Ethel M Botanical Cactus Garden

Wonderful place to wander with a coffee in the morning. So many varieties of cacti and unusual (to me) trees! Nice place for some pictures too. I liked the informative plaques telling me about the plants. I also enjoyed the chocolate factory after my stroll.

We heard about the lights in the cactus garden and had to come see them. The line to get in was long but moved quickly. They do check your bags and do a metal detector check. It only costs $2.00 per person. It was fun. We went into the shop after we were done. The chocolate is amazing. The staff was so nice as well. My son lives here and had never been, so that was a fun treat for him.

They have lots of kinds of cactus 🌵 Don't go there during summer time, too hot to walk outside. Free admission

Amazing place, enjoyed it, not a big garden but is entertaining and has a lot to see, very clean, organized, and is next to the chocolate factory for free samples and tours. Free option if in the Vegas area.

We saw the last night of the "Valentine's Lights" Sunday night, 2/18/24, at the Cactus Garden, and it was fantastic! While sipping a delicious peppermint mocha, we walked around the beautiful cactus garden, all decorated up with lights. We took pictures of each other, the lights and gardens, and when we were all done, we purchased some wonderful Ethel M Chocolates. Next year, if you're in the area, you must see the "Valentine Lights."

The Cactus garden was wonderful. We went during the day, so we didn't get to see them lit up for the holiday walk at night. I would definitely go back in the evening to see them all lit up. The chocolates were like little pieces of art. My favorite was the dark chocolate with an orange cream filling. They had some unique flavors like prickly pear and agave tequila.

One of the few authentic attractions in Las Vegas. This is an extremely well planned and maintained large cactus garden on par with Huntington Garden in SoCal. The history of the chocolate factory is also interesting and there are places to sit inside, as well as bathrooms. Definitely a must see when visiting LV. One downside however. This is in the direct flight path for the airport so it can get noisy.

Lights & tasty chocolate in one stop! My family & I went for the lights aside from the fact that we wanted to get some chocolates! Well decorated for the holidays and good photo opportunities(individually & with family/friends!) I was told Santa was there but I never saw him; entry fee is only $2.00 a person for the holiday lights. The factory is free to visit and you get a free chocolate sample! On the flip side; there’s one downside; the line was ridiculously long for the holiday lights. My man ended up going to get us some hot chocolate for the wait; however, by the time he came back we realized that the line was moving pretty quickly so we enjoyed our time not just outside but inside the cactus garden.

The chocolate shop was open till 10pm when we visited this past Sunday in mid-November. The place got crowded later into the evening. But that didn't stop us from enjoying some treats from the Cactus Garden Cafe, and puchasing a customized box of chocolates, with dark chocolate almond and macadamia clusters, coconut and peanut butter filled chocolates, and more. The double hot chocolate was crazy good, with the perfect sweetness and decadent chocolatey flavor. The chocolate covered strawberries were just as delightful, and so addicting, my fave! The chocolate marshmallow was sticky and delicious. We finished it all. Service was friendly and helpful, and staff even gave away free chocolates as guests walked along the windows to view the chocolate factory, quite an amazing sight. The Holiday Cactus Garden Lights costed $3 per person, and was cool, but nothing too extraordinary about the exhibit. The cacti on site were quite beautiful on display with the lighting. There's also a food vendor and tables/seating within the garden area as well as photos with Santa. A nice family-friendly atmosphere. But if you don't have kids, you might wanna skip it, and spend the few extra dollars you save on chocolate instead. You can see a lot of the decorative lights from the outside anyway.

It's been a few years since we've been back here for the holiday lights. They are open nightly for you to do a casual stroll with hot chocolate in hand. Definitely helps getting everyone in the spirit of the holidays. Easy stroll for all. Go on the weekdays for less crowd. It used to be $1 per person, it's now $3 pp to enter. Get ready to go thru a security check. Lots of free parking in front and in the businesses around the area. Small hot chocolate is $6 and can be bought inside the store. $8 for the large one. Everyone working there is very nice and helpful. Happy holidays.

Of all the visits to Vegas, we've never made it to Ethel M's for the factory tour and the tour of their Cactus Garden. Located in Henderson, just east of the airport, we made this our first stop after leaving the airport and picking up our rental car. As you enter, you are given a chocolate sample. If you have signed up for a chocolate tasting experience session, you check in with the hostess. If you want to take your self-guided factory tour, you proceed to the large viewing windows where you can observe each step of the chocolate making process. Since we arrived in the late afternoon, there was no production activity. As you proceed past the windows, you enter their flagship store where you can buy chocolates in different styled boxes or customize your own purchase. There's a Cactus Garden Café that sells chocolate desserts and drinks. When you exit the building, you can self-tour the 3 acre Cactus garden that features over 300 different plant species. Workers were putting up holiday lights and displays. We will come back one of these days for this holiday display that features 500,000 lights which I heard was a popular attraction. It was good to have finally made it here. We completed the factory tour, stroll through the shop, and cactus tour in less than an hour. The self-guided tours are free but the 30-45 minute tasting experience requires a fee. Hope to tour the cactus garden with the holiday lights in the future.

