The trouble with factory tours is that they're uneven in quality. Many of 'em don't let you see anything interesting. I've soured on them after a couple of bad

The trouble with factory tours is that they're uneven in quality. Many of 'em don't let you see anything interesting. I've soured on them after a couple of bad experiences. The Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory in Vermont should be fascinating, but it consists of watching a long video followed by looking through a window at the factory floor while they point things out to you. You're not allowed anywhere near the actual machines. The Lindt chocolate factory in Zurich is even worse -- there's no tour at all, you're just stuck in a museum room at the factory. The free tasting redeem 'em both somewhat, but for what it costs to get there you might as well just stay home and eat ice cream and/or chocolate without the factory. Best factory I've ever seen wasn't open to the public, it was a factory making fibrous cement sheets. I've also toured radiotelescopes and the National Ignition Facility, but the fibrous cement sheet factory was way cooler.