It was fun to see the factory, and very nice to sample the different variety of nuts. Just seems like a little remodel for the store might be good to update the overall experience. Also as I read on Yelp, the prices are lower at Walmart, so it definitely would be nice if they could at least match the prices at the factory store. read more

While I love Mauna Loa Macadamias, it's not worth the time/effort to go by the factory when on the Big Island. Self-guided tour lasts about ten minutes and you don't really see much of anything. Only plus was the free samples and the ice cream in their cafe (which isn't free). read more

The 'self guided tour' was pitiful but they do give out free mac but samples so it wasn't totally awful. You can buy the mac nuts almost anywhere on the island, so it's not really worth going out of your way to visit the factory read more

Since you're probably in Hawaii as a tourist and like us don't get a chance to have macadamia's often, the Mauna Loa factory is worth a visit, but don't expect a great guided tour - this is self-guided and free, you watch workers processing the product from outside the factory from an outside balcony through windows up high, but there's a cool gift shop where you can buy all the different varieties. Seeing all the trees in the orchard and their machinery for collecting the nuts is a plus too. read more

What's the final stop before the tour guide drops us off at the airport, the nuthouse! As we head towards it, both sides of the road are filled with mac nut trees. Just looking at that, made me think of the thousands of workers/immigrants who pick the nuts off the ground to become processed and packaged for me to buy. The first thing we smell as we arrive is nuts and most likely honey--makes you hungry for them. A self guided tour of the processing and packaging of the nuts is across the store. We get an overhead view of the the workers diligently working. Back at the store there are sample of all flavors of nuts. I love their milk chocolate coconut. The prices are exactly what you pay for at ABC/Whaler stores. Supposedly you get the satisfaction of pure freshly made ones here. If you are planning on just buying mauna loa nuts you can save yourself the trip here and just buy them at ABC/Whaler--nothing really spectacular to see here. read more

It's exciting to see how the magic happens behind the Mauna Loa nut! There are free tastings, a gift shop, and a self-guided tour of the factory. It's a good place to go if you want to kill some time before dinner. However, don't make this place your top priority if you're in Hilo. Sadly, you can get the same items at Long's for cheaper. read more

There isn't much to the tour but they do have ample samples of their macadamia nuts and you know how expensive those are! Bought several cans here for friends and families and they have all their products in a one-stop shopping store. :) read more

If you happen to be in the area and have 10 minutes to kill, this is definitely not a bad place to stop. There isn't much to see, but they have a small gift shop with all kinds of mac nut varieties and goodies. They offer a tasting of a few different flavors- our fave was the honey roasted. They have a self-guided tour- you walk along the outside of the factory and play a few videos to explain the process. Definitely interesting info, and tasty treats. read more

A must see when in Hilo for sure! Had fun sampling new flavors, taking pictures, bought different snacks for gifts and of course to take home. read more

mmmmmmm, this place is ok. It's cool to see a mac nut vineyard and to see the factory where they make all the good stuff. But the tv/self-guided tour is kind of tacky and needs updating. Also, the store itself is not so great. There are some samples but not enough. And for the samples that were out, I saw some bugs crawling near them. I went outside and ordered mac nut ice cream and the server's (or someone elses) hair was in the ice cream. Oogie, for real. Anyway, this place is somewhat neat to see but I'd be hesitant to eat from the store. read more

This could be so much better. As a huge producer of quality macadamia nut products I expected a tour that included more information on the history of the company and details regarding how the nuts are processed. Instead there was a "self-guided" tour which amounted to going up a set of stairs and looking through a few windows at some workers. There was no explanation about what they or the machines were doing. The video feeds that reportedly have more information about the macadamia nut production were not working. On the lower level there were a few posters on the wall beside the windows that talked a bit about the history of the company with some examples of what the product packaging looked like over the years. I have been on self-guided tours before which were incredibly informative and well done. This was most certainly not one of them. I wanted to learn about the farm operation and production but I walked away feeling like this was a wasted trip. The gift shop was stocked with a great deal of product, some of which you can purchase at Costco in Kona for much cheaper. My understanding is that some product is only available at the Mauna Loa store. It was nice to try the eleven different macadamia nut seasonings with samples before making a decision on what to purchase. Thankfully I paid attention to the shelf list price of each product I purchased as I was over-charged by $12.00 for one of my items. Unfortunately I did not realize there was reportedly an amazing ice cream place just behind the visitor centre until I got home and started reading the reviews :( read more

