We live in Arkansas and my parents live in Virginia. That means when we travel to visit them we have to drive the entire width of Tennessee, twice. Tennessee is SO long. This year, we decided to take a little detour on our way back to see Bud’s Gun Shop in Sevierville. Just east of there, we happened to notice a small sign for the Bush’s Beans Visitor’s Center and Factory. We consulted Google maps and discovered we could easily make the detour and circle back around through the Gatlinburg area and still make a stop at Bud’s.
Note: This post is not sponsored however, I have worked with Bush’s in the past.
Once we exited the highway, Richie began to question what I had gotten us into. The towns are small, the roads are remote and it is hard to imagine you will end up at a factory that produces and ships beans all over the country and world. I checked the map more than once, smiled and said, “trust me”, although I wasn’t even certain myself!
Finally, in the distance, nestled amongst the remote hills and farmland I spied what looked like the beginnings of a factory. It still seemed unlikely but there it was! Just ahead of us lay a substantial factory and a cute visitor center and restaurant.
We parked the car and got out to explore. The first thing we noticed was the smell. Baked Beans! The whole area smelled of delicious, sweet, baked beans. It reminded me of when we had visited Hershey, Pennsylvania during our honeymoon seventeen years earlier.
We got our pictures made with the Bush’s Beans signature blue pickup truck and took a photo with Duke and Jay before heading to the Visitor’s Center.
Inside the Visitor’s Center was a museum dedicated to all things Bush’s BBeans. The displays shared the history of the company, the factory, and the variety of bean flavors. You even get to walk through a GIANT can of beans.
After we got a look at the secret family recipes we wandered around the gift shop which carried hundreds of varieties of Bush’s Baked Beans and other products. Some products are regional and seasonal and may be hard to find in your local store so we stocked up on a few special flavors.
The restaurant was really cute but we had already eaten. Supposedly they are well known for the Pinto Bean Pecan Pie. I regret it just a little bit that we couldn’t even find room for a slice of pie! Maybe next time.
The next time you are traveling across Tennessee or visiting the Gatlinburg area, take a little detour over to Dandridge and visit the Bush’s Beans Visitor’s Center and Factory.
