Maybe you were one of those kids who resented a trip to tour factories and other proud bastions of industry in and around the city of Houston. If so, have fun, hippies, because nothing says masterhood like carving the natural resources of Mother Earth into mechanical submission! Me, I love a good look 'round at how things are made. I still have a program on the history and manufacturing of concrete on my DVR after three years because it's bloody fascinating.
If you share this love, then come on with me. We've got some great places to take tours through.
Blue Bell Creameries Though it's a drive out to Brenham to do so, one of the best tours available within reasonable distance is of the Blue Bell Creameries. The price is very affordable, $6 for adults and $4 for kids and seniors. It's a 45-minute walk through the plant with a well-versed staff regarding the history of the company and the exact ice cream making process. Plus at the end they give you free samples of any flavor you like. It's a trek, but if for some reason you're taking a trip to Austin, it makes for a fun and informative stopover. But warning: It's not open on weekends.
Hamilton Shirts Technically you don't actually tour the workroom at Hamilton Shirts. However, you are able to watch the work being done on the luxury men's wear products through a large picture window, and the showroom also contains plenty of information and pictures of the company from its more than a century of business. It's a testament to the old-fashioned but hands-on and caring way they continue to make their product.
Mrs. Baird's Bread There is pretty much nothing in the world like the wondrous smell of fresh-baked bread, and the Mrs. Baird's factory will show you how it's done. At the end you even get free bread and butter, and unlike a lot of other tours in Houston, this one is completely free.
South Texas Nuclear Generating Station Down in Bay City, you can actually tour a nuclear power plant, and I can't think of anything more science fiction than that. It can be a little more of a hassle than most other tours. You have to fill out a form and get approval, for instance, but that's a small price to pay to put a face on one of the most frightening industries in the world.
Wortham Theater Center Houston First offers a backstage tour of the Wortham Theater Center, and it is not to be missed if you can make it. The cavernous labyrinth that hosts our ballets and operas is full of history and interesting trivia, to say nothing of the fact that you experience the sheer scale of the place. It really is like a cathedral to art, and checking out backstage only enhances the magic.
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