Trekked all the way over from Kona and was disappointed with the experience. If you have a Costco Membership save yourself the time and buy your Mauna Loa nut products there, much cheaper. If not, venture on over to the visitor center. There's free parking and clean bathrooms, plus if you have children you could kill a couple of hours in the outside self guided tour. They also sell some simple lunches and ice cream with an outdoor seating area where you can watch an informational video. There's an employee giving out free samples of multiple types of the Mac nuts. I did learn that the Hawaiian Host brand is their sister company. read more

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Great place to try some free macadamia nuts! I didn't realize how many flavors of macadamia nuts were available. The staff was super friendly and generous on giving away samples. Nice tour of the factory, gift shop and small eating area. The back has a nice wildlife sanctuary. read more

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Everybody knows the infamous blue box of Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut. While this blue box might not be as expensive as Tiffany's, your recipient will be just as thrilled receiving this box. Mauna Loa is a premier Hawaiian brand famous for pairing dry-roasted macadamia nuts with rich chocolates. Founded in 1949 and based on the Big Island of Hawaii beneath its namesake volcano, the company is now owned by Hawaiian Host, Inc. Come here, buy some chocolates, do a tour, have some samples, and have fun. read more

Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut - Goodies. - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Keaau, Hawaii

Its A-OK. We came on a non-factory day; you can still walk up to the windows and peer inside, along with signage telling you about the process and history. Plenty of parking. We were offered free samples. a brochure that included a QR code for a discount; I didnt read the fine print that the discount only applies once you get back to the mainland, I made a purchase at local Longs and found out the hard way. The garden is lovely, some stuff, as usual, was blooming. Several plants had signs with the names. T shirts, plenty of nutty stuff to buy inside. I didnt find the pricing better than Longs/KTA so i didnt buy. Something to do while in Hilo....once. read more

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Of all our visits to Hilo, this was my favorite stop, as it met my expectations and needs for vacation travel. The shop is neatl and organized well with Hawaiian Host products also displayed. Rare types of Macadamia Nut products were also being sold, such as Ube flavored nuts and about 20percent off of some products. I was told these products come straight across the production line, so quality is the freshest. If you want to order online, you can do that from your home, as they do not ship from the visitor center. read more

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The three stars are accurate, in my opinion. Their products are good but overpriced. You can go to Costco and buy some of the things they have at a fraction of the price. What I'm disappointed is their service. In 2024, weeks came here and there was no customers in the visitor center. The young lady working was inattentive, unfriendly and was on her phone. We were here this year (2025). The visitor center was busy and there was an older lady working behind the counter. Sadly, the same thing happened. I stood at the counter and she realized I wanted to pay for the items because she didn't say anything to me for almost a minute. I'm not sure who does the training for customer service but they are do need to engage with their customers more. I did notice that the lady was more friendly when the customer looked like they were from the mainland other than an island person (though I'm from the mainland). Maybe it's just me. It's a good place to visit to know the macadamia nut gets from the tree to the market. Hopefully; you'll get better customer service. read more

Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Keaau, Hawaii

So close to Hilo making it a convenient stop before heading home. I like that it's a self-paced tour. Kama'aina rates apply at 10% of purchase. They serve lunch boxes that come with a drink for $15, but we had punch before getting here. But we don't have ice cream. A nice covered patio to dine and watch the short educational video. Nice clean place to shop and they have Mana Up with local concession. The nature walk had star fruit tree with plenty of rip fruit. We asked a staff member if it was ok to pick the fruit and she went back into the facility and got us the fruit picker. No extra charge and even gave us a bag. We went on a weekday and so it wasn't busy when we were got there but then the tour buses came. It's a big facility and so we really didn't notice anyone around us. Nice factory across the store and so you're able to watch the making of. Candies but there was no one there. Machines were working though. Oh, and it's all free. read more

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Not very good reviews but I enjoyed this place with no high expectations. They have a nice variety of macadamia nuts, wide variety of chocolate covered, coffee and ice cream, a sandwich vendor. A small nature walk with various fruit trees and plants. I really enjoyed spending 35-40 minutes here. Certain days you can see the workers working in the factory. Can buy most of the standard flavors items from Walmart and Costco for cheaper but some flavors only here. read more

