Unearth The Voyage
Pennsylvania has a long history with candy, and some of its most beloved shops still feel like they belong to another era entirely. These are the kinds of places where a simple trip for a chocolate bar turns into a full-blown trip down memory lane. Some of these shops have been around for over a century, while others have worked hard to recreate the classic candy store experience that many people grew up loving. From Philadelphia’s oldest confectionery to a colorful retro candy shop in Gettysburg, each of the 11 spots on this list brings something genuinely special to the table.
Get ready to add a few new stops to your Pennsylvania road trip, because your sweet tooth is about to get very, very excited.
1. Shane Confectionery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
America’s oldest continuously operated candy shop has been doing its thing at 110 Market Street since 1863, and it has the interior to prove it. Elaborately carved cabinets, curved glass showcases, marble countertops, and stained-glass transom windows make the space look more like a museum than a place to buy a bag of malt balls.
After 99 years under the Shane family, brothers Eric and Christopher Berley purchased and carefully restored the building in 2010, uncovering original pinewood floors and antique tin ceilings in the process. The salesclerks wear period costumes, which feels a little theatrical but somehow completely appropriate given the setting.
Signature offerings include clear toy candy made using 19th-century molds and buttercreams crafted from a 100-year-old recipe using the same cast-iron cream beater that has been in use for over a century. A rooftop beehive even supplies local honey sold in the shop. The Shane Chocolate Cafe, added in 2014, serves seasonal drinking chocolates from counters salvaged from other former Philadelphia candy shops.
2. Sarris Candies, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Frank Sarris started making chocolates in his basement in 1960, and somehow that modest beginning turned into a candy destination the size of a city block. The Sarris complex in Canonsburg now combines a full-scale chocolate factory store with an old-fashioned ice cream parlor, and the two together make for one seriously sweet afternoon.
The ice cream parlor features period-style red and brass booths, crystal chandeliers, and marble counters where you can order sundaes, milkshakes, banana splits, and even no-sugar-added options. The candy store section is lined with glass cases full of handcrafted chocolates and nostalgic penny candy, with retro pedal cars and bicycles displayed overhead.
The showstopper is a 12-foot-high, 2,600-pound chocolate castle that gets rebuilt with seasonal themes several times a year. The room housing it is surrounded by 65 feet of hand-painted murals. A new factory store on Meadow Lane offers public tours of the chocolate-making operation, adding an educational layer to what is already a very memorable visit.
3. Daffin’s Candies, Sharon, Pennsylvania
George Daffin opened his first candy store in Ohio back in 1903, but it was his grandson Pete who brought the family tradition to Sharon, Pennsylvania, in 1949. The current 20,000-square-foot flagship store, housed in a former grocery building, has been a western Pennsylvania institution since 1975.
The real draw is the Chocolate Kingdom, a two-part display that Pete Daffin dreamed up himself. The newer central section features a 14-foot chocolate tree surrounded by a chocolate unicorn, a fire-breathing dragon, deer, frogs, and castle structures winding around the trunk. The older back-room display includes a 400-pound chocolate turtle, a rhinoceros, three elephants, and a partially chocolate Ferris wheel.
Beyond the spectacle, Daffin’s produces over one million pounds of candy annually across approximately 600 different varieties. Top sellers include Caramel Pecanettes, Melt-A-Ways, and Cordial Cherries. The beloved solid chocolate Peter Rabbit, sold each Easter since 1962, remains one of the most anticipated seasonal items. Curbside service is available at the Sharon location for those planning ahead.
4. Gardners Candies, Tyrone, Pennsylvania
At sixteen years old, James “Pike” Gardner opened a small candy operation in downtown Tyrone in 1897, selling candy, popcorn, and peanuts from a horse-drawn wagon at local fairs. That scrappy start eventually grew into one of Pennsylvania’s most recognizable confectionery brands, now part of the Sarris Family Company since 1997 but still operating under its original name.
Pike Gardner is also credited with inventing the heart-shaped candy box, which went on to become the universal symbol for Valentine’s Day gift-giving. The flagship Tyrone store at 30 West 10th Street combines a candy counter, an ice cream parlor, and a full candy museum under one roof.
The museum houses antique copper kettles, an old peanut roaster, vintage packaging, historic registers, and a collection of intricate old-fashioned candy molds. The ice cream parlor features red-and-white checkerboard floors and vintage booths serving Hershey’s Ice Cream classics. The shop’s signature Original Peanut Butter Meltaway, developed in the early 1960s with Penn State’s Food Science Department, remains the product most people drive to Tyrone specifically to pick up.
5. Wilbur Chocolate Retail Store, Lititz, Pennsylvania
Henry Oscar Wilbur and Samuel Croft started making candy in Philadelphia in 1865, but it was the move to Lititz in the early 1930s that truly cemented the brand’s place in Pennsylvania confectionery history. The retail store at 45 North Broad Street opened to the public in 1972, and while chocolate production at the historic factory ended in 2016, the outlet store continues to craft select treats in-house.
The Wilbur Bud, introduced in 1894, is the shop’s most iconic product. These small flower-bud-shaped chocolate drops carry the Wilbur name imprinted on each piece, and the original recipe has remained unchanged for over 125 years. Free samples are typically offered to visitors, making the first few minutes inside the store very popular.
An on-site candy kitchen lets shoppers watch chocolatiers at work, and the free Candy Americana Museum next door is worth every minute. The museum holds over 1,000 antique chocolate molds, vintage tins, and a rare collection of hand-painted European and Oriental porcelain chocolate pots. Combine the stop with a walk through historic Lititz for a well-rounded day trip.
