Bush’s Revamped Bean Museum Is a Legume-Lover’s Wonderland

It’s finally here. The moment we’ve all been waiting for. The Bush’s Visitor Center (as in, Bush’s Beans) in Chestnut Hill, Tennessee, has finally reopened its BEAN MUSEUM after almost six months of renovations! Somebody call Rhett because I think we just found his next vacation destination. 

What is so exciting about a bean museum, besides everything about it? Well, according to Food & Wine, Bush’s bean-themed museum is billed as “a one-stop destination for all things beans” and “the world’s most beautiful bean museum!” It has 4.8 stars on Google Maps with over 4,500 reviews. That’s a whole lot of acclaim for a museum dedicated to the humble musical fruit. So I dug a little deeper to see what fantastical bean-related wonders this museum holds in its hallowed halls.

Turns out, there are a whole lot of bean-related wonders. And you can experience them all for free! Once you’ve entered the museum, you can learn about the history of Bush’s Beans and how they make their top-notch bean products (so top notch they landed the top two spots in our baked beans ranking). Post-renovation, there is now a scale that will tell you your weight in beans, a revamped theater experience to educate you all about the Bush’s Beans manufacturing process (answering the age-old question of where your beans have been), plus a new digital shelf that displays all of Bush’s different bean products along with their ingredients and recipes you can make with them. In other words, this museum is poppin’… er… jumpin’? It does contain beans after all.

But wait, there’s more! Apparently, you haven’t really bean to the bean museum if you haven’t visited the General Store (full of Bush’s products and swag) or the Bush Family Café—both of which remained open during the renovations from late January. You even get to try a free bean of the day with your meal at the café. 

At this point, I’m having a hard time believing this place is real and not just a vivid bean-themed fever dream. But it is so real, in fact, that you can even meet the Bush’s dog Duke if you happen to visit on the right day, according to this Yelp review

Anyway, I’m off to Tennessee to eat some beans, learn about beans, buy some bean swag, and pet a bean dog. What are your weekend plans?


About the Author

Jessica Block

Jessica Block is a freelance contributor to Sporked, a comedian, a baker, a food writer, and a firm believer that Trader Joe's may just be the happiest place on earth. She loves spicy snacks, Oreos, baking bread, teeny tiny avocados, and trying new foods whenever she can. Also, if you give her a bag of Takis she will be your best friend.

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