There is definitely chocolate in the air at the Ethel M Chocolate Factory in Southern Nevada.
That’s because the factory is where they make some of the world’s most beloved chocolates. Ethel M is the upscale candy brand of the Mars family, which is better known for its sweet products like M & M's, Mars Bars and Snickers.
When Ethel M Chocolates first appeared in the 1980s, they were somewhat unique because they were filled with liqueur creams, including Amaretto, Bourbon and Creme de Menthe. The alcohol-flavored fillings were an interesting gimmick, but the candy gained its most rabid fans because of the quality of the chocolate.
That’s when the company opened the Ethel M Chocolate Factory, which is its version of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory—but without the weird “Oompa-Loompas.” Tucked in the industrial section of Henderson in Southern Nevada, it’s a candy manufacturing facility that offers free tours and samples.
During a short self-guided tour of the state-of-the-art candy plant—which is on display behind large glass windows—a recorded message explains that Ethel M uses a special formula to make its gourmet chocolate.
According to the tour, Ethel M Chocolates are technically a milk chocolate although the company incorporates many of the characteristics and flavors associated with dark chocolate. This process results in a richer, more flavorful chocolate.
Behind the windows, visitors can see the many machines that mold, shape, fill and prepare each chocolate. There is something hypnotic about watching hundreds of little, round chocolates marching on a conveyor belt.
Over the years, while the liqueur chocolates have continued to be popular, Ethel M has broadened its product line to include other items, such as white chocolate, chocolate coins (sold in clever packages to resemble slot machines) and truffles.
No surprise that the best part of the Ethel M Chocolate factory tour is the end when visitors are deposited in a gift shop and given a free chocolate. Picking one is difficult because there are so many types of chocolates but for those unable to make up their minds, there are always sampler boxes to take home.
Additionally, the adjacent Cactus Garden Café offers delicious baked and chocolate-dipped treats, along with a variety of milkshakes and hot chocolate drinks.
Outside of the factory, Ethel M has another attraction, a three-acre Botanical Cactus Garden exhibiting more than 350 different species of cactus, succulents and desert plants from the southwest and various deserts throughout the world.
To a non-cactus expert, this place seems like a prickly Garden of Eden. You can find a wide variety of plants ranging from Beavertail and Purple Pancake Prickly Pears to Golden Barrels and Saguaros.
A series of concrete pathways wind through the Botanical Cactus Garden. Interpretive signs provide details about each plant.
Ethel M Chocolates and Botanical Cactus Garden is located seven miles from the Las Vegas Strip. Drive 5.5 miles east of the Strip on Tropicana Avenue to Mountain Vista. Turn right on Mountain Vista and drive 2 miles to Sunset Way (past the factory). Turn left at the traffic light into Green Valley Business Park, then left again on Cactus Garden Drive.
The factory and gardens are open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free.
For more information, go to: https://www.ethelm.com/en-us/locations/henderson-flagship?srsltid=AfmBOorPh5t5JlVhZHG95fKnwBC_RS-3QaLZdC56ttwJnDhtNRECoQX9.