If you’ve ever gone roadtripping through the Ozarks, you have undoubtedly noticed the obnoxious abundance of enormous billboards blaring at drivers on interstate 44. Of all the signs, Redmon’s Candy Factory and World’s Largest Gift Store are really hard to miss unless you’re a sleeping passenger.
I’ve driven past these billboards year after year, thinking Redmon’s was just a gimmick or tour trap. But this past year, I decided to stop in and check it out to see if it lives up to the claim of being the “world’s largest gift store.”
Check out my experience below to see if you should pay them a visit on your next roadtrip.
Heads up: This page contains Amazon affiliate links. That means if you click and buy—we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read more about it here.
The Experience
Redmon’s is right off I-44 exit 118 in Phillipsburg, Missouri. Parking is a breeze with the huge parking lot that connects the candy building and the gift shop building. There are actually three businesses on site:
3. Gift Shop
World’s Largest Gift Shop
We parked in front of the gift shop first and went inside to check it out. Inside, we found aisles upon aisles of quaint little booths set up with different themes.
I really enjoyed how the store was organized, because you could skip “booths” that you were not interested in and shop your heart away in the ones that drew you in.
Here’s a selection of the types of cubbies we saw:
Whimsical Socks
Home Décor
Coca-Cola
Puzzles
Coffee Mugs
T-shirts
Boxers
Toys
Garden
Kitchen Gadgets
Tin Signs
Slippers
Activity Kits
Wind Chimes
Amish Popcorn
Bird Feeders
Bar Soaps
Coasters
Travel Essentials
It was a pleasant shopping experience, but we had to look quickly since we didn’t want to spend hours here as a stop on our road trip. We ended up spending around 45 minutes walking through the entire store. Our kids did end up getting one $10 item each. We found that the prices were generally high, but if you’re looking for something unique, you will definitely find it here!
So, does it live up to the name? I’d say yes. This is truly the largest gift shop I’ve ever been in and I feel like I could find a gift here for anyone.
Gift Ideas - Online
Don't have time to stop in? Here are some gift ideas you can get from Amazon.
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
Candy Factory
After checking out the World’s Largest Gift Shop, we walked over to the Candy Factory (actually we drove across the massive parking lot). I’ll keep this short and sweet (pun intended). The building is small and crowded. You grab a paper sack and fill it with candy, which is weighed and charged by the pound. There are baskets of candies to choose from, including things like:
Saltwater Taffy
Laffy Taffy
Peanut Butter Cups
Suckers
Hard Candy
Cow Tails
Caramels
Mints
There is also fudge, peanut brittle, and some packaged candy (candy bars, cotton candy, along with coolers with sodas for additional purchase. We let each of our kids fill up a sack and we shared a bag for the adults. At the time, it was $4.99 for half a pound. We spent about $24 on candy for our family.
Finding nice, clean, private bathrooms is always a bonus when on a road trip. I did use the facilities at the gift shop and can vouch that this is a clean and private restroom.
Gas Station
We didn’t get gas here, but we probably would if we needed to. The facility seemed clean and new. Since we didn’t use the pumps, I can’t really share an experience on the gas station. But it’s nice to know that you can get gas here during your pit stop.
Don't forget these Road Trip Essentials! Here's our favorite gear to take on road trips. |
Is Redmon’s Candy Factory & World’s Biggest Gift Shop Worth it?
I’ll cover whether the Candy Factory and Gift Shop are worth it separately.
The Candy Factory: If you’re expecting an actual candy factory, you might be disappointed. However, if you’re looking to pick out a few pieces of your favorite candy or grab some bakery items, it’s worth the stop. However, you can find the same candies at any bulk candy store and probably for a better price. Personally, I wouldn’t stop here again solely for the candy, but I might stop at the gift shop again.
The Gift Shop: I would say that the gift shop was worth it, especially if you’re looking for unique gifts. Just be prepared to spend some time looking around and pay a little bit of a premium to shop here. This is a family-owned business since 1995. To me, the gift shop made it worth the stop during our road trip and I do recommend families to visit here at least once to see their incredible selection of gift items.