It keeps getting more and more ridiculously crowded and unorganized in the winter time EVERY year. I am born and raised in LV. We have always had a tradition to walk through the cactus garden, see the wonderful lights and Santa Claus with our 4 children. This year is a BIG disappointment. Tonight 11/22/24, our family got to Ethel M parking lot was packed at 5:30pm. Much to our surprise, this year the right side of the parking lot was mostly empty while the left side was completely full and people parking far down across the street and walking in traffic to go to the front of the store. Dangerous especially in the dark. There was about 8 vehicles on the right side and a couple of young boys wearing orange vests standing in the entrance so people don't drive in. A guy was selling light up toys by them. (It seemed sketchy like they were scamming people to pay them money to park over there.) I drove up next to 1 guy and he was yelling at cars with a flash light that "they can't park here it's for employees only." I said: "we come here every year and usually park on this side, my daughter has a heart condition I can't park that far away." The guy told me to go park in a handicap spot. I said: "I don't have a card or plates yet." He said: "it's okay just let the other guys know we got you, it's fine!" I drove around for 30mins and 2 people cut me off going the wrong way and took the spots I was waiting for. Not to mention the line to get into the place has people walking in the street while cars are driving by trying to park where they are walking to get in line. Ridiculous. People were parking in the middle of the street & letting their families out to get in line then leaving to go find parking. BIG traffic jam and cluster disaster. We weren't comfortable parking in the only handicap spot left. So I drove around more. Now it's 6:30pm. An hour trying to find close parking spot. I went back to the other side and there was a different guy standing there to the side so I drove in and he ran up to me yelling that we can't park here. He seemed high or on something. He was very rude, disrespectful and yelled at me. "You can't park here! Employees only!" I said: "okay stop yelling I haven't parked and my daughter has a heart condition we've been driving around and use to park here, why has it changed now?" He didn't want to say much or calm down. I asked if they work for Ethel M he said yes but it didn't make sense because there were other cars that parked there that got out and was families with kids. So is it employees not working that are bringing their families by that get special parking? Is it another business parking lot? It's confusing and not fair. He repeatedly threatened me saying if we park here we will get towed. (I'm still in drive in the street, haven't moved, wasn't even going to park at this point.) I drove away waved my hand out the window while he's still yelling that I'll be towed. We went for ice cream elsewhere instead. We are so upset and disappointed. It was very unprofessional and unorganized. Confusing. For this big business you would think it would be safer for people to park and not walk down a long street through traffic in the dark with small children just to get to the line to go into the garden. I honestly don't know if we will try to go here again after this incident. The situation to get into the garden has gotten worse every year I don't understand. It's not worth it.

Early Christmas outing! Expeditious entry process, grammar hot chocolate, free samples; excellent, beautiful display; not too crowded but a full house. I'm happy we came out this early in the season

We were greeted as we walked in. The greeter asked if we had ever been here, we replied no. And she gave us some free chocolate.! she gave us the rundown. Offered to sign us up for the tour. It's $25 for the tour and you get to taste four or five chocolates. The chocolates are three dollars each. Our next interaction was George. He asked us if we needed some help. I told him I was just wanting one piece of chocolate was that OK? He said absolutely and that one piece was three dollars. Pecan caramel chocolate cluster was my target. I always enjoy a pecan turtle. He told me I may want to rethink my strategy as they had a lot of good specials. We got to try and ace sort of spicy pecan cluster. he was after all correct and we decided to go for that 24 piece lol. They have some chocolate covered candied orange or chocolate covered strawberry for six dollars each. Box of 12 chocolates is $40. If you buy them separately, they are $36... I guess the box is four dollars... Great service, definitely expensive 12 pieces for $40... 24 pieces for $60. They are having a special where you can receive a large bar of the pecan brittle (covered in chocolate or plain) if you spend $50 or more. So yeah, we spent some money lol. They gave 10% discount for signing up email. And then a 15% coupon for our next return. Great experience, little pricey, but very friendly service. as you exit, they have a huge cactus garden. That was nice too walk-through and a Summer breeze and eat some of our chocolate.

Was in Vegas for a week and gf wanted to check this out and she knows I like cacti and chocolates. So was looking forward more so for the small cactus botanical garden. Which is part of the chocolate factory. Went around noon so it was hot outside , so no one was there. Or at least we thought and there were people there but inside getting chocolates and staying out of the eat. I'm from the Coachella Valley so the heat and son was like being back home. You can buy chocolates and just do a very short self guided tour of their process in making chocolates. A couple free samples of chocolates then get you into wanting to buy more. The cool thing was of course all their flavors that they have to choose from. Plus they have amazing looking shakes that I didn't get around to trying but will definitely give it a try next time. All the workers were nice and helping. Would like to come back again, more so to see the garden at night lit up and try a shake. Like I said the garden isn't that big but that isn't a bad thing. It's nice little probably hour long venture if you are looking for a break or something else to do from the real intention of visiting Vegas. Why I give it 4 because while I did buy some chocolates, next time I'll bring more money so I can buy more since of course we all know it can add up quickly and I have a big sweet tooth so I would need A lot of chocolates to satiate myself.