Cool to see the macadamia nut trees along the road leading up to the factory because I'd never seen them before. The self-guided tour was not very impressive and one of the video kiosks on the tour did not launch into the video when we hit the language button. The videos that did work were nothing special. The store had a wide selection, but the prices were high. It would have been nice if they were not so stingy with their nut samples. Seriously, there were three ladies at the same counter and they seemed more interested in talking to one another than greeting and offering samples. read more

The best place about this factory/store is the free samples and the fact that you can buy everything Macadamia nut here. The geek in me was really looking forward to the factory tour but it turned out to be a lame "self-guided" tour that consisted of looking down at the factory floor through some windows. Booo! Don't mess with me like that Macadamia Nut Factory! To make my disappointment worse, nothing was going on in the factory during our visit except some guys sweeping the floor. Boring! read more

There wasn't much to do or see here. We got free samples which was cool, the self guided tour was outdoors and hot and you got to see inside the factory which was nice but that was all they had it was only like two walkways. I wouldn't make a special trip here just to see this. read more

Wow, they could do SO MUCH BETTER! This place really hypes itself up, all the way down the 3 mile drive from the main road to the factory, "free samples!!" When you get there, however, there is a small table with a hawk-eyed worker (who looks very weary and unfriendly btw) who keeps track of the one or 2 mac nuts you manage to taste and believe me you are scared to try any more as she breathes down your neck. The prices are not competitive with those at costco (the mainland is the best price for the salted plain nuts as anticlimactical is that sounds), walmart, or kmart. the only things that I found special were the unsalted nuts (you can use these for baking, etc) which come in a powder or broken pieces which were 5.99 and 7.99 respectively. that's it. all the others you can find somewhere else. THis really felt like the big factory, the people who work here are merely peons with no intentions or incentives to make you feel loved. so un-hawaiian! I would instead steer you towards the Hamakua Plantations which gave a personalized 1:1 tour (seriously!), unlimited tastings of 10 different types of flavored mac nuts (the ladies there asked--would you like a cup to fill up with samples?), popcorns, brittle and chocolate covered mac nuts. OMG it was like heaven after hell...not to mention Hamakua gets their nuts from small independent farmers who grow sustainably, just some frosting to an already amazing place. I chose to plunk down my cash there. read more

This is probably my last visit here. I used to live in Hilo when the experience was much nicer. I guess since they were bought out the bottom line is more portent than quality. Prices are decent although can find better prices elsewhere. It really is all about spending here as the self guided tour isn't anything to write home about. We indulged in mac nut ice cream only to realize they use an inferior ice cream to add the nuts to. We have had much much better mac nut ice cream on the mainland. It should be of the highest quality since Mac nuts are their business. read more

I was excited to go on a tour of the factory, but it sure wasn't what I expected. This is mainly a gift shop setup. The gift shop is nice, big and has an awesome selection of goodies but the "tour" just consists of about a 1-2 minute self guided walk on the outside of the bulding looking through some windows. There was a point where were my wife asked, "Where does the tour start?", followed by me saying... "Honey, that was the tour we just walked by." We had a good laugh about it. read more

Unlike some other folks, I was NOT disappointed. Then again, I was a tourist. Mom and pop places are probably much better, but we didn't know of any and I don't recall seeing any signs. The samples are great - they'll give you a sample of any flavor. I like chocolate toffee and honey roasted. Not a big fan of wasabi/teriyaki or onion/garlic. Just plain roasted is always delicious, too. We bought a lot - they've made wonderful gifts for friends, family and coworkers. Even if they're pricey, they have all the gift-type packages you could want. We also got some coconut mac nut ice cream from the little cafe out back - it was very tasty and I'd highly recommend it. While you're back there, check out their little garden if you're not in a hurry. And if you're taking time to visit a nut factory, I can't imagine you're in a hurry. The factory tour is simple, but very well done. You walk up to a 2nd floor overlook and press a button to start a video in the language of your choice. Since I previously knew nothing about macadamia nuts (other than they're tasty and expensive) I found the videos very educational, and they're very well produced, too. We were pretty bummed that the 3rd video wasn't working for some reason. And to some of the naysayers - what did you expect from a self-guided factory tour? That you'd get to go inside and walk around or something? Please. read more