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Came to the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut store on a day of hitting all the local treasures. They had all their product, along with a little nature walk outside and informational video. I wanted a little of everything, but stuck with the honey roasted macadamia nut bag and so good; also got their seasonal ice cream and it was great/ mango lilikoi vanilla. The road to the factory was just acres of macadamia trees. Sooo many trees and full of nuts ready to be cracked! Quick visit and kind of worth it if you are a fan of macadamia nuts! The gal at checkout offered samples and was helpful guiding us to what we were looking for. read more

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Overpriced store with limited offerings and very unpleasant staff. Signage is a bit lacking at visitor center store and upon arriving a worker there exited the main office. I walked up to the door looking for my family that had preceded me and I didnt see them through the door window. The employee that had just exited told me to ring the doorbell so I did. Then the employee rang the doorbell after a moment also. After looking around further I saw the visitor center sign painted on the side of the building down from the main office. A lady with a dark tan and bad die job poked her head around the corner from inside and I waved her off indicating I was walking down to the next door. After entering the store the Karen with the bad dye job came into the store and confronted with a very nasty dispositio. She said "Was there a reason you were ringing the doorbell so furiouy?". I replied "Ma'am I wasn't ringing the bell furiously.". She interrupted as I was explaining and insisted that I rang the door multiple times repeating "in a furious manner." I then explained to her that I rang it one time after being instructed to do so by her employee and further informed her that the employee was the one who rang the doorbell thereafter. Rather than accepting my explanation and her own misunderstanding in the matter she continued with the nasty disposition and snarky said "Well this is the visitor store, welcome to the visitor store.". I was through with her and her overpriced store at that point and simply left without perusing her store further. For the record, I also discovered that a large portion of the macadamia nuts the sell are sourced from over seas and are not locally grown. Nasty employees and a misleading product. read more

Rude girls working there acted like I was a bother when I asked to try a sample from the sample bar. She rolled her eyes and said, "Which ONE do you want?" No explanation, no friendly engagement, just stared at me for a good 10 seconds before asking. I left without buying anything. The grass out back on the nature walk was so tall and overgrown that we didn't bother with that either. It was a Tuesday and nothing was going on. Too bad. You can buy these nuts anywhere so don't bother making the trek there. read more

While there are a lot of positive things to be said about the products, there is no human factor in visiting this automated center. The production process is a video that is on repeat. There are placards at the entrance, almost to avoid staff answering the same questions. You do get to sample products. Skip the ice cream, (no samples) unless you are used to non-dairy ice cream consistency. Also nothing to see in the "production window" across the visitor center. I'd not make the trip unless you are already in Hilo. read more

Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Keaau, Hawaii

Didn't have high expectations for this spot, knowing in advance it was a tourist trap. I was pleasantly surprised by how peaceful the garden space was and the staff was super sweet/thoughtful. The Mac nut products were definitely pricey but worth while because they were all tasty. Ice cream was decent here and had a good selection, no other food is served here as suggested by past reviews. read more

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A classic Hawaiian tourist processing center. The mac nuts are good and do have some heath benefits, except when you get into the chocolate covered ones. Don't miss the samples they hand out and the good value variety packs. The frozen goods in the cooler (ice cream pints, popsicles) can be avoided. Grab a sticker for your computer or water bottle for $2.99 on the way out (why not?) Enjoy a 2 1/2 min movie about the processing on the back porch. There's also a short nature walk around the grounds if you want. read more

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The had only one person working and she didn't seem like a happy camper. They have a variety of nuts and If you buy 5 hour get 5.00. There isn't a tour, just a self guided find the trees. No thanks. read more

Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Keaau, Hawaii

We had such a nice visit here. Yes i wish there was more to do, but thats okay. We sampled some Mauna Loa and Hawaiian Host Macadamia Nuts, very delicious. The staff here is very nice and welcoming. My family and i enjoyed our trip to their factory. If you like Macadamia Nuts make sure to stop by read more

Walking the farm and getting the product straight from the source is pretty cool. It's pretty awesome to watch the workers in the assembly line hand pick the nuts to ensure quality. This stop is a must whenever visiting the island. read more

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This place is cute but it definitely not the attraction it used to be. The packaging area was closed on the weekend and nothing was going on in the factory. The staff was kind and there is a Photo Booth which was fun. They do give you 3 macadamia nuts to try. There's also a nature walk outside and the staff told us we could take home the ripe star fruit that was delicious and ready to eat. read more

Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut - Inside - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Keaau, Hawaii

