Nestled in the heart of the Suisun Valley’s wine country, sits a “sweet” spot for some family-friendly fun. The Jelly Belly Factory, located in Fairfield, California, is open daily for tours! Included in the entry fee is your tour of the factory itself, a small train ride across the parking lot, & entry into the newly added museum. Each entry also comes with two small bags of Jelly Belly Gourmet Jelly Beans & two chocolate Galleons to delight your Harry Potter fans. 

The self-guided walking tour around the factory is a multi-faceted sensory experience. There are 2 video games to play, videos to watch & learn the history of the company as well as the cooking process of the candy, & smell stations to test your Jelly Belly prowess. You’ll see incredible works of art, sample some fudge in the gift shop, hear facts from floating docents, & marvel at exactly how many pieces of candy are being processed each day. Truly something for everyone!

While touring the factory, you’ll get a peek at every step of the process; from the squishy centers to the bright colored shells, to the packaging. The kitchen was a main source of wonder for my kids! They especially loved watching the workers add the coloring to the outer shells–they’re so bright and shiny!

As you are on the tour, keep an eye out for Mr. Jelly Belly hidden throughout! They are tucked in everywhere–from the larger more obvious sightings to the tiniest hiding places (hint–look in the jelly bean art pieces!)

If you visit the factory prior to a holiday season, you’ll notice the company gearing up with their most popular candy pieces. In the middle of August we witnessed hundreds of thousands of candy corn waiting for packaging.

The museum across the parking lot is easily accessed by a short walk or train ride. This space held company history & artifacts. I recommend doing the factory tour first, like we did, because the museum holds some of the equipment that you see in the factory. It was awesome to get to walk up much closer to it and get a better look at what we had just seen actively working. My favorite part of the museum was a price list from 1953 showing candy at 17.5 cents per pound!!

So, if you’re in the East Bay Area and have a couple hours to spare, it’s definitely worth a stop in at the Jelly Belly Factory!

Other “sweet” features:

• Inside the main factory, there is a chocolate and wine tasting room (for an additional fee). All the wines are local & they do a lovely job of pairing them. The servers are knowledgeable & can helpfully explain why each pairing was made. 
• On top of the regular candy & chocolate gift shop, there is a snack bar, coffee bar, & ice cream counter inside. Think counter service food like sandwiches, chicken strips, fries, wraps, etc. 
• There are 3 smooshed penny machines on site (one upstairs at the end of the factory tour, one in the museum, and one downstairs near the food court). 
• There is an outdoor eating area with plenty of picnic benches & umbrellas, plus tree cover for shade. 
• You’ll find plenty of free parking, including bus & RV parking.
• The tour approximately a quarter-mile long and is ADA-friendly & stroller accessible.
• Check the calendar on the website for special events. 

Address:

1 Jelly Belly Lane, Fairfield, California

Hours:

9:15am to 4:00 pm daily, 7 days a week

Ticket Pricing:

• Adults: $8.00
• Children (ages 3-17): $4.00
• Children (ages 2 and under): FREE