Hershey Chocolate Factory in Smith Falls

The official web site is www.hersheys.com

Update Hershey is scheduled to close in December 2008
This Hershey Chocolate Factory is the place to be for all chocolate lovers not only to they offer a great selection of goodies at good prices they allow you to take a tour of the plant from the elevated walkway that allows you to see many of the products being made. They ask that you don't take any pictures while on the tour for security and other reasons but I managed to find a couple of photos of what you might expect to see while you visit. The tour is self guided and has many short videos to watch that explain the process as well as many display cases that contain historic items related to Hershey's. Smith fall's offers many other interesting things to do and places to visit these include the Rideau Canal Museum and the Train Museum
Click on any photo to enlarge.

I think this picture says it all	This is the main building where production takes place	This is the Chocolate Shoppe where visitors are welcomed
The Tour starts here	The Bar moulding machine	The chocolate storage tanks
Here they are making Reese's Peanut Butter Cups	Have a look at some of the older packaging used by Hershey's	Have a look at some of the older packaging used by Hershey's
This line is for the chocolate syrup bottles	Chocolate bars get wrapped by these machines	Products are boxed and prepared for shipping

Pros

• Chocolate, Choclate and more Chocolate!
• Free self-guided tour and good prices on items in the Chocolate Shoppe
• Smith Falls offers many other sites and activities to visit

Cons

• They don't offer much selection in the broken bars section alsmost all the products sold are the mainstream products that Hershey offers
• The plant activities are usually limited on holidays and weekends.

I thought I'd mention that one of the best tours you can make with the family starts with a stop in Carelton Place at 'The Cheddar Stop'

They offer up some of the largest and most tasty Ice cream cones I've ever seen at prices that make you think they've made an error when they collect your money!They are located accross from the local Dairy Queen and are located on the left side just before the turn off to Smith Falls .

After the stop in Carelton Place it's off to Smith Falls then on your way home from Hershey's head over to Merrickville which offers many small unique shopps and it's another stop along the Rideau canal system. When you leave head over to Watson's Mills in Manotick before taking Prince of Wales back to Ottawa for the scenic drive along the water.