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While in Hilo, I read about this factory and was expecting I can have a tour. Unfortunately, all I had closest to a tour is reading posters around the plant area. Interesting still, but the plant is closed already around 3ish. Windows allow visitors to peep in. The Visitor Center though was open and there's a Nature Walk outside. It's a huge garden with many trees of different species but not a single macadamia tree. Also. A video continuously plays how they process the macadamia nuts. To see the trees, it's on a long drive into the company, acres and acres of macadamia trees. It's nice to be able to sample all flavors of macadamia nuts. There's also ice cream which I expected nuts in them but my Strawberry Guava flavored ice cream had none. read more

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The 3 mile drive through the macadamia nut groves is interesting. There are several buildings including a visitors center after the groves. The visitors center is open and carry's a wide variety of nuts, candies and Macademia nut themed articles. There is also a room of other Hawaii produced products for purchase. The prices are pretty high in my opinion. One of the most interesting things is a self guided tour of the Macademia Nut factory. We were there on a Sunday, so production was closed, but you could get the idea of the operation from posters. There are nice restroom facilities in the visitors center. Parking lot holds about 30 cars. read more

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This is the cheapest place to purchase Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut products probably anywhere in the world. However, not all bags are priced equally. Check the value of your purchase by taking the price and dividing by the number of ounces in the bag. Using that method, the cheapest option is buying the 8 oz bags. The tiny sample packs at 0.6 oz each are the next best value, and just ignore the 4 oz cups that have a "deal" on buying three - they're the most expensive. Samples are given freely here and it's free to visit and park. read more

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I purchased a 4 ounce can of dry roasted macadamia nuts which ended up being stale upon returning to the main land. The plastic can's are sealed with foil, instead of the metal cans that had a snap up lid previously. I communicated with the company via email. The company refused to offer a refund or replacement, so watch out about purchasing their products. read more

Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut - Can of Nuts - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Keaau, Hawaii

Could be so much better and touristy. I don't know why this company doesn't ramp up visitor space. The hostesses seem like they would rather be anywhere in the world but here. But the road on the way in highlights the gorgeous macadamia nut trees and the visitor center sells every kind of macadamia nut you could want. The kids got Rocky Road ice cream while we forced them to endure the macadamia nut processing video. It really was cheesy but fun and we learned a little about the process. Like others have said, don't go out of your way to check this place out but if on your way to the volcano it's a fun snack stop. read more

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If you're looking for something to do for a little bit (like 15 minutes tops). I wouldn't go out of my way to come here, but it's still pretty neat to see. The drive through the trees was the best part. Lots of sweet treats to buy and samples. read more

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There really isn't much of a reason to stop here. It's a store next to the factory, but the prices aren't any less than if you bought Mauna Loa nuts elsewhere- and they're all over Hawaii. We got one sample. There wasn't ice cream or anything else available like previous reviews have said. It appeared that part of the store was shuttered and empty. Also sad the Macadamia Nut photo op was gone. I asked about it and they said he didn't survive covid. Quick stop - less than 30 minutes and would not drive out of the way for it. read more

Here it is !! Mauna Loa's Macadamia Nut Headquarters. Easy to find only 6 miles East of Hilo on the Volcano's National Park highway. You drive a few miles through the groves & it ends at the visitor center. All kinds of free samples, beverages, theme clothing to key chains & refrigerator magnets. If you find yourself in Hilo, Hawaii, don't miss great experience read more

Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut - Visitor center !! - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Keaau, Hawaii

I love macadamias so of course I had to visit. Although I did end up spending over $150 there. So many flavors of macadamias, both alone and covered with different chocolates. Even white chocolate and matcha ones. I know right? Any how they give you some free samples which got me looked on the Maui onion and BBQ flavors. There is a Photo Booth that you can take pictures and send to yourself. Also there is a nice garden to enjoy macadamia trees and many other flowers and plants. I really had a good time there. We saw some Mac nuts and their flower on the tree so I thought it was pretty cool. Oh did I mention the ice cream you can purchase to enjoy out in the garden???? Stop by. You won't regret it. (But your wallet might cuz it's hard to resist) read more

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The shop is a little small and the items were very limited. They give you a sample of about 10 different flavors when you walk in. Then the hostess tells a little story about the macadamia nut process and they direct you to a tree outside in their botanical garden and dare you to crack it, wow they are hard. The ice cream shop was closed and they were sold out on a lot. But it's a great spot to stop on your way to hilo from Kona and stretch your legs. read more

