What kid doesn't love candy? Show him or her how it is made by taking a factory tour. The Jelly Belly company offers tours at two locations - Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin and Fairfield, California. I've taken my kids to both locations. I usually highly recommend factory tours. In this case, I'd like to give warning that the Wisconsin location is mostly a trolly tour around a warehouse. You don't see major production lines. The trolley stops at stations with video screens explaining the process of making taffy, gummies and the famous jelly beans. The most action we saw was a small area of employees assembling shipments for online sales.
At the time, the tour ended at the shop which made it worth the visit. However, please check their website for status of the shop. Laura Sutherland, author of Amazing Places to Take Your Kids, also highlights the store as most exciting, "The Jelly Belly tasting bar is definitely the highlight of this sweet-smelling, family-oriented factory tour, which offers visitors samples of many of the 100 candies the Pleasant Prairie Wisconsin, company makes, including a wide variety of Jelly Bellies." The tasting does give you an opportunity to try new flavors you might not normally gravitate towards. I think they know their pre-teen and teen audience think the bad smelling flavors (rotten egg, dirt, earthworm, stinky socks, lawn clippings, moldy cheese) or mystery flavors are hilarious. I'll stick to the fruit flavors like pear, coconut, cherry, and pineapple and sometimes search for buttered popcorn. Another bonus in-store was the discounted bags of Belly Flops. The misshapen jelly beans tasted just as good to me.
I've also visited The Hershey Company, Jelly Belly Candy Company in California, and Long Grove Confectionery Co. These companies made the Fodor's Travel Top 10 Candy Tours list. The article by Kristine Hansen gives you more tours to consider:
1. Jelly Belly Candy Company: Fairfield, CA, self-guided free tours
2. The Hershey Company: Hershey, Pennsylvania, free tours
3. Long Grove Confectionery Co.: Long Grove, IL, tour by appointment
4. Hammond's Candies: Denver, Colorado, free tour
5. Pez Candy: Orange, Connecticut, $5 self-guided tour
6. Raaka Chocolate: Brooklyn, NY, book a tasting tour or chocolate-making class
7. Theo Chocolate: Seattle, Washington, weekday tours
8. Kimmie Candy (Sunbursts): Reno, NY, weekday tours by appointment
9. Sweet Candy Company: Salt Lake City, Utah, free weekday tours
10. Spangler (Dum Dum, Smarties): Bryan, Ohio, trolley tour
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