Located in Southern California, just north of San Francisco and near the wine country of the Napa Valley, the Jelly Belly Candy Factory can be just the side trip to delight the candy-lover in your family. The factory is based in the city of Fairfield is known for offering tours where you can watch Jelly Belly candies being made.
Unlike other factories that only offer tours on certain days of the week or when the factory is working, Jelly Belly offers tours seven days a week. The only exceptions would include major holidays.
With the company’s open door policy you need not worry about placing reservations but it would be wise to consider this: Almost a half million people visit the factory each year and the earlier you arrive on the premises, the less crowded it will be. Normally, the tour lasts about forty minutes, but it should be expected for visitors to end up staying sixty to ninety minutes, depending on tour frequency.
During weekly operations, visitors are invited to view the plant in action from enclosed walkways located above the factory floor. On weekends, holidays, and during the annual plant shutdown at the end of June, guides rely on videos showing the factory in action. For those who have heard about the Jelly Belly Factory but can’t make it out to the west coast, you can always visit the Jelly Belly website and take a virtual factory tour.
During the tour you are led above conveyers, trays, and bins, all filled full of thousands of jelly beans. Guides put on quite the show themselves, relating information, like it takes seven to ten days to make each of the 1.25 million beans finished each day, trivia, and gladly welcoming questions from visitors.
With a manufacturing process that includes steam baths, sugar showers and lots of rest, it all seems like some strange spa for jelly beans. At the end of the line, all the Jelly Bellies wind up in the engrossing pan, a copper dryer-like device, where each bean gets four flavored syrup and sugar coats. After they're polished, a special printer places the Jelly Belly logo on every one.
Unlike other factories that only offer tours on certain days of the week or when the factory is working, Jelly Belly offers tours seven days a week. The only exceptions would include major holidays.
With the company’s open door policy you need not worry about placing reservations but it would be wise to consider this: Almost a half million people visit the factory each year and the earlier you arrive on the premises, the less crowded it will be. Normally, the tour lasts about forty minutes, but it should be expected for visitors to end up staying sixty to ninety minutes, depending on tour frequency.
During weekly operations, visitors are invited to view the plant in action from enclosed walkways located above the factory floor. On weekends, holidays, and during the annual plant shutdown at the end of June, guides rely on videos showing the factory in action. For those who have heard about the Jelly Belly Factory but can’t make it out to the west coast, you can always visit the Jelly Belly website and take a virtual factory tour.
During the tour you are led above conveyers, trays, and bins, all filled full of thousands of jelly beans. Guides put on quite the show themselves, relating information, like it takes seven to ten days to make each of the 1.25 million beans finished each day, trivia, and gladly welcoming questions from visitors.
With a manufacturing process that includes steam baths, sugar showers and lots of rest, it all seems like some strange spa for jelly beans. At the end of the line, all the Jelly Bellies wind up in the engrossing pan, a copper dryer-like device, where each bean gets four flavored syrup and sugar coats. After they're polished, a special printer places the Jelly Belly logo on every one.
