VISIT US
Visit El Reloj, the Last-Operating Cigar Factory
in the “Cigar City” of Tampa, Florida
- Explore our three-level cigar museum
- Watch old cigar films in our interactive theater
- See cigars hand rolled in our rolling room
- Browse our curated selection of cigars and gifts in our factory store
- Take a 75-minute guided factory tour
- Attend a hand-rolling class run by our Master Rollers
When it was built in 1910, El Reloj was considered to be the largest and finest cigar factory in the world. Of Tampa’s 150 cigar factories, El Reloj is the last one still operating. El Reloj is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Ybor City National Historic Landmark District.
Visiting El Reloj today is like walking back in time. Inside its iconic red brick exterior, the Newman family rolls cigars in El Reloj just like they have been doing for more than a century using traditional handcrafted techniques and antique, hand-operated machines.
El Reloj is open to the public on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., although visitors are strongly encouraged to arrive before 3:00 p.m. when cigar rolling stops. Visiting J.C. Newman’s cigar museum, theater, rolling room, and factory store is free. Guided factory tours are available via the link below for charge of $15 per adult and $12 per person for seniors, students, and veterans.
This tour is available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 9:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m and on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. Due to cigar production and Covid-19 these are the only times we can accommodate tours. To ensure your desired tour time is available, please pre-book your tour below.
Overtime Tours
Periodically, we run production overtime to catch up on cigar orders for our customers. On these days, it affords us the rare opportunity to offer factory tours on a Saturday! While our tour still includes a stop on the Handrolling Floor with a detailed description of the processes taking place there, please note, no hand rollers will be present for this tour. Due to the limited staffing in the production areas, we have lowered the ticket price from $15/person to $10.
*IMPORTANT NOTE: Overtime tours follow the same path as our standard weekday tours but only some production areas will be staffed, depending on our current needs. The rollers operating our antique, hand-operated machines will be working but no handrollers will be present on the cigar floor. Additionally, the Factory Store will only be open for tour guests.
Interested in Booking a Group Tour?
Use this form to inquiry about group tours of 10 people or more. To book a tour for fewer than 10, use the “book now” button above.
In addition to weekends, these tours are also not available on the following dates in 2022: January 17, April 15, May 30, June 20, July 4, September 5, November 24, November 25, December 26, and January 2, 2023.
Hand Rolling Classes
J.C. Newman Cigar Co. maintains a tradition of hand-rolling cigars going back to its founding in 1895. Now, we invite guests, cigar aficionados and cigar novices alike, to participate in the same hand-rolling experience. With guidance from one of our master cigarmakers, roll five cigars you can take home with you.
This experience takes place every other week on a Friday afternoon. Groups of as many as twelve guests can come to the factory for a hands-on cigarmaking experience. You will roll the wrapper on the bunched binder and filler of a cigar and make cigars alongside our factory staff.
The experience lasts about an hour and a half and is intended for those of legal purchasing age for tobacco (21+). The experience requires a $12.50 payment in advance to reserve a spot in the class and a $37.50 payment on the day-of for the handmade cigars you are going to roll and take home to smoke.
Tour and Experience Reviews
ADDRESS:
2701 North Sixteenth Street
Tampa, FL 33605
PHONE:
(813) 248-2124
VISITING HOURS:
MON – FRI: 9 A.M. – 5:30 P.M.
BUSINESS HOURS:
MON – FRI: 8 A.M. – 5 P.M.
In addition to weekends, the factory store and museum are not open on the following dates in 2022: January 1, January 17, April 15, May 30, June 20, July 4, September 5, November 24, November 25, December 26, and January 2, 2023.
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