J.C. Newman Cigar Company

Fantastic tour with a very knowledgeable guide. It was very impressive to see the operation and even more special to meet and have a little chat with both the president and vice president of the company (note, that is NOT officially part of the tour but was a sheer lucky coincident). The smells inside the facility are also simply amazing. If you are at all interested in cigars, this is the tour to take.

An absolutely amazing tour! I’m a beginner cigar smoker, and I learned so much. Our tour guide was awesome. All the workers very friendly, and I really admire how they are trying to revive this craft/art in the United States. Towards the end we even had the President of J.C. Newman Cigar Co., Eric Newman, come say hello and give us a some history on the area of Ybor City. He was there to check up on his workers; you could tell he really cares about cigar business from the craft, workers, and environment.

The cigar factory tour at Newman is excellent. Holden does a fantastic job. Friendly and super knowledgeable. My grandfather and his family were in the cigar industry in the late 1890's - 1900's. I am very interested in this era. I have been on the tour 3 times and look forward to my 4th. I always take family members when they are in town and they are never disappointed and I learn something new.

I did the factory tour and wow is it educational and awesome. This is a gem of Tampa history and it’s great that it’s still alive and working. If you are visiting the area, highly recommend (even if you don’t smoke cigars). The tour was a solid hour and fifteen minutes. The only thing missing is a cigar lounge, but they are building one across the street.

I highly recommend this tour if you have an hour to spare. Holden did an awesome job as a tour guide. You not only get an up close experience into cigar making but you also get to see the inside workings of an old historic building with a basement, a rarity in the Tampa area. The tour itself is so fascinating. They have done a remarkable job taking you back in time to see each step of the cigar making process. There is a vast array of historic items to look at, feel and smell. I never knew that tobacco leaves could be so soft and they can have such a floral earthy smell. The building, the equipment, the different rooms and areas all have such a great story. It's so nice to see a local company preserve and continue the legacy for future generations to enjoy. You gain an in-depth knowledge of cigar making and you get to see the processes that are taken to create an excellent cigar. You can see the care that goes into making each hand rolled cigar. You can tell that the employees really love what they do at JC Newman. I don't smoke cigars but I have a great appreciation for what the Newman's have done to preserve a piece of history for all to see and enjoy. This tour includes several floors and they have an elevator if you can't take the stairs.