When you think of New York City’s top attractions, museums, theater, architecture, and restaurants are likely what come to mind. People don’t think of New York as a factory town, but the reality is that historically New York was the capital of American manufacturing, with over one million related jobs. Today, there are numerous factory tours available for residents and tourists.
The city is home to numerous makers of clothing, chemicals, metal products, furniture, and packaged food — with almost a quarter of a billion dollars’ worth of specialty chocolate alone exported from the city each year. A number of factories offer fascinating behind-the-scenes tours, making for a unique and unexpected way to spend an afternoon.
Brooklyn Brewery
Details: 79 North 11th Street, Brooklyn. Subway: L (Bedford Ave.), free tours on Sunday afternoon, no reservations needed, or paid tours Monday through Thursday at 4:15 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Brooklyn Brewery offers 30-45 minute tours of the brewery and packaging room all weekend long (tours on the half-hour from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday and 4 p.m. on Sunday) as well as weekday tours that offer tastings and souvenirs. A hugely popular attraction, the tours can get crowded — but the beer is tasty, and there are often unique offerings on tap that aren’t available in wide release.
(photo by tonnoro)
Steinway and Sons
Details: 1 Steinway Place, Astoria, Queens. Subway: N/Q (Astoria-Ditmars Blvd.). Tours from September through June, Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. until noon for groups up to 15 people. Book by e-mailing info@steinway.com or calling 718-721-2600
Steinway and Sons has made some of the world’s finest pianos for over 160 years. Forbes magazine rated them as one of the country’s top three factory tours in the country by. The morning-long tour shares some of the company’s history and shows the entire process of building a piano, from raw wood to veneers to tuning. All parts of the piano get assembled on the factory floor.
Streit’s Matzo
Details: 148-154 Rivington St., Manhattan. Subway: F (Delancey St.), J/M (Essex St.), tours available year-round by appointment, call 212-475-7000
Streit’s is America’s only family-owned and operated matzo company, making the unleavened bread that Jews eat during Passover along with many other Kosher food products, including noodles, candy, soup, cookies, and sauces. A tour of their factory lets you see the matzo-making process, which hasn’t changed since the 1930s. Jewish law mandates that the baking process takes no more than 18 minutes, which ensures that the dough does not have time to rise. Men still break the matzo into sheets by hand at the end of the packing line, just like they did almost a hundred years ago when the factory opened.
(photo by Matt Howry)
Van Brunt Stillhouse
Details: 6 Bay Street, Brooklyn. Subway: 2/3/4/5 (Borough Hall) to the B61 or B57 bus, tours every Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Van Brunt Stillhouse makes Whiskey, Rum, Grappa, and Moonshine at its artisanal distillery in Red Hook, Brooklyn. This includes the first small-batch rum made in New York City since the Prohibition Era. The distillery is almost brand new, started in 2012 by a television editor working for The Daily Show. While a video tour is available on the distillery’s website, you can see the real thing and visit the tasting room on weekend afternoons.
(photo via vanbruntstillhouse.com)
UrbanGlass
Details: 647 Fulton Street, Brooklyn. Subway: 2/3/4/5 (Nevins St.), tours every Saturday at 1 p.m.
UrbanGlass is a design studio devoted to art and design using glass, hosting over 200 artists in a collaborative workspace. People can take classes or practice glassblowing, kiln casting, lampworking, mosaics, and stained glass. The space also opens an art gallery from Wednesday to Sunday (noon to 6 p.m.) and a retail store. They provide free tours each Saturday at 1 p.m.
(photo by fdecomite)
Mast Brothers Chocolate
Details: 105A North Third St., Brooklyn. Subway: L (Bedford St.), tours, when offered, are Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m., $9.99, otherwise much of the factory is still visible from the storefront
Mast Brothers is New York City’s only bean-to-bar chocolate maker. From roasting to grinding to flavoring, visitors to the shop or on their tour (when it has been offered) can see the entire process from start to finish, and enjoy samples of the high-end artisanal chocolate, available in a range of flavors including Serrano peppers and black truffle.
(photo by Scott Stockwell)
Editor’s Note: We updated this article to enhance readability.
