Wakarusa Dime Store: Home of the Jumbo Jelly Bean

While I was researching the Wakarusa Thor location, I fell down a weird town names rabbit hole — don’t ask, it’s just where my brain goes — and stumbled onto the Wakarusa Dime Store. Their claim: jumbo jelly beans.

Jelly beans are Zach’s thing. Like, his THING. So the dime store went on the list immediately. Quietly, though, because what if they were out? I didn’t say a word to Zach about it. No point getting the man’s hopes up over jelly beans that might not exist.

Wakarusa Dime Store: Home of the Jumbo Jelly Bean

We pulled up to the Wakarusa Dime Store at 103 East Waterford Street downtown. Hand-lettered signage, striped awning, jumbo jelly bean signs in the window. Zach still didn’t know why we were stopping.

Then he saw the sign. JUMBO JELLY BEANS SOLD HERE TODAY.

The man who had been mildly tolerating this detour became immediately, genuinely excited. Kid-in-a-candy-store energy in full effect. I watched it happen in real time, and it was worth every mile.

Inside, the Wakarusa Dime Store is exactly what it looks like from the outside — an old-school candy shop. Bulk beans you scoop yourself, taffy, truffles, fudge, and so many candy signs from our youth that I had to check the date.

It smells like childhood and sugar.

And then there are the jelly beans. Jumbo. Actually jumbo. Not “slightly larger than normal” jumbo — we are talking substantial, committed, go-big-or-go-home jelly beans sold by the bag with the Wakarusa Dime Store label right on them. We bought two bags: the mixed variety and the black and red. No regrets.

Visiting Wakarusa, Indiana

• Wakarusa Dime Store: 103 E Waterford St, Wakarusa, IN — jumbo jelly beans, bulk candy, truffles, fudge, and much more!

We went to Wakarusa for a factory tour. We left with two bags of jelly beans and a new town on the permanent list.

Here for the RV factory tours too? We did three of them around Elkhart County on the same trip — that story lives here.

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Looking for more Indiana oddities? Check out our Things to Do in Indiana page, or browse our Roadside Attractions by State guide for more weird little stops worth making.

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