Learn about the early history of pickle-making in St. Joe and see the original home of Ralph and Anne Sechler, who started the company in 1921 under the name "St. Joe Valley Pickles." Outdoors, you will see many of our pickle storage vats where cucumbers are received and cured. If you're lucky, you may even get to watch as fresh cucumbers are received and dumped into the tanks! Inside the plant, you will watch as pickles are washed, cut, cooked, sweetened, packed, and labelled, all while learning more about the company's history and the time-tested techniques we use daily to produce our many delicious products. After your tour, you will be welcomed into our Showroom, where you can shop our entire selection of products and see even more fun artifacts in our Pickle Museum. 

Everyone on the tour must wear shoes that cover the entire foot with no holes (tops, bottoms, toes, heels, and sides), and shirts that cover the shoulders, armpits, and torso. Frayed clothing and loose fibers are not allowed on the tour. This includes, but is not limited to, frayed edges around torn fabric or cut-off shorts and animal fibers (real or faux). Please do not wear clothing with beads, sequins, or other adornments. Crocs, sandals, dress shoes that expose the top of the foot, slippers, and tank tops are NOT acceptable tour attire. Please come prepared, we do not sell or rent proper shoes and the nearest Walmart is a 40 minute round-trip drive.  When in doubt: gym shoes and T-shirts are perfect tour attire. Hairnets and beard nets are also required and will be provided at no charge by Sechler's Pickles.

Jewelry (with the exception of wedding bands without stones) and watches will need to be either covered or removed before the tour. This includes, but is not limited to, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, facial piercings, and pins. Hats are allowed, but any jewelry attached to the hat will need to be removed. We understand that wedding rings are sometimes “stuck” and will provide gloves to cover them if necessary. Medical face masks (like those used during Covid, or that provide oxygen) are permitted, but no other masks will be tolerated.

Our tour guests walk directly through our processing facility, with no separation from the food production areas. The FDA is very strict about food production facilities and requires that everyone who enters the facility to abide by their clothing requirements, whether they are employees or guests. 

The tours depart approximately every half hour, and last between 15 and 20 minutes. 

No reservation is required for small groups, but larger groups (10+ people) are encouraged to contact us either via phone (1-800-332-5461) or by email (showroom@sechlerspickles.com) to let us know how many people you plan on bringing and reserve a spot. Please be aware that if your group has more than 15 people, we will break you into 2 or more small tour groups to make it easier for everyone to see and hear their tour guide. Retirement communities, nursing homes, 4-H Clubs, and other organizations are welcome to make a reservation!

THE AGE REQUIREMENT DOES NOT APPLY TO CHILDREN WHO VISIT WITH THEIR OWN PARENT OR GUARDIAN. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. are more than welcome to bring their own children of any age for a tour.

Yes, the tour and our Showroom are handicap accessible. You are more than welcome to bring walkers, wheelchairs, scooters, or any other mobility device. Please note, however, that there are no places to stop and sit during the tour. Unless you are able to be on your feet walking for the entire duration of the tour, we highly recommend you bring a wheelchair or scooter. There are outdoor benches to sit and rest outside of the facility, but there is no seating available inside our Showroom. Please plan accordingly. 

Guests are not permitted to take photos or videos of any kind during the tour. You are welcome to take photos outside of our facility and inside the Showroom. 

If you work for a media company and would like to conduct an interview or take promotional photography, please contact us BEFORE tour week at showroom@sechlerspickles.com or 260-337-5461, and be aware that we may not be able to accommodate all requests. 

Between the vinegar, spices, peppers, and other ingredients, many people find that it can be difficult at times to breathe inside the factory. We have found that medical face masks, like the ones used during the COVID pandemic, make it much easier to breathe and recommend you bring one if you think you will need it.  

We do have a single picnic table at our facility for guests to use. If you have a large group, we recommend you visit Wild Cherry Park in St. Joe to make use of their many picnic tables and playground equipment. It is located at 5933 CR 59 St. Joe, IN 46785, just a quick 2 minute drive from our facility.

May guests from out of town do not realize just how small St. Joe is until they get here. The nearest gas station to our South is Miller’s Shell Mart on State Road 1 in Spencerville (4.4 miles away). The nearest station to the North is Marathon Gas on U.S. 6 in Butler (7.3 miles away). The nearest town to our West is Auburn (11.2 miles away) and to the East is Hicksville, OH (8.8 miles away).

We have 2 parking lots at our facility accessible from County Road 56 (see map below). If you are able, please be considerate of other guests and leave the spots closest to the Showroom Entrance open for handicapped individuals. If you are bringing a camper or other large vehicle, please do not park in the lot closest to the Showroom Entrance. Busses with multiple passengers are welcome to unload near the door, but please park along County Road 56 when empty. 

The State Road 1 Entrance is for warehouse shipping and receiving only.

 

Sechler’s Pickles reserves the right to refuse to offer a tour to any individual if an employee deems their clothing or behavior inappropriate, regardless of whether or not that clothing or behavior is explicitly listed in this document.