This is a tourist trap but we knew that ahead of time. We were short on time so we didn't go on the tour. But we browsed the gift shop and sampled the many different products. We already had our stash of Island Princess Macadamia Nuts from Costco ($13.79 for 1.25 lbs of salted and also for honey roasted, plus we got another $2.25 off per bag because they were both on coupon special). We bought Island Princess and Mauna Loa last year and they are both equally delicious. After tasting the different products, we bought several bags of Maui Onion and Garlic Macadamia Nuts, $10.39 for 11 oz. It is pricey compared to the nuts we bought at Costco but it is delicious and different. I can't remember the prices but I did look at the Mauna Loa flavored macadamia nuts at Safeway and Longs Drugs. Both places were more expensive than the Mauna Loa Gift Shop. If you have time, this is a great place to stop for unique flavors of macadamia nuts. read more

fun! not sure why this was rated low. Got to sample any of their nuts. Fav was the chocolate coconut. Ice cream was good. next time I'll try the coconut and vanilla. Nature walk was nice. read more

Yeah, it's for tourists, but when I come to Hawaii, that's what I am!!! I love macadamia nuts so why not get samples and buy stuff to bring back home at the same time. read more

LAME! The only redeeming quality was the Mac nut ice cream...which was served by a horribly rude young woman that seemed annoyed to have customers..she would have rather sat there chatting with another employee doing nothing...I expected a LOT more...this was pathetic at best...super run down...I think someone else said it...if they would only try, even a little...I'd like to have the hour of my life back that I wasted walking their grounds... read more

I can't believe how many people are throwing their money at this place. Their nuts were way too expensive. I thought they would be cheaper due to straight out of their factory, however, it's the opposite. This place targets tourists from cruises. You can get the same thing at Target for less the cost. Their self tour was horrible. The windows were all fogged up and can't see the factory. Even if you can see inside, no one was working. I won't tell you to skip this because it's part of Big Island, however, try not to waste your money on their nuts. read more

Being that this is a world famous brand and that it is owned by Hershey, one would expect something of substance. Not the case. This was the chamber of farts. We went on a Saturday. Apparently the factory isn't operational on Saturdays. That would have been helpful to know. That factory tour is only looking through a few windows into the assembly line with tv videos. Half of the tvs didnt work even! The gift shop was open. The ladies were very nice. There is not much you can't get anywhere else. The 3 mile tour of the farms is the drive way leading to the factory and there are 'no stopping, standing or parking' signs on the road. So much for that. Just save your time and tour elsewhere. Wish we hadn't wasted the time. read more

I was here two years ago and got addicted to the milk chocolate covered macadamia nuts! Luckily they are sold at CVS on the main land. Now I am back in Hawaii and I can't wait to go back to the factory read more

I thought this was fine. Some of the tv's weren't working so we didn't get the information. The lady passing out the samples was deep in conversation with someone and seemed really bothered that we were trying more then one flavor. I wouldn't really recommend it. read more

5 stars because I love macadamia nuts, 1 star because of inflated pricing, not much cheaper than the mainland grocery store. These nuts grow like weeds on all those trees you see driving down Macadamia but road. Total score-3 stars read more

We were so excited to go here. We love their stuff. DO NOT GO ON SATURDAY, the gift shop is open but the factory, cookie, and ice cream shops are closed. We were super disappointed. The tour is self guided, looking through windows and watching videos ( 2 of 4 tv's didn't work). It looks like it would be great to see. No where does it say the factory is closed on the weekends. They did have a tasting table set up and lots of gift options, but again we were SUPER disappointed to not see the production or try the ice cream. read more

Really like this place. I have been there so many times with my children and family members/friends who were visiting. It smells heavenly, love the macnuts orchard and all the delicious treats they make. read more

I don't know if it's because we came later (4pm) or if it's not as lively as it used to be... But the chocolate viewing area was scarce and the macadamia packaging area was a little on the lite staffed side. Either way I wish the tour were a bit more interactive. It is a self guided tour where you go up a stairs, look through glass at workers down below, then go down another stairs and same thing in another building and that's it. A couple Tvs to tell you what goes on but I don't remember it being that brief when I was younger. As far as the visitor center, there's lots for tourists to buy but since we have easy access to most of those items we passed. We did make it a point to grab some ice cream. Very yummy and worth the 3.50! Given the chance, I wouldn't visit again but that's probably mainly because I'm still pretty much a "local". It was nice to just bring out kids for the first time and say we came. read more

