Herr's Snack Factory Tour
Watch potato chips get made, taste them warm off the line, and leave with a free bag — a classic Chester County field trip.
271 Old Baltimore Pike, Nottingham, PA 19362 · ~35-40 min from Wilmington
Hours
Hours not posted
Last checked 2026-08-30
- Cost
- $8 (ages 18+) adult · $4 (ages 4-17) child
- Best for
- All ages, sweet spot 4-12
- Typical visit
- 1-1.5 hours (the tour)
The Quick Version
- • A guided tour through Herr's working snack factory in Nottingham, PA — watch chips, pretzels, and cheese curls get made, and taste potato chips warm off the line.
- • The tour is paid and reservation-only: about $8 adults, $4 youth (4-17), free for ages 3 and under. Book in advance online or by phone.
- • Tours run Monday-Wednesday, roughly 9:30 AM-3:30 PM (closed Thursday-Sunday); the operation is year-round with holiday closures.
- • Every guest leaves with a free bag of chips. The tour runs about an hour to 90 minutes.
- • The gift shop is free to browse (open Mon-Fri 9 AM-5 PM) even without a tour.
Best Ages
All ages, sweet spot 4-12
Plan For
1-1.5 hours (the tour)
Adults
$8 (ages 18+)
Kids
$4 (ages 4-17)
What to Expect
The Herr's Snack Factory Tour is the quintessential 'how is it made' field trip, about 35-40 minutes from Wilmington in Nottingham, PA. It's a guided walk through a real, running snack factory — you watch potato chips, pretzels, tortilla chips, cheese curls, and popcorn get produced at industrial scale, and the payoff every kid remembers is tasting potato chips warm and fresh straight off the cookers.
The visit starts in the visitor center with a short history video (featuring Chipper, the company's chipmunk mascot, who was originally designed by the Jim Henson Company), then moves onto the factory floor with a guide. Because it's a live manufacturing plant, exactly which lines are running depends on the day's production schedule — anything not producing that day is shown by video, so no two tours are identical. One practical rule: cameras and cell phones aren't allowed on the production floor (you're free to take photos in the lobby and gift shop).
The important update: the tour is now paid and reservation-only — about $8 for adults, $4 for ages 4-17, free for 3 and under — and you must book in advance. (Older write-ups call it free; that's no longer the case.) It runs Monday through Wednesday only, so it takes a little planning. The tour lasts about an hour to 90 minutes, and every guest walks out with a free bag of chips.
It's a great rainy-day or any-day outing for kids who love machines and 'where does food come from' — just reserve ahead, come on a tour day, and don't fill up beforehand.
Who It's Best For
The sweet spot is roughly 4-12 — old enough to be wowed by the machines, the scale, and the warm-chip moment. Toddlers can come (free under 3) but it's a guided walking tour with rules, so manage expectations for the very young. Older kids and tweens find the manufacturing genuinely interesting (and the free bag never gets old). There's no age restriction; the pricing tiers accommodate every age.
Highlights
Warm chips off the line
All agesThe moment that makes the tour — guests taste potato chips fresh and warm straight from the cookers. You can't get that anywhere else.
Walking a live factory floor
Ages 4-12See chips, pretzels, tortilla chips, cheese curls, and popcorn made at scale. Which lines run depends on the day's schedule, so each tour is a little different.
Chipper the Chipmunk
Ages 2-8Herr's chipmunk mascot — originally designed by the Jim Henson Company in the late 1980s — stars in the pre-tour history video and is a hit with little kids.
Free bag of chips
All agesEvery guest leaves with a free bag at the end. A small thing that lands big with kids.
What to Skip with Little Ones
- • Showing up without a reservation — it's book-ahead only, not walk-up, and runs only Monday-Wednesday.
- • Counting on photos of the factory floor — cameras and phones aren't allowed there (lobby and gift shop are fine).
- • Filling up beforehand — the warm-chip sample and free bag are part of the fun.
Logistics
Admission
Adults
$8 (ages 18+)
Kids
$4 (ages 4-17)
Under
Free (ages 3 and under)
The tour is paid and tickets MUST be purchased in advance (online or by phone) — it's reservation-only, not walk-up. Family/friends tours cap at 15 people; camp/school groups up to 50. The gift shop is free to browse without a tour. (Older listings call the tour 'free' — that's outdated; confirm current pricing when you book.)
Membership tip: Not a membership venue — just a reserved, paid tour. The value is the experience plus the free bag of chips every guest takes home.
Getting There
Parking
Free on-site parking at the visitor center, with handicap parking at the front, first-come first-served.
Parking is free and easy at the visitor center — arrive a little ahead of your reserved tour time to check in.
Entrance
Check in at the Herr's Visitors' Center for your reserved tour. The visit starts with a short history video in the theater before the guided walk onto the factory floor.
Parent Logistics
The tour is described as wheelchair and stroller accessible, and wheelchairs are provided at no charge if needed. It is a walking tour through a working plant, so a stroller is workable but you'll be moving as a group.
Restrooms at the visitor center.
Changing-table availability isn't separately confirmed — use the visitor-center restrooms before the tour starts and plan ahead with a baby.
Indoor — the tour is inside the climate-controlled plant and visitor center. Not a factor.
Food & Snacks
No food on-site. No restaurant on site, but the tour itself feeds you: guests taste potato chips fresh and warm from the cookers, and everyone leaves with a free bag of chips. The gift shop sells the full Herr's lineup and souvenirs.
Snack strategy: Save room — the warm-chip sample on the line is the moment, and you'll walk out with a free bag. Bring water; plan a real meal before or after (Oxford, PA and the Route 1 corridor have options on the way).
Pro Tips
- ✓ Reserve in advance (online or by phone) and pick a Monday-Wednesday morning for the most active production.
- ✓ It's a paid tour now (~$8 adult / $4 youth / free under 4), despite older 'free tour' listings — confirm at booking.
- ✓ Cameras and phones stay off on the factory floor; save photos for the lobby and gift shop.
- ✓ Every guest gets a free bag of chips — let the kids pick a flavor in the gift shop after.
- ✓ Pair it with lunch on the Route 1 corridor; there's no restaurant on site.
When to Go
Best Time to Visit
Tours run Monday through Wednesday only — plan around that. Book a morning slot for the liveliest production and the best chance of seeing the most lines running. Reserve ahead; family/friends tours cap at 15 people.
Seasonal Notes
Operates year-round, but tours run only Monday-Wednesday (closed Thursday-Sunday). Closed on Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. Because it's a live factory, which lines are running varies by the day's production schedule — areas not producing are shown by video. The gift shop keeps separate hours (Mon-Fri 9 AM-5 PM).
Rainy Day?
A solid rainy-day pick — the whole tour is indoors in the plant and visitor center. Just remember it only runs Monday-Wednesday and needs a reservation, so it takes a little planning for a spontaneous wet day.
While You're in the Area
Nottingham County Park (PA) is nearby for a green-space stop, and the Route 1 corridor toward Oxford and Kennett Square has lunch options and the Longwood Gardens / Brandywine Valley cluster for a bigger day.
Upcoming Events
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