One of the free things you can do in and around Las Vegas. Who doesn't love free?!? With an easy-to-follow, self-guided tour (which is a short path along a wall of widows where you can see the chocolate making process from start to finish). Watching the folks working in the packaging room was fun to watch and laugh about how Lucy and Ethel had a crazy, funny day working at a chocolate factory very similar to this one. While there, I picked up a few chocolates from the chocolate shop. Each piece of chocolate is $3.00, or you can opt to get a premade box. The chocolates are very silky and so good! And, with flavors like Bananas Foster, Pumpkin Spice, and Cinnamon Apple (I went with the seasonal flavors), it was hard not to splurge! The chocolate factory also has a tasting experience that's $33/person. I'll have to try that next time. In the yard of the chocolate factory, there's a well-maintained and large cactus garden. Make sure to meander through this peaceful garden in the desert. Overall, I highly recommend visiting Ethel M Chocolates. Although, be prepared to pay a lot for chocolates.

This is a cool free and less touristy thing to look at not too far from Vegas in the suburbs! There is a self guided tour that you get to walk and look through the glass of seeing chocolate get made! A free sample of chocolate, and the quick self guided tour ends with a chocolate shop! Be sure to read up on how the chocolates are made as you walk through. There is also a paid experience to taste test which we decided not to do, but it would be worth considering another time! Outside the storefront is another free and cool thing to do: the cactus garden to wander and look at! Of course I recommend going to the cactus garden when it's morning if possible because it'll be less hot and humid. Take some cool photos of the cactus and learn a thing or two about the unique types of cactus! You might not spend a ton of time here, but it's absolutely worth checking it out considering it's a less touristy thing to do and it's FREE!

The kids took the Mrs & I to the Chocolate & Wine Tasting Room Experience at Ethel M Chocolates. What a fun experience! Found out we've been eating chocolates all wrong. Who knew? As we went through our class, we found that we should include ALL our senses: Sight, touch, smell, taste & hearing. Does the candy look inviting? Is it smooth or bumpy? Does it smell rich or chocolatey? Does it crunch or snap when you bite into it? What flavors do you taste as you chew? The class covered where cocoa beans are grown, what the pods look like, how they are harvested, roasted & shipped. It was very interesting. Each piece of candy had a small glass of Mimosa pairing the flavor of the chocolate. All in all, we really enjoyed our time in the class, earning our title of "Ethel M Chocolatier." Of course, we took a quick tour of the factory & gift shop.

I really enjoyed the visit to Ethel M Chocolate Factory and the Cactus Garden. I walked around and saw the different chocolates. I purchased a few pieces and a Peppermint bark bar. Yay! They had several pieces that were a dollar each. I got a few of those as well. After eating a few pieces, I went out to the Cactus garden. What a lovely site is was! The cacti was gorgeous! I stayed out there Ling enough to see that we were in the flight path if the planes landing at the airport. It was cool to see them fly overhead so closely. I will visit Ethel M for their exquisite chocolates again in the near future. Thank you!

Ethel M is a cute oasis to get a shake and do a short walk in the garden. The staff are nice and you get a free sample of chocolate, but when I asked about the place she told me I should just read the signs. There's some interesting history behind how this place came to be on the walls, as well as informative signs in front of the windows of the factory. It's a lovely retreat but I think the pricing for everything was too much. A chocolate shake will cost you $10...and well it was too sweet for my taste so I ended up throwing it away half way. I didn't care for the sample of chocolate, so I didn't buy any.

Ethel M is as close to a Willie Wonka Land for adults as you can get, you walk in and they treat you to piece of your preference milk, or dark chocolate (dark for me every day of the week) they have a chocolate tasting room, a a large spotless candy kitchen that you can watch them work their chocmagic, and the assortment that they offer is par excellence... The prices surprised me a little bit but after sampling some more of their handiwork it makes perfect sense because it doe not get much better than this in your chocolate world... Chocolate addicts beware...The employees that work in this chocolate heaven are all very, very nice, being around all this goodness you can't help it.

Chocolate Craving Satisfied! A little out of the way for us as we live up by Centennial area. Worth the drive to check out the Cactus botanical gardens and summer variety of tasty chocolate selections. We went on a Saturday and it wasn't crowded; probably because it's kind of in an isolated commercial area of Henderson. We like less crowded and I highly recommend a visit for the free samples and gardens. The factory is not totally up and running during the weekend except for the packing area but it was still ok for us. I recommend all the dark chocolate selections and they have some milkshakes and custom box choices. 12 for $40, 24 for $60 etc.They also give an ice pack to keep your chocolates from melting in the Vegas heat. Go to get your chocolate addiction fix!