They do not stand by their claim on the back of their packaging that if you are not satisfied with the freshness of the product they will replace it. I spoke to them twice in 2 months, after the large bag my friend bought me back from Hawaii had stale and bitter nuts in them. If they don't want to stand behind their product, they should not have the disclaimer on the package that guarantees the freshness of the product. read more

Wow. You can get almost anything here made out the macadamia nuts and they have the finest ice cream ever made!! The macadamia coconut ice cream is the best tasting ice cream ever because it isn't so sweet, yet you can really taste the coconut and most importantly the macadamia nuts. SUPERB!!! It is a must try on a cone. read more

I want to give this place more than 3 but I can't. The shop is nice and you can get free samples plus there is a sweet little cafe with fantastic ice cream. But the self guided tour is all outside and viewed through the windows with tv screens showing the same video that is playing in the shop. So if they aren't doing an work in the factory, you aren't going to see anything even a little interesting unless you didn't watch the video in the shop or cafe. Otherwise, there is a huge array of macadamia but goodies to choose from and free samples are always a very good thing. read more

The factory "tour" is a 5 minute walk by some windows they put up. Stop by if you want some macadamia nuts, but not really worth driving out of your way to visit. read more

The gift shop and information video (shown regularly in an outdoor café area behind the gift shop) were both excellent, but surprisingly, there was no factory tour -- a sign for a tour was there, but it was apparently closed for cleaning during my visit. The lack of a tour is why I'm only giving it two stars. You could watch a little activity, though, looking in the windows of the "Cookie Kitchen," a small building just outside the gift shop. The gift shop has a wide range of macadamia nuts goods, including plentiful samples, and also has a range of things in general from Hawaiian store chains or simply representative of the state. The staff is friendly and patient. read more

Ok but not great...prices are similar as to what you pay other places so don't go out of your way to visit. Staff were almost frustrated to have to deal with you. read more

We visited the plantation at the beginning of August. The crop was almost ready for harvest. So unfortunately the production line was not in operation. We sampled some Mac nuts and walked around the store. The selection and price was about the same as the Walmart but we assumed that the merchandise was fresher at Mauna Loa store. All in all a good stop for a break after visiting the volcanoes park. Sad that the production line was not running. read more

This is only worth visiting if you're after some specialty product you can't find anywhere else on the island. Even though it didn't take long to get there, it wasn't worth the effort. read more

Love this place, plenty of samples and there prices are pretty comparable with the other stores. It was so nice we went twice. The sample lady was really nice, and let us try all the flavors. read more

This was a highlight of the day for most of my group only because we like shopping and free samples. We did buy a lot nuts; the bags that we saw elsewhere were about 60 cents cheaper here at the plant, so we stocked up. The staff, however, were less than helpful. When I looked outside, I saw a sign labeled "Nature Walk". I walked up to two staff members, who were in the middle of conversation, literally stood there for a full minute before finally apologizing and interrupting their conversation so I could ask my question. "So, we're here for the first time, and we're not sure what to do. What can we do?" "There's samples." "Okay...and...the tour?" "Is self-guided." He didn't even mention the fact that it was an outdoor self-guided tour as the production was halted for the week. We had to find that out later from other visitors. "And...the nature walk? How long does it take?" "It's up to you and your group." "Well, I figured, but is it like a hike? or does it connect to the tour? What is there to see? I just want to make sure it's not like 8 miles long or something." "No, it's not long at all." *silence* "Okay. Um. Thanks." They go back to their conversation immediately. The nature walk ended up being a very short walk around a small garden outside of the cafe adjacent to the building. There were some indigenous Hawaiian plants and trees. Most of them were labeled with simply their names, others were blank--I wish they had had more information on the garden. But it was pretty enough. Lots of bugs. We were getting a bit hungry, so we examined the cafe outside, which was mostly comprised of small sandwiches and salads--none of it looked appetizing. There were quite a few ice cream flavors and that was a nice treat. As assumed, the macadamia nut ice cream was tasty. The store itself had the basic varieties of the mauna loa nuts in various sizes and some gift bag and sets. Was kinda hoping for more exotic flavors that we could only get from that store, but no such luck. There was a small jewelry section for some reason. A very small selection of other random hawaiian treats and hawaiian themed soaps... Don't think we'd go again, but it was an interesting stop. read more