LITTLE ROCK — If you're a senior citizen on a budget, you can't beat free for admission to a visitor attraction. Despite the lousy economy you can still find factories that allow you to see how the stuff you buy is made. Admission to most is free and the fees are nominal at the few that do charge.
The range of options is wide - anything from rockets and jewelry to handmade craft items and beers and wines. Some tour sites encourage you to buy during your visit, but few exert any real pressure. Your choice depends on (1) where you are and (2) what interests you.
I know of two leading resources for finding factory tours: The book, Watch It Made in the U.S.A. by Karen Axelrod and Bruce Brumberg and the Web-only database at factorytoursusa.com. Although the book was last updated in 2006, the authors maintain a Web site and an ongoing blog at factory tour.com. Here are a few highlights, by interest rather than region:
Aerospace. The industry's two blockbuster attractions, unfortunately, are not free, but they're worth the admission. The Kennedy Space Center is open all year (except during launches) costs $38 for an adult and $28 for children, no senior discount.The plant in Everett, Wash., where Boeing assembles its wide-body jets - including the new 787, if it ever gets off the ground - provides tours most days; the costs are $15, $14 for senior citizens and $8 for children 6 to 15. At the other end of the scale, you can visit several plants where very light and small experimental planes are built.
Beer and wine. I may be hooked on airplanes, but I suspect most of you prefer tours of breweries, wineries and distilleries. You see the processes plus, in many cases, get to sample the product. Although tours are generally free, many of these places now charge modest tasting fees. Some wineries and breweries require no advance reservations and many are open weekends.
Sports. You can see Louisville Slugger bats made in Louisville, Ky., or get a free kite-flying lesson in Molokai, Hawaii.
Automobiles. Yes, we still build cars here in the United States. You can see for yourself: BMW in Spartanburg,S.C.; Corvette in Bowling Green, Ky.; the extensive Ford Rouge factory and museum complex in Dearborn, Mich.; Hyundai in Montgomery, Ala.; Mercedes-Benz in Tuscaloosa. Ala.; and Toyota in Georgetown, Ky. Sadly, the list is a lot shorter than the last time I looked a few years ago.
I don't repeat details about individual tour locations and schedules because the Web site and book provide all that information, as well as links to the various manufacturers' Web sites. And as far as I can tell, you really need to check the book and the Web site for the best options - neither is really complete:
The Factory Tours Web site lists 49 interest categories, and it shows at least one tour in every state. But, in my latest check, it is by no means complete. Its wine and beer listings, for example, are woefully limited - just 17 wineries, nationwide, when I can count more than that within a two-hour drive of my home in southern Oregon. Moreover, many of the site's Internet links are broken or obsolete.
The Watch It Made book provides significantly different coverage. And although updated regularly, the blog is impossible to search.
Many tours operate only a few days a week or a few hours a day and many require advance reservations. Most take one to two hours; some require extensive walking; not all are wheelchair accessible. And many impose minimum age or size limits for kids, typically 6 years. Almost all are guided or escorted, since companies don't want visitors wandering about the factory on their own. The online site and the books provide the information you need to schedule avisit, including phone numbers and Internet addresses for additional detail.
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Travel, Pages 59 on 09/27/2009