From the moment you enter, you're warmly welcomed and offered chocolate samples. We always enjoy their fun and FREE tour of the chocolate factory and chocolate making process. The tour itself is self-guided and viewed through large windows. It's short, but very neat how you can see the workers at work making the chocolates. Our favorite time to enjoy Ethel M's Cactus Gardens are during their Christmas Lights time. We were able to attend free on their anniversary date in 2023, but otherwise, there's an entrance fee of $2.00 per person. Parking is free, and they have an overflow lot at Roseman University just across from their lot. The event is quite organized. Despite long lines everywhere, things moved quickly. The only bump we encountered the night we attended was at the food truck for their famous hot cocoa. There were problems with their POS system connecting to take payments, which made the line move extremely slow. At one point, they advised they'll be taking cash only, which made many of the people in line leave. I'd advise that if you want a cup of their delicious hot cocoa, skip the food truck park and go straight inside to their main storefront. They have two different stations that sell their hot cocoa, and the lines there moved extremely fast (and no issue with their POS systems there). No matter when you visit, Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Cactus Gardens is sure to delight.

Hear me out! The chocolate is outrageously priced, but I didn't come to buy chocolate Lol I came for the experience. Fun date idea! Look up alphabet dating. Long story short, you go through the entire alphabet A-Z and make up dates that start with the letter you are on. For letter B, we used this as Botanical Garden. We registered for the chocolate and wine tasting and then walked the garden. The chocolate and wine tasting is $35 and the chocolate tasting is $25. I feel it was well worth it! Staff was friendly and we had a good time!

Great local business and attraction in Henderson. Even though it is incredibly simple, I always get joy out of coming here, whether it is the glittering cactus gardens during Christmas time, to attend a chocolate and wine pairing class, or just to escape the heat for 10 minutes during the blaze of summer. There is a short walk from the entrance to the gift/chocolate shop along which you can take a look at the factory and chocolates actually being made. This really harkens back to the late 90's when other companies had tours in Henderson such as the clown figurine factory and the Ocean Spray factory. Oh and don't forget to get your free sample at the start! In the gift/chocolate shop you can pick up as many individual chocolates, gift boxes, specialty boxes, or chocolate drinks as your heart desires and they are all of extremely high quality and delicious. The one downside is that they are very expensive so if you can catch them when specials are going, I highly recommend it.

First time here, was greeted immidently and was given a sample (dark or milk chocolate). We came here for the chocolate and wine tasting. Pricing: Adult tasting $30 Student $25 make sure to bring ID Child $20 We waited a long time to be sat and we were the first people to check in and were the last ones to sit. It was a little unorganized. Once sat there was a place mat with charts with 4 different color chocolates, a bottle water and a pen. The instructor explained the history of Mars and how chocolate is made and transported. We then started to taste each chocolate and wrote down our 4 senses. See, touch, smell, taste Each chocolate was a different color (note: the different colors are made from cocoa fat which makes cocoa butter that is what is used for the exterior of the chocolates). The third chocolate we tried we were told to hold our nose shut and right before you swallow the chocolate release your nose and you get the burst of flavor. What a great thing to know. After trying the 4th chocolate we were given a certificate and 15% off to any purchase in their shop. Prices are steep but it's all great quality chocolate. There is also a walk through that has lights all through the garden of cactuses. It's $2 per person to walk through. Overall, great Valentine's Day activity to do with family/friends. Bought red velvet batter chocolate and Tiramisu chocolate bars $9 each. Each bar had great flavor and was true to their titles. There is a large variety of different flavors of chocolate and like sees candy they have a booth where you can choose chocolates individually which are $3 a piece of chocolate. The cognac chocolate is the only chocolate that is hand painted each piece (crazy).

On the outskirts of Las Vegas you can find the factory turning out high caliber chocolates for your consumption. The founder of M&M's, Forrest Mars came out of retirement to a start a business in Las Vegas to honor the chocolate making process that was pioneered by his late mother, Ethel M. When you arrive at the factory you are a greeted with a free piece of chocolate to get your tastebuds in the mood for an outing of all things delicious. On the self guided tour, you get to see the whole process from creation to packing. You will exit into the chocolate shop where you are offered another free piece of chocolate as a parting gift. A great bonus of visiting the factory is having the opportunity to walk through Nevada's largest cactus garden. If you visit during the holiday season, the garden is adorned with holiday lights and decorations.

I had such a lovely time here, and thank you to all the staff who were also lovely! I highly recommend stopping here, even if just to pop into the store but I really recommend spending more time here. Upon entering, there is a small gift area where you also check in if you have a tasting booked. There's also a much larger gift shop down the hall where you can get customized boxes, picking how many pieces of which flavors you want, and they offer a huge variety of flavors, way more than I was expecting. They also have a small cafe stand that has cupcakes, brownies, hot chocolate, and some other snacks. I got a small hot chocolate and it was so melty and thick, but not too thick. It's for-real legit hot chocolate (not the more common instant stuff that's watery). Along the store areas are huge glass windows where you can see where the chocolates are made. It's a relatively small space, so it's a short self-guided tour of sorts, and if you're there during normal business hours, you can see workers making chocolates, dipping strawberries in chocolate, etc. It's pretty neat. I did a chocolate tasting here which consisted of 4 pieces of chocolate - passionfruit caramel, blood orange, peanut butter, and lemon. All were dark chocolate except peanut butter, which was milk chocolate. The tasting is great for chocolate lovers as well as people who might not normally like dark chocolate, because their dark chocolate is relatively low (I think 52%) in cacao, so it doesn't have the slight bitterness that more typical dark chocolates have. The person running the tasting was so nice and informative and was able to answer everyone's questions. The tasting overall was really nicely done. They also have a wine pairing option to go with each chocolate. I didn't do that but others in our tasting who did the wine pairing said the wines were great choices, that they paired very well with the chocolates. In the evening, starting at 5p (maybe only certain times of the year?) the cactus garden outside is lit up with colorful string lights and it's really pretty to walk through. The cactus garden also has lots of nice photo op places, and a nice big area with a sort of food truck stand, artificial turf, and lots of picnic tables. It's a great place to relax with chocolate snacks. Spent about 90 minutes here altogether, and I'm looking forward to coming back with more family/friends who haven't been here yet. It's a really enjoyable attraction for people of all ages. Pretty affordable too - the chocolate tasting I did (w/o wine pairings) was around $30, and with the tasting you get 15% off in their shop!

