Attraction: Ethel M. Chocolate Factory and Botanical Cactus Gardens

Ethel M. Chocolate Factory and Botanical Cactus Gardens is a complex of an outlet for gourmet Mars-family-made chocolates, plus tours & a garden with 300+ species of cacti.

Ethel M Botanical Cactus Gardens is a 3-acre (1.2 ha) botanical garden located in Henderson, Nevada, which features various cacti and plants, like carnivorous plants and cacti. There is no entrance fee to the garden and the factory is open to the public.

In addition to the “Botanical Cactus Gardens,” there is also a demonstration waste water treatment facility that they refer to as a “Living Machine.” Recycling 100% of the chocolate factory’s wastewater without the use of any chemicals is possible thanks to the use of bacteria, algae, protozoa, snails, and fish. The water is recycled to be used in the creation of fresh water for the garden’s use. A lot of the birds who inhabit the gardens in the area around the waste water facility reside in the ponds that the facility creates.

In September 1981, the garden opened. In the mid-1980s, the average number of visitors per day was between 300 and 400 people. The gardens are open to the public all year long and hold a variety of community events, including the lighting of the garden cacti each spring. The holiday lights show for the cactus garden is held during the months of November and December and is free to the general public.