The J.C. Newman Cigar Company, located in Ybor City, is celebrating 125 years of making cigars. To commemorate this momentous event, J.C. Newman Cigar Company is offering guided tours of its family-owned and operated cigar company.
The guided tours are 90 minutes and are offered on Monday, Thursday and Friday at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Reservations must be made online at www.jcnewman.com. Tours are limited and face masks and social distancing are enforced. The cost of the 90-minute guided tour is $15 per person.
J.C. Newman Cigar Company is the oldest family-owned cigar company in the United States. The company was founded in 1895 by Julius Caesar Newman in Cleveland, Ohio. The company was moved to Tampa in 1954. The building that now houses the J.C. Newman Cigar Company was built in 1910 and was known as the Regensburg Factory, or ‘El Reloj.’ It was one of the last and largest cigar factories ever built in Tampa.
The 3-story, 97,000 sq. ft. building has an iconic clock which rang for years. In 2002, the clock was restored by the Newman family.
The new 90-minute guided tours are a birthday present to the City of Tampa and the residents of the area. On the tour, you get to see a glimmer of the past and how cigars were made and are still made today. The tour takes you through the process of cigar-making both by hand and on antique cigar machines.
Jeff Collins of Valrico visited the J.C. Newman Cigar Company and said, “Both the building and company are a part of the American history. It was fascinating to see how the cigars are made.”
The tour is perfect for cigar aficionados, history buffs or anyone interested in manufacturing and technology. You can also pick up locally made items in the Factory Store such as shiny bangles from Bourbon and Boweties, culinary items from The Columbia and candles from Seventh Avenue Apothecary.
The J.C. Newman Cigar Company is located at 2701 N. 16th St. in Ybor City. To schedule a tour and to get more information on private events, please visit www.jcnewman.com or call 248-2124.
