The Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Botanical Cactus Garden are open year-round. The self-guided tour is free. Guided tours and chocolate & wine-tasting classes cost a small fee.
The cactus garden is beautiful and colorful, and the paved garden paths are wheelchair and mobility-scooter-friendly. It is also sustainable, with the candy factory recycling its water using bacteria, algae, snails, and fish. Learn more by clicking here.
Free to visit
Located outside the Ethel M Chocolate Factory, the four-acre Botanical Cactus Garden showcases the forgotten beauty of desert plants. It is the largest cactus garden in Nevada and is free to visit. The garden features meandering paved paths and labeled specimens. The plant selection ranges from the familiar to the bizarre – barrel-shaped, spindly, tall, sprawling, flowering, and fruiting.
During the holidays, the Ethel M holiday cactus garden is a spectacular sight to see. The cactus lighting display is one of the most popular holiday displays in Las Vegas.
Forrest Mars, the creator of M&M’s and Mars bars, intertwined his two passions – chocolate and gardening. He created the Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Botanical Cactus Garden as a way to honor his mother and share his love of chocolate with others. Whether you want to take a self-guided tour of the small chocolate factory or just enjoy some delicious samples, Ethel M is worth the trip off the strip.
Open year-round
In addition to the chocolate factory and its flagship store, Henderson’s Ethel M also features a breathtaking botanical garden. The four-acre garden is Nevada’s largest and one of the world’s biggest collections of desert plants. It contains more than 300 different species of cacti and succulents. The majority of these are native to the American Southwest, but there are also a few species from other parts of the world.
The Ethel M Botanical Cactus Garden is open year-round and is free to visit. During the holiday season, the garden is transformed into a magical wonderland of lights. Guests can enjoy hot chocolate and take pictures with Santa.
The garden and the chocolate factory are named in honor of Frank Mars’ mother, Ethel G. Mars. Her recipes and chocolate-making teachings are still honored today. The company also offers guided and self-guided tours of the factory. They also offer a variety of other community events throughout the year. This unique place is a must-see!
Tours are available
The Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Botanical Cactus Garden are open for self-guided tours. Both are free to visit, and the cactus garden is particularly beautiful during the holidays when it is lit up with thousands of lights. The cactus gardens also feature a variety of desert plants and drought-tolerant flowers. The cactus garden was designed using English landscaping models and features four acres of drought-tolerant ornamentals, including cacti and succulents native to Nevada.
Founder Forrest Mars was inspired to establish the Ethel M Chocolates as a tribute to his mother and her chocolate-making teachings. The company continues to honor these traditions today. They produce their chocolates with no preservatives and in small batches to ensure the highest quality and flavor. Guests can take a self-guided tour of the chocolate factory and stroll through the cactus garden, which has 350 species of cacti and desert plants. They also offer a wide selection of packaged chocolates in their gift shop.
Admission is free
If you are looking for a place to take the family this holiday season, the Ethel M Botanical Cactus Garden is an excellent choice. It is free to visit and will be decorated with lights for the holidays. It is located on the property of the Ethel M Chocolate Factory and is open year-round.
While self-guided tours of the small factory are available for a fee, you can also enjoy Nevada’s largest botanical cactus garden for free. The garden features four acres of drought-tolerant ornamentals, cacti, and succulents. Half of these plants are native to the American Southwest, while others are from Australia and South America.
In addition to the garden, the Ethel M Chocolate Factory offers a tour of the facility, which shows how the company makes its sweet treats. The tour is a great way to learn about premium chocolate making, as well as the history of Mars Inc. Forrest Mars Sr. founded the company in his mother’s honor, and it still uses her recipes today. Find out more!
Driving directions from Desert Vista Window Washing to Ethel M Botanical Cactus Garden
Driving directions from Ethel M Botanical Cactus Garden to Sunset Park
