Jaunted

Once inside it’s not quite Willy Wonka’s factory, but there’s an expanded selection from what you might find elsewhere. The best part is that you can shave a few bucks off your candy budget, as there are factory seconds available for purchase. Sure they might not be as pretty as their showcase siblings, but these chocolates are usually like half off. When we visited they even had some leftovers from Valentine’s Day, so maybe scoping out the scene after a holiday could lead to some value priced snacks.

Right now tours are only offered during the week on the hour between 11am and 2pm, but it does sound like the frequency picks up during the summer. The tours are free, but they do suggest getting there a little bit earlier to ensure you don’t miss your chance to learn all about their chocolaty history. The entire back of the store is basically a huge viewing window, so passersby are always able to check out what’s going on that day. However, the tours don’t go into the factory—no hairnet needed—as it’s more of a show and tell. So if you’re on some sort of time budget, be sure to run in and check things out for yourself.

Of course there are plenty of free samples—we counted two different options available for snacking when we were there. It seems that they’re pretty generous too, so don’t be shy to go back for seconds. There’s even plenty of opportunities to pick up some Lake Champlain Chocolates swag including plenty of pretty cute stuff for the kiddos featuring the city’s infamous lake monster. So if you’re in Burlington—or anywhere near the city—we’d definitely swing by for a look inside or at least to score a free sample.

[Photos: Jaunted]