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How to Tour a Big Island Macadamia Nut Factory

Are you looking for the best things to do in Waikoloa Hawaii? Keep scrolling to see how to tour the Hamakua Big Island Macadamia Nut Factory, which is a top Kona activity.

If you’re looking for things to do on the Big Island of Hawaii with kids, then this is one activity you won’t want to miss.

The Hamakua Macadamia Nut Factory is a hidden gem on the Big Island. Here, they offer free macadamia nut tastings, an informative video presentation, as well as show windows where you can see a working macadamia nut factory.

This is one of the coolest free things to do on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Plus, they have an incredible store with all kinds of macadamia nut products and even island-made ice cream!

You will be able to tour a real Big Island Macadamia Nut Factory just minutes from Waikoloa resorts! It doesn’t get much better than that!

Their prices are very reasonable so don’t forget about them when it comes time to go souvenir shopping either…you’ll be glad you did! Oh yeah…and there are always FREE samples too!!

Keep scrolling to read my full guide to visiting a Big Island macadamia nut factory in Hawaii!

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Hawaii Macadamia Nuts FAQs

Are macadamia nuts from Hawaii?

Nope. In fact, they are actually from Australia. The macadamia nut tree was brought to the Big Island in 1881 by William Purvis, a sugar cane plantation manager. Hawaii’s climate is perfect for growing the nut and Hawaii is currently the #3 macadamia nut producer in the world.

Who is the macadamia nut named after?

A scientist named John Macadam first classified the macadamia tree in the mid-1800s in Melbourne Australia.

Where does Hamakua Macadamia Nut Factory get all its nuts?

They work with more than 200 local Hawaii macadamia nut farms to get all the nuts they use in their products.

Where is the Hamakua Macadamia Nut Factory?

The Hamakua Macadamia Nut Factory is located about 50 minutes north of Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii. The address is 61-3251 Maluokalani St. Kawaihae, Hawaii 96743.

I recommend using GPS to find it as it’s tucked away from the highway. Their sign by the road is also pretty faded, so it’s easy to miss.

What’s the History Behind Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company?

The Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company was founded in 1993. They use 100% locally grown Hawaiian macadamia nuts in their products.

Image of a boy walking toward the camera with the Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company in the background.
Hamakua Macadamia Nut Factory in Hawaii. Photo credit: Marcie Cheung

This company is part of the Edmund C. Olson Trust II, which owns more than 1300 acres of macadamia nut farms. They have a focus on sustainability and conservation.

How to Visit this Big Island Macadamia Nut Factory

It’s pretty awesome that there’s a Hamakua Macadamia Nut Factory Visitor’s Center that is open to the public.

Free Hawaiian Macadamia Nuts Tasting

As soon as we entered, Danette warmly welcomed us and ushered us over to the macadamia nut tasting area. We got to try SO many yummy flavors like buttered rum, soy sauce, pumpkin pie, and more.

Image of a woman wearing a floral apron putting macadamia nuts in little containers for a Hawaiian macadamia nut tasting.
Free tasting of Hawaiian macadamia nuts. Photo credit: Marcie Cheung

She put each nut into a little cup so it was easy for us to taste them. My 5-year-old loved the seasonal flavors (specifically the pumpkin pie one). I preferred the chili peppah ones because they had a little kick!

How to Crack a Macadamia Nut Activity

Right near the entrance, there are a couple of metal nutcrackers where people can try to crack their own macadamia nuts. It’s a fun activity and my 5-year-old was able to do this easily.

Image of a boy cracking macadamia nuts using a tool.
Learn how to crack open a macadamia nut. Photo credit: Marcie Cheung

Just remember not to actually eat the nuts. It’s a liability issue.

Self-Guided Hamakua Macadamia Nut Factory Tour

One of the highlights of visiting the Hamakua Macadamia Factory is getting to see the process of getting the products out on shelves. They have large showroom windows with labels so you know what step of the process they are working on.

Image of a boy looking through a window at workers putting labels on macadamia nut cans.
Watching workers put labels on macadamia nut cans. Photo credit: Marcie Cheung

When we were there, they were adding labels to the cans of Hawaii macadamia nuts as well as the lids. My son watched this for about 10 minutes. The workers were so friendly and kept showing him exactly what they were doing.

Hamakua Macadamia Nut Farm Video

After you watch the workers in the assembly line, you can sit down for a few moments and watch an informative video that shows the Hamakua Mac Nut farm.

Image of a boy watching a video of macadamia nut farming.
Watching a video about macadamia nuts in Hawaii. Photo credit: Marcie Cheung

The video is a little outdated, but the information is all really great and we learned a LOT about macadamia nuts and how to tell if it’s ready to eat.

Hamakua Gift Shop

They have a really impressive gift shop filled with their own Hamakua macadamia nut items as well as other local Big Island products.

Image of the interior of a macadamia nut factory gift shop featuring shelves of mac nut products.
Hamakua Gift Shop. Photo credit: Marcie Cheung

This is a great place to stock up on Big Island souvenirs to bring home to friends or family. We ended up buying extra Hawaiian nuts just to have on hand for the holiday season.

Hamakua Macadamia Nut Farm Wrap Up

We thought the Hamakua Macadamia Nut Factory was a really fun stop on our drive around the Big Island of Hawaii. It’s a pretty short drive from Waikoloa.

If you’re heading back to Kona with kids, take the road leading up to Waimea. They have a really awesome playground where kids can get some wiggles out. Plus, the weather is much cooler up there if you need a break from the heat.

Looking for more things to do near Kona Hawaii? Find out how to swim with dolphins in Kona, Aloha Adventure Farm ATV tour review, Hawaii Keiki Museum review, Voyagers of the Pacific Luau review, and how to visit the Painted Church in Hawaii.