Date Night: Factory Tours

Factory Tours If you or your date has an inquisitive nature, a factory tour is definitely something you shouldn’t overlook. This date idea is a perfect way to try something unique while still getting to spend some one-on-one time getting to know each other. If you’re in a long-term relationship, you can use this idea as an opportunity to do something different and unexpected.

Finding a Tour…
First, you need to know what your partner’s interests are. Do they enjoy food, wine, cars, sports, etc? Do they have a product or company that they especially love?

Look for tours that fit their personality for the biggest impact. For example -- for car lovers, check with any local auto-manufacturing plants for tours. Follow the date up with a test drive in one of their favorite cars.

Next, you’ll need to see what’s available to you in your area. Use the phone book to find companies that suit your partner’s interests. Call them up to see if they offer tours or if you can arrange a private tour. You can also go to your city’s visitor’s bureau website. Most cities will have a list of companies that offer tours in their activities section.

Tour Ideas:

Transportation related: auto-manufactures, out of commission planes or submarines, trains, trucks, motorcycle plants (Harley Davidson has an amazing tour.)
Snack related: favorite brand of snacks, favorite candy or soda, local candy makers.
Food and wine related: wineries, local breweries, gift food distributors (think Harry & David).
Behind-the-scenes tours: amusement parks, museums, zoos.
Business-oriented: take your date on a tour of a local business to see how they do things. This is especially great when your partner is considering venturing into something new. You’ll need to contact the owner of the company and explain what you want in order to pull this date night idea off.

Tips…
Call ahead and make reservations if you can. If you can’t make reservations, find out how many tours they do a day, when the best time to arrive is, and what do they do in case they are unable to do tours that day. Some factories offer a video replacement. Can we say boring?

While most tours are free, there are a few that charge. Make sure you asked about prices and plan accordingly.

Find out how much walking is involved, how long the tours typically last, and what the temperature is likely to be (on some tours you go through freezers or extremely ranged temperatures). Make sure you and your date dress accordingly.

If there is a gift shop, save a little of your date budget and buy a special memento of your trip. For fun, you can each find something special for the other and surprise them with it after the date.

Make sure to plan for the time it will take to get to and from the location of the tour. Make sure you have good directions, as many factories are located in industrial districts.

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