I can't believe I've never reviewed Ethel M Chocolates! The first time we came here, we didn't live in Vegas yet. We drove out to visit the factory and cactus garden from the Strip with my then 3 year old nephew on a vacation (he's in his early 20's now.) I was in my 20's that first time and I remember the sense of awe I felt visiting this place. I hadn't become a chef yet so seeing the factory in motion was super fun and informative and the cactus garden was just amazing, especially being from Hawaii where the flora is much different. We fell hard for the amazing selection of caramel apples, so when we moved to Vegas, we would come by every so often to pick up a few and have a stroll through the garden. Coming to the Christmas lit garden is a magical experience and one I look forward to every year, even if I don't make it in. There have been a lot of changes over the years but most of them are for the better and this is a great place to visit, whether you have children with you or not.

Ethel M's holiday cactus garden is one of my favorite local holiday traditions. I take my son every year to experience the cactus garden all lit up and decorated for the holidays. There is plenty of parking in the area and it's easy to access. You start by walking through the chocolate shop and factory. There are large windows for viewing the chocolates being made and boxed. They have plenty of gifts to choose from and you can customize boxes with your own selections or buy one or two chocolates to try. You have to get a cup of their hot chocolate or peppermint hot chocolate to sip on while you walk through the garden. The admission is $2 per person, so it's inexpensive compared to most of the holiday activities in Vegas. They have plenty of photo ops throughout the exhibit and they added an area with a food truck and bar cart serving holiday themed cocktails with plenty of places to sit and relax. All of the workers are friendly and welcoming and will help you with anything you need. Ethel M's will quickly become one of your annual traditions with your family. It's so fun to walk around with fresh hot chocolate while taking pictures to enjoy for years to come. Bundle up for the cold weather and enjoy!

Ethel's Cactus Garden is hard to beat in town! A very cute and festive holiday lights set up, good for all ages. A small fee for each person and any additional money is donated locally for charity. If you miss hot chocolate before getting in there's a chance to get in throughout the cactus garden as well as pictures with Santa. Honestly so worth it, I'm glad I finally went after waiting to do so for two years. Additionally, their double hot chocolate is worth the price. One of the best ones to date. It has this nostalgic taste and is rich but not overbearing. Absolutely loved their half chocolate dipped cookie with great chocolate chunks in it. Highly recommend!

Totally recommend coming here. You can do your own self guided chocolate tour where you can see inside their factory and how they measure the cocoa process to how they melt their chocolates and finally to how they wrap these chocolates in their containers. Quite a fascinating process. You are first greeted by a friendly staff member where she gives you a free piece of milk or dark chocolate to try. Very silky smooth, deep flavor, rich tasting. Totally surprised at how clean their taste was. Not chocolate leftovers stuck on my teeth. After the tour you can visit their gift store area. Since it's Fall season they can a few seasonal favorites to choose from. I also got another sample of their cherry cordial which was super delicious. Right amount of center cream with 0.5% alcohol content with a large cheery inside. One of the best cherry cordials I've very tasted in my life! I also bought a large box of mixed chocolate and pecan brittle (24 pieces for $60). Worth every penny as the overall tasting experience was worth it. Will be back soon to view the holidays lights in the cactus garden!

9/28/2023 The concierge at the resort mentioned the cactus garden, so of course we had to visit.. First I parked where the employees or admin parked so make sure you follow til the end of the road and not the first Ethel M's building.. Parking was limited as lots of contractors in the parking lot.. Loved seeing the display of succulents and the native plants that do well here.. I heard it's fun to see the decorations on holidays.. all light up!

What a local gem! I love that during the holidays there is a light display at the cactus garden! My family and I went at around 8pm. The line was long but went by pretty quickly and smoothly. Before you enter they do a bag check as well. I love the holidays and walking through felt whimsical. They have snacks and hot chocolate for purchase. The hot chocolate was delightful especially since it was cold outside so the warmth was awesome. There were seats near where they sold the hot chocolate as well if you wanted to hangout and spend some time there. I loved it!