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This place is great. We just went to the visitor center as my parents live in Hawaii and have been a bunch. We tasted samples of different kinds and walked around to see other products. They had some icecream by the pint and some other beauty products. It was very clean and the displays were simple and showed off the product. The woman helping us was very kind and she used some jokes as well. Can't wait to go back! read more

Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut - Chocolate Mac nuts to bring home! - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Keaau, Hawaii

This place isn't going to take you long to see, but it is free (they have a gift shop, but samples are free). You can also go to the factory and see the boxing and jarring in progress. I think it would be more fun to see the actual processing of the macadamia nuts, but they do have large signage that go over the history of the company and the process. They also have a self guided nature walk, but they don't have labels on the trees, just QR codes - which is fine EXCEPT they don't have wifi and I had no signal way out there, so it is just a stroll in grass looking at random trees. It was a nice diversion in the Hilo area. I would say it is worth the trip! You do get a nice drive through the macadamia nut trees. read more

Nice free activity to do on the big island. It was hot and humid and the store was nicely AC! Which we love. Learned a lot about macadamia nuts! We purchased a lot of nuts!!! The Toffee one is our favorite. We also enjoyed the nature walk and picked a few star fruits off the tree and ate them. Fresh fruits right off the tree is always refreshing and delicious! read more

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Cool place to stop and try the macadamia nut candy. The gift shop is fun and they sell all types of macadamia nuts flavors. The prices are often better at Target. The drive into the visitors area is awesome as you pass thousands of Macadamia Nut trees. There is a self guided tour of the factory where you get to see the workers packing up the chocolates. Unfortunately, no free tasting and they no longer have ice cream to purchase. Customer service is really good and the place is bright and organized. Lots of boards with good information about the history of the company. Overall glad I stopped, nice experience. read more

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Try and visit during the week. Unfortunately we came on a Sunday, so we couldn't see the packaging in action. Not only do they have all the mac flavors, they also feature local artisans and small businesses. Great place to buy some souvenirs and gifts. They have a little photo booth set up too. read more

While I haven't been to the factory in Hilo, I've eaten my fair share of macadamia nuts from Mauna Loa. They sell a variety of dry roasted and chocolate-covered macadamia nuts in cans and pouches of different sizes. BRIEF HISTORY: Planting started in 1946 with its first harvest 10 years later. The company has changed hands over the years, once owned by C. Brewer & Co. (one a big Hawaii territory-based company), Hershey, and currently owned by Hawaiian Host. MY FAVORITES: Maui Onion & Garlic If you're on Maui, the best place to buy these are at Long's Drug in Maui Mall as the 10 ounce bags are always on sale for $9.99. These are dry roasted macadamia nuts coated in a heavenly, salty seasoning. Most of the nuts are halved but you get a whole piece once in a while. Sea Salt Simply seasoned with salt, you get the full flavor spectrum of the macadamia nut in this one. Honey Roasted I love honey roasted peanuts but for some reason don't enjoy them as much with mac nuts. The flavors are similar, a mix of sweet and savory and a bit sticky when chewing. Chocolate-Covered Unlike parent company Hawaiian Host, the Mauna Loa version are individually coated balls rather than larger clusters of chocolate. I prefer the latter as more chocolate is always better! TIPS: Costco Kahului sells a big tub of snack-sized 0.5 ounce pouches with a mixed variety of flavors. Raw macadamia nuts taste absolutely delish. If you ever get a chance to try some, I highly recommend it. OVERALL: The best choice for dry roasted macadamia nuts, period. read more

Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut - Maui Onion & Garlic - my fave! - VN - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Keaau, Hawaii

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This was an interesting experience. On the one hand you'll get to buy and try a ton of different flavored nuts but on the other hand you won't get much to see in terms of the plant. They discontinued the factory tour and now you have to walk along windows on a boardwalk outside of the plant to peek into the factory while reading signs about the processes they do. They have a nature walk that is basically a garden but I'd warn anyone that has trouble walking as it is all grass on uneven ground. The staff was friendly and the shop was sparse but still nice. I was a little disappointed. read more

