If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you know that last week we hopped in the car and drove 2 hours and 48 minutes to the Spangler Candy Factory for a unique day trip. I had always heard it was in northern Ohio but was never quite adventurous enough to take the trip by myself. Luckily a friend of mine also wanted to check it out so we decided to make it an adventure and the kids LOVED it. If you're thinking of making the trip from Central Ohio, let me share a few of the things I learned to help keep the kiddos entertained, bellies full, and the cost down.

First things first....the drive. It's about 3 hours from Central Ohio depending on where you're coming from so make sure to have the things your kiddos need for a long trip. For us that meant a movie (or two), lots of snacks, and water bottles. We had six kiddos in the car so between the movies and just getting to hang out with friends they were happy. If I were taking just my kids, I probably would have added some coloring book, workbooks, or brought along some of their favorite action figures. Who am I kidding, those actions figures are ALWAYS with us! :) The drive is pretty boring and there's not a lot of places to stop for food so pack all the snacks you'll need for the day. Packing not only helps when you can't find a place to stop but it also helps to keep the cost down. Keep reading and I'll tell you where to stop for lunch.

When we arrived at the factory the kids were all so thrilled as they were greeted with photos of dum dum lollipops on the side of the brick building. We happened to arrive just minutes before the next tour so it was really perfect timing. Tours are a first come/first serve basis and last 30 minutes. The start of the tour is in a little room where they go over all of the rules, like no photography, must wear the provided hair net, and hands and feet inside the trolley at all times. Due to health codes they don't take you in the kitchen but they do show videos so you can see how the candy is made safely away from the heat of the kitchen.

I had no idea how candy canes were made and I was really impressed when I found out. Super cool. The store also includes a museum with lots of fun artifacts that the kids enjoyed.

Fun Facts

They make 12 million dum dums PER DAY
Creates 2.7 million candy canes PER DAY
Family owned for the last 110 years
You can buy a whole bag of your favorite lollipop flavor
They make special themed bags I've never seen before - my daughter loved the summertime bag. Peach tea, funnel cake, lemon shake up, are just a few of the flavors in that bag.
They sell candy canes all year round - including unique flavors like sour patch kids and Oreo.
Home of the Saf-T Pops. Safe for the smallest lollipop fans and stamped with different letters to inspire conversations between caregiver and child.

Cost Analysis

Gas - I used Gas Buddy to calculate the gas cost so I could give you an exact number. Total trip (6 hours) the gas cost was $33.74

Snacks - This is a rough estimate because we shop at Costco and I just filled our tote bag full of snacks and a cooler full of water bottles. We did stop at Starbucks before we left Columbus and spent around $5. Snacks - $10

Admission - Adults are $5 Children over 5 are $3 and Children under 5 are FREE!! Total admission for my family of four was $8

Candy - You can't go through a candy factory tour without indulging on some candy when you leave. I let each kid pick an item, because the costs were so reasonable. $15 later and we have enough candy to last us until Halloween.

Lunch - Through recommendations from people who visit the area often we stopped by Kissner's . The food was good and the cost was very reasonable. I ordered for 4 of us and we spent $20 with a 20% tip.