10 Ways to Explore the South Bend Chocolate Factory in Indiana

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This past summer, on our epic road trip through Michigan, we had an overnight stop in South Bend, Indiana. When researching how to spend a free afternoon, we read several positive reviews of the South Bend Chocolate Factory; when we heard we could tour the factory, collect a generous goody bag of samples, and enjoy several exhibits, we knew it was the place to see!

Founder Mark Tarner grew up working in his family’s grocery store in Indiana in the 1960s and 1970s. In the early 1990s, Mark founded the South Bend Chocolate Company, originally making chocolate products for the nearby University of Notre Dame. As the company grew, Mark added the first chocolate cafe in 1994 and several additional stores throughout Northern Indiana throughout the beginning of the 21st century. Today, there are 16 company owned stores in Northern Indiana and three franchise locations in Michigan and Ohio.

posing in front of the timeline at the South Bend Chocolate Factory in South Bend, IN

The flagship South Bend Chocolate Company store in South Bend, which opened to the public in 2024, is one of America’s largest candy stores in America, selling over 500 different chocolates and sweets products. The company is most famous for their turtles and toffees and all items are made on site. A tour of the South Bend Chocolate Factory (and frequent visits to the cafe and store) 

Coast2Coast Award: The tour of the South Bend Chocolate Factory has, by far, the best “sample goody bag” we have ever had on a food tour (and we’ve been on many tours!)

sign for South Bend Chocolate Factory in South Bend, IN

Travel Tips:

  • The South Bend Chocolate Company Museum and Factory are located in the same building as the Indiana Dinosaur Museum. 
  • The museums and factory are open from 10am-5pm weekdays and 9am-5pm on weekends. On demand, guided tours of the chocolate factory begin every 10-15  minutes from 9am-3pm Monday through Friday and 9am-2pm on Saturdays; see up to date information on ticket pricing (combo tickets available) and times here. 
  • There is plenty of free parking in front of the museum complex.
  • There is no place to sit during the tour of the factory; bring the stroller for the toddler crew; the tour is handicap accessible (the entire complex is handicap accessible).  Restrooms are available in the atrium of the complex, but not during tours. All tour participants must wear hair nets. 
  • No photography allowed in the factory.
  • Spend some time shopping in the Outlet Store, which sells seconds/items with imperfections chocolate at a large discount. All items are considered edible/ “fresh” for two years. Check out  the world’s largest Wall of Caramel Corn and consider bringing some home. Shopping is also available online here. 
  • Check out the calendar of seasonal events and special programs.
    Plan on 60-75 minutes for a guided tour and time in the museum exhibits at the end of the tour. And definitely leave time to shop and eat!
  • There are several dining options in the complex and we definitely recommend checking them out:
  • The Chocolate Cafe sells sandwiches, snacks, and kids’ meals throughout the day. Plenty of seating in the cafe, as well as outdoor picnic tables near the entrance to the park. 
  • The Coffee Bar sells hot and cold drinks and a variety of homemade pastries and bagels.
  • The Ice Cream and Candy Station features a variety of ice cream and company products, as well as homemade desserts such as (huge!) slices of cake.
  • The South Bend Public House is located in a separate building across the parking lot. The full service restaurant offers lunch and dinner seven days a week, with indoor and outdoor seasonal seating.
  • Sound Bends Farms is also located in a separate building across from the museum and is home to over 300 chickens, whose eggs are used in the Cafe. The market offers seasonal produce and artisanal products and gifts, as well as freshly made pastries, jams, and sauces. 

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10 Ways to Explore the Museum & Factory:

  1. Begin in the museum exhibit before the start of the factory tour. Learn about the origins of chocolates with explanations of the parts of a cacao tree and how cocoa grows. Check out the maps of where beans are grown in the world and the collection of chocolate pots (until the early 1400, chocolate was most commonly drunk, not eaten as a solid bar). 
  2. Prep for the factory tour by donning a hairnet and getting your goody bag from the tour guide. Throughout the tour, guides will share over a dozen pieces of chocolates and candies (pace yourself- you can bring the goody bag home with you!). Make sure to put your phones and cameras away- they’re not allowed on the tour. 
  3. Walk by the kitchens designated to make the centers for many of the chocolates and learn about the most popular fruit used in South Bend Chocolates. 
  4. Take a peek at the massive machines used to make flat chocolates.
  5. Watch the chocolate waterfalls and check for air bubbles that might sneak in. Factory chefs make sure, through multiple coats, that air bubbles don’t leave a bump in the smoothness of the chocolates. Chefs hand drizzle icing on top as the chocolates move down a conveyor belt. 
two people wearing hairnets posing with a bag of chocolate in front of the timeline of the South Bend Chocolate Factory in South Bend, IN

  1. Count the number of molds at the molding station. South Bend Chocolate Company has dozens of molds for holidays and special occasions, including a 65 pound Santa. The company uses a special agitator table to vibrate the solid chocolate figurines to make sure they’re no hidden bubbles.
  2. Check out the “Painting Room” where all fruit is coated evenly in chocolate and goes in a “tumbler” so every piece is about the same size. 
  3. Watch caramel crunch, another very popular item, made with only Indiana popcorn, being coated.
  4. See the Label and Package Station, where the largest number of company employees work to package and ship items all over the world.
  5. Spend time in the museum exhibits featuring the history of the South Bend Chocolate Company. The large space has a timeline of the company, a collection of awards South Bend Chocolate Company has won, and even a case where company recipes are stored (just try and crack the code to break into the safe!). There’s a collection of and branding and marketing of chocolates over the decades, as well as a collection of old boxes and wrappers from chocolate products from a variety of companies.

Other Ways to Explore the Campus:

  1. Go shopping: South Bend Chocolate Company makes more than “just” chocolates: there’s crunchies (over a dozen varieties), pretzels (over two dozen varieties), cookies, and several seasonal specialties.
  2. Indiana Dinosaur Museum: There are over 40 life sized sculptures of various species of dinosaurs and 30 real skeletons on display. Exhibits feature an Archelon sea turtle, a working paleontology lab, and even a hands on digging site for kids. 
  3. Continental Divide Park: Take the doors opposite the entrance to the atrium to the Knute Rockne Courtyard, which features places to sit and relax as well as a bust of Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne. The 90+ acre park has several trails (from easy to moderate in difficulty)- see the list of trails here. Following the designated path, visitors can find great views of the University of Notre Dame’s Golden Dome and watch planes take off from nearby South Bend International Airport. Make sure to walk by Lydick Blog (a wetlands habitat) and the buffalo reserve and prairie. Trails convert to cross country skiing trails in the winter and there’s even a hill for sledding. 

Disclosure: We were given a media pass to explore the Chocolate factory; all opinions expressed are my own. 

New England based, part high school English teacher, part non profit founder, part road tripper who LOVES hopping in the family SUV to explore America. Our bucket list includes National Parks, MLB stadiums, presidential libraries, and eating wherever the locals eat!

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