in the Pacific Northwest. Her work can be found in Northwest Travel & Life Magazine , 253 Lifestyle Magazine , and other regional publications. She is the author of 100 Things to Do in Tacoma Before You Die , Reedy Press, and a member of the North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA). The name of her travel blog came about from her friends constantly asking her, "Peggy, Where Should I Go?"