Kentucky Is Home To The World's Largest Toyota Factory And You Can Get A Free Tour

Toyota is one of the best-established, largest, and most successful automakers. Its evergreen RAV4 model threatens to knock the all-American favorite Ford F-150 off the top-selling spot in the U.S., and the Japanese giant enjoys similar success in other spots across the globe. Naturally, satisfying such demand for its products is no easy task, so Toyota requires some serious manufacturing power. In Toyota's humongous Georgetown, Kentucky factory, that's exactly what it has, and for anyone interested in seeing how an automaker of this size operates, tours around the huge site are available and open for booking.  

The factory boasts 9 million square feet "under roof," equal to 156 football fields. It can churn out 550,000 vehicles each year, and produce 600,000 engines alongside them. These are monumentally impressive numbers, even for an automaker the size of Toyota. 

Along with its sophisticated manufacturing methods, one of the factory's highlights is a 1988 Camry that sits proudly in the reception area. This isn't just any old Camry; it's the first one ever made in America, and it's in absolutely pristine condition. Following it have come millions more of Toyota's evergreen Camry, so it seems fitting that this is the familiar face greeting interested guests. And it's quite easy to gain an audience with the historic Camry, as Toyota welcomes tours of its huge factory on a regular basis.

But don't hop in your car just yet, as these tours aren't a rock-up and join-in situation. They require booking online directly with Toyota. If you're on the fence about the idea, that website also houses a 3½-minute virtual tour.

There are hundreds of positive reviews online from those who have enjoyed the 90-minute real-life tour, and here's the really great thing: It's totally free. Just book online and pay attention to the guidelines, such as age restrictions (it's for age 8 and over, and minors must be accompanied by an adult), and that photography and cell phone use is restricted in certain areas. Toyota reminds guests to dress appropriately for an industrial environment, and those 18 and older need a valid photo ID.

As the plant has grown over the years, Toyota has invested $11 billion in it, ensuring it stays at the pinnacle of what's possible in automotive manufacturing. After all, Toyota's latest boosted and hybridized vehicles are somewhat more complex than that beloved old-school Camry from the '80s. Furthermore, the factory offers over 9,400 jobs, and has donated more than $154 million to local nonprofits, meaning it's not just a big deal for Toyota, but also a huge part of the community.