Visited the Ethel M. Cactus Garden ($2pp) in the evening for a beautiful holiday light stroll, met Santa, and checked out the factory store. Chocolates were definitely pricey so it was nice they had some basic ones for us to sample to see if we liked them. Pro Tip: -Grab a delicious hot chocolate made from their special chocolates to sip on while you stroll the gardens. -Though the factory is in operation mostly during the daytime, you may still see some workers working on chocolates while you do the self tour of the factory. For more travel tips IG: @grace.loves.adventures

Cute and nice place to spend time enjoying the Christmas lights and decorations with some sweets. We actually had fun, but I wish there were more attractions in the Cactus Garden. There was a stage for Christmas Carols (I guess??), I guess we missed it or there's a special date and time for it ... I really wished I saw the performance. People in there are nice and friendly. The service is great and the chocolates are delicious!! THE DOUBLE HOT CHOCOLATE WAS AMAZING!! I enjoyed every single sip of it ..

This is a review of Ethel M's Chocolate & Wine Tasting experience which is $35 per person; for two of us, it cost $80.06. Ethel M's chocolates are top-notch, made with premium ingredients. I've been buying Ethel M chocolates since the early 1990's. They were always a premium brand; i.e., expensive. Before our tasting yesterday, we spent some time in the gift shop. Their chocolates are basically $2 each now. I booked the tasting on-line without difficulty. Then I got sick so I had to reschedule. The phone was answered promptly and the gentleman who helped me was very nice. Moved it out a week, no problem. We were greeted by Yardley who is delightful. She took a couple of photos for us. She suggested I wash my hands before we begin, because we'd be touching the chocolate before eating it. She reminded me that we would get 15% off any purchases we made that day. Hubby and I had arrived early, so we went into the gift shop. I had a free sample. I asked a question about the liqueur chocolates and was given an answer -- a $55 answer! The manager (I presume) was standing nearby. She then came over and told me about a smaller box of the liqueur chocolates AND about the 5-piece option. Way better information than the 'clerk' had provided. She too reminded me that, after our tasting, to bring our [something, can't think of the word] into the shop and get 15% off. Our Taster was Vic. Vic is knowledgeable and personable. However, he can be a bit pedantic. We're guests looking for a fun experience; we're not studying for our SATs and you're not our Tutor. When we both say, "I don't know," it's time to tell us the answer, not make us try again. You'll see some "place mats" that were awaiting our arrival. We were not told how to use them, nor did we use them. The $40 per person experience includes four chocolates, four tiny plastic cups of wine and a bottle of water. Vic included a fifth chocolate, his favorite: Prickly Pear. It was fabulous! The tasting was informative re Ethel M history and interesting. My biggest complaint is the plastic cups. If I have tasted wine at one vineyard (and I have), I have tasted wine hundreds of times at vineyards and in tasting rooms. Winemakers NEVER serve wine in plastic because plastic has its own distinctive smell which detracts from the smell of the wine. Smell is a huge part of taste. Why give customers some of the most expensive chocolates there are, and then fill plastic cups to the brim (with no room for swirling to release the bouquet) with wine?? It makes no sense. Shame on Mr. Mark Markey, their Chief Chocolatier. He should know better. Other than the Port, which was served with the Turtle, I could never smell the wine. The smell of the plastic hid the wine's bouquet. Use glass! It'll make the experience worth the $35. It'll allow guests to actually pair the wine and the chocolate. And you'll put way less plastic into a landfill. The chocolates are definitely 5 star. I'll give Vic 4 stars. But the tiny plastic cups are 1-star. So we end up with a 3-star review of this Experience. BTW: Even at 15% off, and after eating six pieces of chocolate, I had no desire to buy any more, not at $1.70 each.

Looking for something free to do with the family. Ethel M Chocolates in Vegas. Only 20 mins from the Las Vegas Strip. You can get a fun view of the chocolate factory and property of Ethel M cactus garden. You get a sample as you walk in and welcome to ask for any samples in the chocolate shop. They have variety of items and special items available. I had the strawberry chocolate shake and oh my goodness it was delicious. They had variety of chocolates on sale if you wanted to try a small amount to take home. It was a lot of fun for us. Definitely will stop again when I'm in Vegas.

If you guys love chocolate, this is most definitely a place to go!! Especially if you have time while in Vegas! I stumbled on this ad on instagram, looked cute on the reviews and it looked soo much better in person! I went on a Sunday night, I recommend going on another day of the week so that you're able to experience the factory in the works! It's like being inside Willy wonkas chocolate factory! They give you a free sample when you go inside, and it's so good! The chocolate is so creamy, it really does melt on your mouth! We signed up for chocolate and wine. The wine and chocolate combination really made the chocolate pop. During the chocolate tasting there was a moment of history on the factory and the creators it was actually pretty great! The hosts were actually really nice and informative as well! One thing that I recommend trying is the chocolate covered strawberries! They were huge and again the chocolate was soooo good and soft! I didn't get a picture of the strawberries, however I did get a picture of the way they had decorated the garden, which has over 300 types of cacti ( if I remember correctly)

