Honeyville Honey Factory & Meadery Tour — Durango, Colorado

Discover the Honeyville Honey Factory & Meadery Tour in Colorado

Explore the sweet world of bees, honey production, and handcrafted mead at Honeyville, a beloved Durango institution since 1918. Visitors get an up-close look at how raw Colorado honey is filtered, bottled, flavored, and transformed into gourmet products and small-batch meads.
Why it’s special:
Honeyville is one of Colorado’s only working honey-processing facilities open to the public—offering a rare look at beekeeping, honey extraction, mead making, and specialty honey foods all in one place.

History/Story of Honeyville

Honeyville began when the Culhane family started keeping bees in the Animas Valley over a century ago. What started as a small beekeeping operation has grown into a multi-generation honey business known for its whipped honeys, jams, syrups, and Colorado-made meads. Today, Honeyville remains family-owned and continues to use locally sourced honey from mountain apiaries.

What You’ll See & Do at Honeyville

• Watch honey being filtered, heated, and bottled in the factory viewing area

• Learn how bees collect nectar and how hives are managed throughout Colorado

• See how specialty products—whipped honey, jams, syrups, and BBQ sauces—are made

• Visit the meadery to learn how honey is fermented into wine-like beverages

• Sample honey varieties and mead flavors in the tasting room

• Explore the retail store overflowing with honey products and Colorado-made gifts

Hands-On Elements: Honey tasting samples, sensory comparisons, mead-tasting flights, raw honeycomb displays.
Photo/Video Policy: Photos permitted in the retail and viewing areas; no flash near glass tanks.
Souvenirs & Extras: Whipped honey, jams, syrups, honeystix, candles, mead bottles, gift baskets, apparel.

Pricing of the Honeyville Factory & Meadery Tour

• General Honey Factory Tour: Free

• Mead Tasting Flight: $8–$12 depending on selection

• Special events / seasonal tastings: Pricing varies

Practical Info for Visiting Honeyville

Duration: 20–40 minutes
Format: Self-guided viewing + staff-led tastings
Schedule & Seasonality: Open year-round; tastings offered daily
Working Hours: Typically 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
Audience: Families, food lovers, mead fans, students, tourists
Accessibility: Fully accessible; indoor facility
Safety & Restrictions:

• No pets inside due to food safety rules

• Children should stay near adults in tasting areas
  Languages: English
  Group & School Visits: Groups welcome with advance notice
  What to Bring/Wear: Comfortable clothing; tasting ID for mead
  Facilities: Tasting room, shop, restrooms, parking
  Closures & Downtime: Bottling may not run every day; production varies by season

Nearby

• Animas River Trail

• Downtown Durango

• Hermosa Creek Wilderness

• Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

FAQs About Visiting Honeyville

Do they keep live bees on-site?
Honeyville processes honey on-site but maintains their bee hives in local apiaries around the Durango area.

Can I taste different types of honey?
Yes—guests can sample whipped honeys, flavored honeys, and seasonal varietals.

Do they offer mead tastings?
Absolutely—Honeyville offers multiple mead flavors, from dry to sweet, in tasting flights.

Is the honey extraction process visible year-round?
Extraction depends on the season; bottling and filtration are more commonly visible.

Can kids participate in tastings?
Kids can sample honey products, but mead tastings require guests to be 21+.