Q&A with America's Biggest Puzzle Store

“Say that again.”

 

It’s not every Tuesday an apple farm orders puzzles. . . Let alone every puzzle. But Jim’s Apple Farm isn’t a roadside stand on your drive to the Cities. The yellow barn stretches alongside Highway 169. Bold letters advertise World’s Largest Soda Selection, Applewood Smoked Meats, and America’s Biggest Puzzle Store.

 

Um. Hello, Jim, and where have you been our whole life?

 

A work field trip was not approved—something about lots to be done before Black Friday sales. However, Robert Wagner graciously agreed to dish on his family’s establishment.

 

There are 900 soda flavors. 3,000 different candies. Ballpark. How many puzzles do you have on the shelves?

At present, 4,000 puzzles on the shelves.

 

Your emporium ranges from locally grown and raised products to confections from the other side of the world. What’s the right snack to pair with a puzzle?

Lego Candy Blocks! They won’t melt or stick to your fingers as you eat while you work.

 

Beyond the jigsaw section, where else in the barn do I for sure need to visit before checkout?

Let me thi— The Planetarium. We have science fiction pieces hanging from a rotating ceiling. A 60-foot diameter ceiling (two stories tall), and it turns powered by not 1 or 2 but 12 motors. It’s a sight!

 

Can you share the best time to visit? I need focus when choosing my next puzzle challenge.

That would be during the week when it’s a little quieter. Both nostalgic and intergalactic fit the store. From the TARDIS and cosmic ceiling murals to hot homemade pies and a cash-only policy, how would you describe the experience guests can expect? A one-of-a-kind experience. Guests are greeted by hard-to-find products and a display area they will not soon forget.

 

Hypothetically and tragically, say I’m allergic to sugar, what’s a highlight I can look forward to during my pit stop?

We’ve got you covered. For nearly 40 years, Jim’s Apple Farm didn’t even offer a stick of gum. You’ll find a tremendous amount of product that is not sugar intensive—soups, fresh homegrown apples and squash, pickled products, jams, salsa, and baking mixes.

 

America's Biggest Puzzle Store is located at 20430 Johnson Memorial Dr. Jordan, Minnesota 55352. Weekdays you can shop from 9 AM-7 PM. On weekends, 8 PM-8 PM. It is a seasonal business and closes for the year the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

 

If you make it there, remember that your friendly, neighborhood Springbok blogger likes Toblerones. Just a thought.