My friend and I went there after I heard from someone else that their hot chocolate is one of the best. My friend and I tried their chocolate orange and frozen hot chocolate, and it was really amazing. Their frozen hot chocolate was very thick and creamy. It's definitely a lot for a single person, but it's so delicious. You can also take a self guided tour of the factory but only from the outside. You can see how the factory is set up through the glass window and see what different components do and how the chocolate is made. They have the process listed on the glass pane. It was busy when we went there. A whole tour bus stopped there to try and buy their products. My friend and I bought a lot of chocolates too. Definitely recommend stopping by and adding this place to your list of things to do in Vegas. There is plenty of surface parking around the facility, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Came after an event during a weeknight. The cactus garden (Christmas themed) does not close until 10P on a weeknight! It was pretty busy considering it was a Tuesday. However staff was situated around the garden to assist in navigating. Depending on how slow or fast you walk it can take about 10-15 minutes to view all that's in store. $2 entrance fee per person, $8 hot chocolate for sell within the Christmas garden, plenty of photo opportunities, and even a chance to take pictures with THE Santa Claus. A lovely family friendly event.

We liked the experience we had several years ago with the wine and chocolate tasting that we went again with a different group. I gave it a 4 start because I thought the price a bit high for only 4 tastings. It also would be nice for them to sell the wine they are pairing the chocolates with. I agree with Edward D., Ethel M puts the M in Mmmmmmm. They have amazing chocolates and wish they distributed in Texas. Very much recommend the experience. And the cactus gardens look amazing. I haven't walked the gardens much but what I have seen is beautiful. I can only imagine what it looks like for the holidays and Valentines.

Bucket list place..... check. The man behind the counter was courteous and very attentive. He was very patient taking our order.

The gentleman who welcomed us was very knowledgeable and friendly. He provided samples of their chocolate. We did a self guided tour. They also offer paid tour with wine and chocolate pairing. I will definitely come back at night to see all the lights turned on at the garden and try the paid tour. We also saw a demo on how to make chocolate covered pretzels. While paying for my purchases, I asked the lady at the counter if they did mail-order, and she handed me the holiday catalog so I could order online. Chocolate selection was great. Overall, the experience was great and pleasant because employees made it possible.

I had a really pleasant experience with their chocolate and wine tasting. It was interesting to get to know the brand a little bit better and appreciate the philosophy behind this chocolate company. The cactus garden was also a pleasant stroll after indulging in some sweet treats. This is a fun alternative when exploring Las Vegas off the strip.

Such a fun and cute experience. We did a chocolate tasting (by appointment) and learned about the history of the business and how to use all senses when eating chocolate. Afterwards, we went to the shop and got some chocolate boxes and dipped strawberries from the store. We also walked around the cactus garden which was all decorated for the holidays. The place was almost empty, but we were told it gets super crowded at night since they turn the holiday lights on and the wait can be several hours to get in.

This is a cute place to look at Christmas lights with family or even a date night. There is a $2 entrance fee donation. We went around 8pm and there was a pretty long line. It took about 20 mins to get in. You can grab hot chocolate in the beginning inside the actual chocolate factory. If you miss it, there is a chance to get some in the actual cactus garden as well. They have some seating areas inside and various photo op sections. There is also an area to take pictures with Santa if you would like. Would definitely recommend coming here.

The Chocolate factory is amazing. It's been a few years since and we decided to stop here with family from out of town and it wasn't a disappointment. Mind you, we stopped here on Thanksgiving. The garden is well kept and beautifully decorated. There is a Santa station for pictures and a rest area to get some light snacks. We made sure to swing by the store to get a sample. Definitely make time to stop here for the holidays, it's so worth it.

My husband and I booked a chocolate holiday tasting and just got home. We were absolutely blown away by Amy. She was knowledgeable, personable and passionate about Ethel M chocolates! The holiday tasting consisted of history about Ethel M and some chocolate history and 4 samples of chocolates. It was a great deal at 30 dollars! They do offer a wine pairing during the tasting that we did not do but I'm sure is an even more elevated experience. We went to the last tasting of the night- 8:30 and we were the only 2 there making it an even more personal experience. At the end you get a certificate and 15% off any purchase oh and a "fast pass" into the cactus garden. We went through the garden before the tasting so it wasn't necessary but would definitely be valuable when it gets busy around 5-7pm! The cactus garden is lovely lit up for Christmas! The admission is 2 dollars which is donated to 2 local charities so it all goes to a good cause. Overall a great trip! We'll be back for more tasting classes soon. Especially if Amy is there!

Ethel M puts the M in Mmmmm. We visited this location for the 2nd time while in Las Vegas. We chose to do the chocolate and wine pairing tasting. This is an excellent way to sample some of the chocolates, learn about chocolate production, and how to eat chocolates properly. There is an art to maximizing the flavors when you consume chocolates. The wine tasting was quite interesting and a treat for the palette. Each chocolate, which ranged from creams to truffles to liqueurs, was paired with a small sample of a different wine for each. The Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate paired with the Marenco Brachetto D'Acqui wine was the most popular and tasted like peanut butter and jelly. Another was paired with a port, while yet another was paired with a very dry red. After the tasting, we walked along the production line to view the making of some of the truffles. This leads to the salesroom, where the full line of chocolates is available for purchase. You can buy preselected assortments, individual bars, packaged individual varieties, or a selection of your own choosing. These chocolates aren't your M&M or Mars Bar variety chocolates. These are upscale chocolates and some of the best that I have ever had. If you are looking for something different to do away from the strip, I highly recommend a visit to the Ethel M in Henderson.

