Mrs. Grossman's Sticker Factory in Petaluma, California

Yes Virginia, there really is a Mrs. Grossman. Her name is Andrea, and she's not only the founder of the world-famous Mrs. Grossman's Paper Company in Petaluma, California, but still serves as President today. What began as a small home-based business in 1979, grew to become the oldest and largest sticker company in the United States. Today, Mrs. Grossman's has hundreds of employees and produces more than 15,000 miles of stickers in a single year -that's enough to make it half way around the world!

A tour of Mrs. Grossman's sticker factory is a fascinating, fun activity for kids and adults alike. It starts with an award-winning 20-minute video charmingly narrated by the company mascot, an Australian Shepherd named Angus, who belongs to Andrea's son and company vice president, Jason Grossman. Incidentally, the canine-friendly company encourages employees to bring their dogs to work, so while on your tour of the sticker factory, you just might see Angus, Andrea's dog Beau or other dogs.

After the video, a guided walking tour of the factory floor lets you see stickers going through every stage of the printing process. Mrs. Grossman's currently produces more than 700 different stickers, and they're adding new designs all the time. During your tour, you'll get to watch the high-speed packaging machines sort and wrap the stickers, and see their intriguing Laserweb machine. This high-tech, one-of-a-kind system shoots 10,000 degree laser beams to make the delicate laser-cut stickers in the company's popular Paper Whisper line.

When the factory tour concludes, everyone heads to the sticker art room to decorate a postcard using Mrs. Grossman's stickers. You'll get a package of stickers and learn a few quick sticker art tricks. Whether you scrapbook or just love stickers, you'll definitely want to visit the huge on-site company store, which has every sticker in their current line-up along with some classic favorites, plus scrapbook albums, logo wear, and more. The store is open Monday-Friday from 9:00am - 5:30pm.

After touring the factory and shopping for stickers in their store, be sure to allow time to check out their visitor's center. Mrs. Grossman's Sticker Museum has several walls that detail the company history and showcase every sticker they've ever made, including the first red heart sticker that started it all. Stroll down memory lane as you rediscover beloved stickers from your past, then relax in the big, comfy, bright red chairs and watch the videos that feature stories and fascinating facts about how Mrs. Grossman's stickers are produced. Mrs. Grossman's has an indoor dining room and an outdoor picnic area available for visitors.

Tours of the sticker factory are $3/person for ages 3 and up, and reservations are required-call 1-800-429-4549 to reserve your space. Mrs. Grossman's is closed on weekends and on the following days: February 20th, May 29th, July 4th, September 4th, November 23rd and 24th, December 25th. They are located in Petaluma, California, a short 40 minute drive north from San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge. Their address is 3810 Cypress Drive, at the corner of South McDowell Boulevard and Cypress Drive. Look for the low Mrs. Grossman's Tour sign on the right.