Whether or not you have been to Hawaii before, you probably have come across chocolate covered macadamia nuts. After all, chocolate covered macadamia nuts are among the most popular gifts to bring back from Hawaii. They are affordable, tasty, and found in every gift shop and grocery store in Hawaii. There are a few different brands to choose from. Personally, I prefer Hawaiian Host's chocolates just because they have been the brand I have been gifted the most. However, Mauna Loa's products are made on the Big Island so they make a slightly more personal gift when visiting the Big Island. The factory and visitor center are located in Hilo. It is a short 3 mile drive from the entrance to the buildings. During that drive, enjoy looking at the macadamia orchards and reading some facts posted on the signs along the road. Parking is easy and is right outside the buildings. The visitor center is to the left, and the factory is to the right. I recommend visiting the factory first while your hands are still free from shopping bags. It is a very quick walk up and down the stairs and along the side of the building. The factory tour is basically looking through the windows and reading facts on the walls. The last few times I went to the factory, parts of the tour area were closed off. It is not much of a tour, but it is good enough since there are much more fun things to do in Hawaii than learning about macadamia nuts in depth. Outside the visitor center, you will see a giant inflatable can of macadamia nuts and the macadamia nut mascot. Enjoy the photo opportunities there. Inside the visitor center, you can sample all the different macadamia nut flavors. This is where Mauna Loa stands out from their competitors. There are 12 flavors. Some of the flavors are Maui onion & garlic, mango chipotle, honey sriracha, Kona coffee glaze, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate. Of course, there are the plain salted and unsalted ones too. These nuts are sold in little 5 ounce cans or in the bigger 10 ounce bags. Buy at least 5 of the bigger bags to get a free insulated bag. Aside from macadamia nut products, there are other gift items such as shirts, coffee, and also pearls. There is even an ice cream shop too. Cool off with some ice cream while watching the factory tour video, or go take a walk in the little garden. The items in the gift shop might not be the best deal. They might be cheaper in a grocery store or at Costco depending on the sales going on, but the stuff at the visitor center are priced within reason. You can find Mauna Loa products anywhere in Hawaii, but it is nice to be able to visit the factory and get their products at the source. read more

Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut - ice cream - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Keaau, Hawaii

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A fun place to stop and shop for macadamia nuts! I think this place has lower reviews because people are expecting a tour, but it really is a shop! They offer 10 different nut samples from sweet to savory. It was fun walking around and deciding which flavors to get. They weren't too busy when we stopped by, so we were able to take our time looking around. The ice cream section was closed, which was a bit disappointing but we stopped by at the local grocery store to try it and it was tasty and dairy free!! I now have a new go to ice cream to buy at the stores. read more

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I was hoping to catch the factory tour, but no such luck. I did come and do the visitor center where you can walk about and view the garden they have on campus. I also shopped around their visitor center. When you walk in you are greeted by a friendly faced staff member whom offers you samples of the macadamia nuts. Walking round the shop you can see and buy local venders that have partnered with Mauna Loa Mac nut center- from mushroom chocolate to local honey you can get all your shopping done here. I will say that when I went they had the strawberry white chocolate covered macadamia nuts that were nearly sold out and they pretty much ruined my life because I have never tasted anything better. It was easily a sweet treat for the remainder of my trip and I am certain that I bought out the last few packs they had (partnered with Hawaiian Host). Joey I think was the name of the staff member and she was fabulous! The garden is incredible. And I walked away with yummy treats for all of my family. read more

Saw this on the map when we were headed out back to Kona on our trip. Absolutely had to stop in and check it out. I thought it was going to be right off the main highway but it's definitely a little further back. Was worth the drive back as the Mac nut snacks are so so good here! Be warned that there are flavors for everyone's flavor palate so if you dare stop in....theres most certainly something for everyone here. They girls here were so nice and explained the visitor center when we walked in as well as offered free samples of some of the popular flavors. Plenty of local items to choose from in the back section as well. read more

Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Keaau, Hawaii

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Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't. Actually, I always feel like having macadamia nuts! I'm nuts for these nuts! We stopped by the shop and were amazed by all the different flavors of macadamia nuts Mauna Loa had available. There are some tasty varieties you won't be able to find on the mainland so I stocked up on a few! I loved that you can have free samples of any of the flavors and the person giving out samples was very nice and friendly. The sriracha honey was one of my favorites and I liked that they offered other varieties such as cookies and cream, mango chipotle as well as Kona coffee glazed. They also have unsalted macadamia nuts for a good price too if you buy a multi-can set. If getting macadamia nuts at a macadamia nut factory isn't your thing, have no fear! They also sell general Hawaii gift shop items and there's a jewelry area. I did get a bit annoyed that I bought a bag, thinking it was a good deal, only to find out they were selling it cheaper when we went to the local Foodland in Haleiwa a few days later! Go figure. read more

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