Not huge, but worth stopping by to visit and take photos. Ethel M chocolate factory holds good history. Read about the original owner online. Drive on Sunset Rd. going towards east direction in Henderson and you'll find a good area to visit. Plenty of public parking lot spaces. There's a small, but good sized cactus garden in front yard. Absolutely peaceful and quiet. Beautiful cactus plants of all types with descriptions of it. Not huge, but worth the walk under huge cactus plants and trees. Interesting setup to enjoy. Great path designs. Enter through front entrance doors and chocolates are displayed in their shop. There's a classroom to the left of entrance area if you want to pay for activities. Otherwise, entrance is free to public. Self guided. Walk up the ramp and through huge glass windows, you will see employees working in the chocolate factory. Whole process is visible to public. Not huge, but there are a few small tables and chairs to sit inside. Otherwise, outside benches under shades are an option. Before the exit doors, you're pretty much at the larger part of the chocolate gift store where you can also try their $10 Ethel M milkshakes and more. Iced expresso flavored milkshake was worth every sip. Delicious. Purchased some chocolate bars. Lots of flavors and types to choose from. Chocolate history is always a sweet spot. Very cool ambience and very clean inside and outside. Hidden gem. Enjoyable small walk. 10-15 minutes outside plus another 10-15 minutes inside will do. It's a great place to look around and enjoy some Ethel M chocolates. Cactus garden is amazing. Love it. Tourists should visit. Signature creations. Of course a few pieces of chocolates are very expensive here.

About 10-12 miles away from strip and just a death trap of freeways and big round barrel-cone block-offs, lane closures and horrifying sudden navigation-fueled sharp turns, finally made it here (don't ask why). Not crowded (somewhere in Vegas, YAAAAAYYY) Cactus garden is...a garden with cacti...nothing more nothing less. If cactuses gets your juice flowing you will like this place. Its just a few hundred feet in all, outside the Choc Factory. Inside, you see the factory through the big glass windows, but if your expecting Willy Wonka and the oompa-loompas crankin' em out, nothing is working or people making them. Just the machinery was there shut down which dampened the experience. Maybe it wasn't a working day? I don't know if they are for display only or what, anyways.... The choc shop is beautiful, and their creations are pure art. The prices unfortunately, are like art as well; $3 bucks per piece of candy, yikes. Well when in Vegas, or the outskirts in Vegas.... Got a 24 pack box ($60) for the sis and a 12 pack for the son ($40) who loved it; They are generous with free samples I tried 2-3 pieces before deciding which ones not to blow money on for myself (will stick to my dark swiss hazelnut bars at Trader Blows for 6 bucks). Also gave a free eggnog bar with each purchase, (yuck, straight to gifts) and second purchase got 10% off so softened the blow somewhat. Something to do if you have and hour to kill or so, still cheaper than slots. Tons of open space free parking.

The chocolates are amazing, but be prepared to spend a ton of money on them, I wanted to purchase some peanut brittle for a family friend, 4 pieces, $15.00, and it wasn't all that good, not like brittle i know and love..

We swung by Ethel M's to pick up some chocolates that are made right here in our stunning city of Las Vegas, so that we can bring them along to Taiwan and share the sweetness with our buddies. Let me tell you, the staff there couldn't have been more pleasant, and the chocolates we sampled were just out of this world. We ended up buying not just one, but two whole bags of these heavenly treats for our journey. The shop itself is beautifully arranged, and we had a blast observing the staff as they skillfully crafted these delectable goodies. You can bet your bottom dollar that we'll be back for the chocolate and wine tasting experience!

The chocolate tasting was wonderful. I loved the peanut butter truffle and the lemon satin dark chocolate truffle. My partner was very appreciative that I brought him a bar of the latter. Yum!

These chocolates are the best I've ever tasted anywhere. The people working there go over and above being friendly and helpful. The store always is neat and clean and well stocked. It's a real feel good shop. Who doesn't like chocolate? It's a little pricey but well worth the quality products you buy. Would highly recommend!!

This place is super cool! Especially around the holidays when they have the Christmas Lights up inside the cactus garden! I mean how cool to go through all the lights! It was so pretty! And the best part is, it is pretty much free because it's only a dollar to walk through it! In the middle of the maze, they have a little break area where you can get hot chocolate and some snacks, see Santa, watch a band, etc. Then you keep going for a bit and you end up back at the chocolate shop. Which as soon as you walk in and it smells amazing! All staff there were super friendly and welcoming! You even get a free sample of chocolate right before you do the chocolate tour! Go early like 15 minutes before they open during the holidays and go during the weekdays to avoid the long line! You can also shop around for amazing chocolate! They also have an area where you can make your own box of chocolates and pick the ones that you like! I love this place around the holidays. It is absolutely wonderful! I want to come back during the summer And see what they do with the gardens at that time.! This is one of the places that you should definitely go to during the holidays, though for sure, whether you are a local or if you are visiting!