Sidetracked! Mrs. Grossman’s Sticker Factory
April 1st, 2009 | by Debbie Abrams Kaplan 6 comments
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side·track (sīd´trăk): n. 1. A diversion from the main course. 2. A detour taken with children that you would never, ever take without them.
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Who:
Me, my kids (ages 5 & 7), my friend Stephanie, and her twin daughters (7 & 7).
What and Where:
Mrs. Grossman’s Sticker Factory. An hour north of San Francisco in Petaluma, California.
Why:
Teacher in-service day. Plus I came of age with a serious Mrs. Grossman’s sticker obsession. It’s like visiting the Anchor Steam brewery for beer aficionados.
The High Point:
Free stickers! Plus a great store with lots of sale merchandise. And the walk down memory lane – sticker displays from each year, starting with 1979
The Low Point:
The actual tour is only 20 minutes long. Wait, maybe that’s a high point…
The Kids’ Take:
They liked the 20 minute movie (narrated by the founder’s dog Angus), and the free stickers too (trading!). I don’t think they cared much about the actual factory tour, but they didn’t complain at all.
The Bottom Line:
A long drive from the San Francisco Bay Area for an hour-long experience, but it was meaty. Truly impressive operations and a good visitor experience. Plus I came home with $30 worth of stickers (about $27 I purchased myself). Now I have to figure out what to do with them.
Debbie Abrams Kaplan is a San Francisco Bay Area journalist, specializing in family travel. She writes for Shape, Family Fun, AAA Traveler, the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and the San Jose Mercury News. Read her full review of the Mrs. Grossman’s factory tour on Frisco Kids.
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Mrs. Grossman's Factory Tour: Travel Savvy Mom on April 1st, 2009
[...] Mrs. Grossman's Factory Tour: Travel Savvy Mom [...]
Seana on April 1st, 2009
I have been to this place at least three times (it’s in my home town). I love it there, and if you are careful, you can pick up some good deals in the gift shop for months of fun for the kids making birthday cards, rainy day activities, and school projects. I love Mrs. Grossman’s!
Jane on April 1st, 2009
My sides are aching from laughing. I HAVE to go here.
Carolee Hazard on April 1st, 2009
Since it was a bit of a hike from the peninsula, we coupled a tour of Mrs. Grossman’s with a trip to the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield! We got to Jelly Belly at 3pm for a tour, then spent the night in Napa at Napa Valley Hawthorn Inn and Suites (which we found on TSM, of course!) and swung by Mrs. Grossmans the next morning. I found the “greenness” of Mrs Grossman’s fascinating – the water that exits the plant is cleaner than what goes in!
My 6 and 8 year old girls loved the overnight outing! It was interesting to see the similarities and differences between the two factories. And, Hawthorn Inn has a pool, so the kids could burn off some of the sugar consumed on the Jelly Belly tour!
Try to see the Jelly Belly factory on a weekday, since the machines are all up & running. Beware of the “interesting” flavored jelly beans – consider yourself warned!
Carolina on April 1st, 2009
I’m sorry, but the dog-narrated video alone, is worth the trip.
Shreejana Hickman on April 2nd, 2009
Wow, a place all about stickers, that’s got to be fun…..I mean for the kids!:)
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