Hammond's Candy Factory Tour

Hammond's Candies has been making handcrafted candy in Denver since 1920, and their free factory tour is one of the best family activities in the city -- a sweet, educational, 30-minute experience that costs nothing and ends with free candy. For families visiting Denver, this is a no-brainer stop that kids remember long after the vacation.

The tour follows an elevated walkway above the production floor, giving visitors a bird's-eye view of the entire candy-making process. You watch as workers cook sugar, corn syrup, and water to 300 degrees in large copper kettles, pour the molten mixture onto marble cooling tables, add colors and flavors, and then begin the mesmerizing hand-pulling process that transforms a blob of hot sugar into perfectly striped, twisted candy. The pulling -- stretching and folding the candy by hand to incorporate air and create the signature stripes -- is the highlight.

Kids (and adults) cannot look away.

The factory produces candy canes (Hammond's is one of the last companies in the U. S. to make them by hand), lollipops in dozens of flavors, ribbon candy, hard candy, and chocolate confections.

The guides explain each station in kid-friendly language, pointing out how temperature, timing, and technique determine whether the candy turns out right. Questions are encouraged, and the guides are clearly enthusiastic about candy.

At the end of the tour, every visitor receives free candy samples -- typically a few pieces of fresh candy or a small bag of assorted treats. The samples are generous and genuinely delicious.

The gift shop, which you pass through on the way out, is a wonderland of sugar. Every product Hammond's makes is available, including exclusive flavors and seasonal items not sold in retail stores. Factory seconds -- candies that are cosmetically imperfect (a lollipop with a slightly off-center swirl, a candy cane with an air bubble) but taste identical to the 'perfect' versions -- are sold at a significant discount.

These are the smart buy for souvenirs and treats.

Practical details: tours depart every 30 minutes and take about 30 minutes. The total visit, including the gift shop, runs 45-75 minutes. Book your free tour online at hammondscandies.com -- walk-ins are usually accepted but weekend tours can fill. The factory operates Monday through Saturday (closed Sunday), with the most active production on weekdays.

The factory is located in a light-industrial area in north Denver (Elyria-Swansea), about a 10-minute drive from downtown or the RiNo district. It is not walkable from tourist areas but well worth the short drive. Free parking is available in the factory lot.

Strollers are welcome on the tour. The walkway is wheelchair and stroller accessible. The factory floor is visible through windows, so the tour is not noisy or uncomfortable for young children. There is no minimum age, but kids under 3 will not understand the explanations and may get restless during the 30-minute walk.