Jelly Belly Factory Tour is a Sweet Treat
Who doesn't like Jelly Belly jelly beans? You probably knew that they come in practically every flavor imaginable, but did you know that they're made just up the road in the Solano County town of Fairfield? The Jelly Belly factory offers a fun, tasty, and informative tour that's a perfect outing for families and groups.
The Jelly Belly Visitor Center is open nearly every day from 9 am to 5 pm, and self-guided tours of the facility operate daily from 9 am to 4 pm. No reservations are required — just show up at the factory at 1 Jelly Belly Lane in Fairfield.
The visitor center's self-guided tours really cut down on the wait times for the previous guided tours, which could get really lengthy during weekends and school vacations. Note that Jelly Belly now charges an admission fee of $7 for adults and $3 for children, which includes the tour, a ride on the Jelly Belly Express train, and a entry to the new Jelly Bell Museum. It's no longer free, but it's well worth the cost of admission.
Get your tickets at the ticket counter, and you'll be handed a paper Jelly Belly cap (the wearing of which is mandatory, unless you brought your own cap or hair net) and a bag of jelly beans. Then you can head upstairs to start the tour. On the tour you look down onto the factory floor, where you can watch jelly beans being made right in front of you!
You'll see just about every part of the plant, including the candy kitchen, the packing and shipping areas, and the place where they coat and polish the jelly beans as a final step in their manufacture. It's really interesting to see the whole process and we had no idea that the process of making jelly bean was so involved. My kids were amazed by all the giant bags of sugar stacked on the factory floor ("You mean they use all of that?!") as well as by the robots at work sorting and packing candy on the factory floor.
Along the tour route you'll find large video monitors that explain what you're seeing as jelly beans are being made. There are also a few interactive stations and games along the way that allow you to do things like sort jelly beans.
After the tour, you'll board the Jelly Belly Express train which will whisk you over to the new Jelly Belly Museum where you can learn about the history of candy making at this family owned company, which has been in business since 1869. The museum also includes examples of jelly bean art, as well as some classic cars and a gift shop.
You'll also see some pretty amazing art made entirely from Jelly Belly jelly beans, including portraits of Harry Potter characters, Disney favorites, American presidents and historical figures, and other celebrities. Jelly bean artwork can be found around the visitor center, along the tour, and in the museum.
Note that on holidays and weekends the factory floor is quiet, as the workers have the day off. I highly recommend trying to visit during the week when the workers are on the floor and candy production is in full swing — it's much more interesting and exciting! Also, check their website and make sure that maintenance isn't happening that day which means no tours are being offered.
If you're hungry, the factory has an on-site Jelly Belly Café (open daily from 9 am to 3 pm), offering both breakfast and lunch with fare such as jelly bean-shaped burgers and pizzas, sandwiches, salads, breakfast burritos, and more. It's located at the rear of the visitor center. The food's nothing special, but it's convenient, inexpensive, and fast, and it's a life-saver when all of a sudden it's lunchtime and you've got cranky and hungry little kids in tow.
Jelly Belly's tour is a must-do outing for anyone in the Bay Area. The staff is friendly and informative, the place is clean and inviting, and you get candy. How can it get any better? Kids of course will be entranced by the whole experience. It's kind of like getting the golden ticket to Willy Wonka's factory, only without all those other naughty children to get in the way of the fun (but no Oompa Loompas).
If You Go
To get there, take Highway 101 to Highway 37 east, then pick up Interstate 80 east in Vallejo. Follow I-80 to Fairfield, then take the Highway 12 exit. Follow Highway 12 for a short distance and take the Chadbourne Road exit. Turn right onto Chadbourne Road, then left onto Courage Drive, left again on North Watney Way, then left onto Jelly Belly Lane. The factory is located at 1 Jelly Belly Lane (you can't miss it).
The parking area for the Jelly Belly factory and visitor center is located at the end of the road. Right nearby is the Anheuser-Busch brewery, which offers tours of another kind… It's about a 45-minute drive from central Marin, and it's a handy stop on the way to or from Tahoe or Sacramento.
Purchase your tour tickets inside the Visitor Center. Admission is $8 for adults, $4 for children, and free for kids under 2. Photos and videos are permitted during the tour; no flash photography is allowed. Tours run from 9 am until 4 pm daily.
The Jelly Belly Factory is open daily from 9:15 am to 4 pm. It's closed New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. For more information on the Jelly Belly factory tour, visit www.jellybelly.com or call 1 (800) 9-JELLYBEAN.
