The Jelly Belly Candy Company

The Jelly Belly story began in 1869, when Gustav Goelitz opened his first candy store, and hit the big time in 1966 when Ronald Reagan, governor of California, discovered the flavor-infused jelly beans. In 1973, he wrote the company a letter, saying, "We can hardly start a meeting or make a decision without passing the jar of jelly beans." The world discovered President Reagan's Jelly Belly fixation when the company shipped 3.5 tons of jelly beans to Washington D.C. for the 1981 inauguration celebrations.

Still owned and operated by the Goelitz family, the company offers the public an inside look at the business of candy manufacturing through self-guided tours and videos of the factory.