6. Lore’s Chocolates, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
One block from the Liberty Bell, tucked into a historic storefront at 34 South 7th Street, Lore’s Chocolates has been a Philadelphia institution since 1967. The Walter family, including Tony Sr. and Tony Jr., took over around 1987, bringing with them a background that includes work with Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews, one of Philadelphia’s most storied candy names.
Every chocolate at Lore’s is handcrafted in small batches using a non-automated process that begins with the shop’s own custom gourmet chocolate blend. The chocolate is tempered for a smooth finish, poured into custom polycarbonate molds, and left to cool overnight before being de-molded. The Walters source cocoa and other ingredients from traceable, sustainable suppliers and incorporate locally-sourced products whenever possible.
The shop carries over 100 varieties of confections, including Sea Salt Caramels, Vanilla Butter Creams, chocolate-covered pretzels, peanut brittle, and Philadelphia-themed chocolate bars shaped like Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Custom orders, corporate gifting, and wedding favors are all available. The arrangement of chocolates behind the counter gives the place the unhurried feel of a neighborhood shop that has earned its loyal following the old-fashioned way.
7. Vintage Candy Shop, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
At 38 West King Street in downtown Lancaster, a store that takes its name very seriously has assembled one of the most entertaining collections of retro candy in the region. Shelves are lined with jawbreakers, Necco wafers, Wax Lips, Bottle Caps, striped mints, and creamy toffees, many labeled with tags noting how far back their origins go.
The shop also crafts its own handmade crystal gem candy, known as Kohakutou, on-site in flavors including teaberry, root beer, and tangy sour. Freeze-dried candy is another in-house specialty, and the shop continues producing Mrs. Benner’s SlapJack Candy, a cherished local recipe it has taken on as its own.
An ice cream counter serves hand-dipped Kreider Farms ice cream, with sundaes, floats, milkshakes, and banana splits on the menu. The Mosaic Gem Float, made with colorful crystal gem candy cubes, is a standout order. Quarter-operated candy machines, a restored carousel vending machine stocked with locally-made Pellman cakes, and a vintage-style cigarette machine dispensing bubblegum and candy cigarettes round out one of the most thoroughly nostalgic retail experiences in Lancaster County.
8. Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Named after the beloved character from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop at 2124 Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Strip District leans hard into its cinematic inspiration. The 1971 film plays on a large TV in the store, with movie theater seats set up for anyone who wants to watch while snacking.
The candy selection covers everything from childhood favorites like Wax Lips, Satellite Wafers, Teaberry Gum, and Turkish Taffy to the shop’s own branded sodas in flavors like Ketchup, Waffles and Syrup, and Bacon. The wall of approximately 250 glass-bottled soda varieties, including brands like Boylan’s and Natrona Bottling’s Red Ribbon Soda, is a destination in itself.
The flagship World Famous Five Dollar Candy Buffet lets customers fill a small box from over 100 bulk candy varieties, which is an excellent deal by any measure. The in-store Malt Shop serves hand-scooped ice cream, freshly spun milkshakes, and gourmet chocolates including sea salt caramels, Buckeyes, and peanut butter cups. The company has expanded to multiple locations across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, and West Virginia.
9. Reppert’s Candy, Oley, Pennsylvania
Floyd and Dorothy Reppert founded this family candy business in 1945, and it has been operating out of a 12,000-square-foot facility at 2708 West Philadelphia Avenue in Oley Township ever since. Larry and Jean Schell took ownership in 1978, and the business remains in the Schell family today under Keith Schell’s management.
Reppert’s sources its chocolate locally from Wilbur Chocolates and works with approximately 200 different mold styles to produce over 65 candy varieties. Customer favorites include dark chocolate sponge, peanut butter eggs, milk chocolate caramels, chocolate-covered pretzels, sea salt caramels, and peanut brittle. Nonpareils come in milk, dark, and white chocolate with seasonal seed toppings for Easter, Christmas, and other holidays.
Seasonal specialties are a big part of the Reppert’s calendar. Easter brings hollow chocolate bunnies, figurines, and one-pound eggs filled with peanut butter, coconut, or buttercream. Caramel apples come in plain, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and cinnamon swirl varieties. Many families have been receiving Reppert’s Easter and Christmas packages for generations, which says a great deal about the kind of loyalty a good local candy shop can earn over nearly eight decades.
10. Sweeet! THE Candy Store, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Mark and Cindy Fox opened Sweeet! THE Candy Store in March 2012 at 100 Baltimore Street, just one block south of Lincoln Square in historic downtown Gettysburg. Mark personally designed and built the shelves and displays, starting with 1,000 items and expanding the inventory to over 4,000 nostalgic and unique treats.
The retro candy lineup is seriously impressive, covering Wax Bottles, Candy Buttons, BB Bats, Goetze’s Caramel Creams, Atomic Fire Balls, Charleston Chews, Chick-O-Sticks, Satellite Wafers, and Candy Necklaces, including a world’s largest version. International sections cover English, Irish, German, Spanish, and Japanese candies, with Cadbury Curly Wurly among the popular imports.
The soda selection holds the title of largest glass-bottled soda collection in Gettysburg, with over 200 varieties including more than 20 root beer options and unusual flavors like Bacon, Cucumber, Buffalo Wing, and Ranch Dressing. Over 50 saltwater taffy flavors, including French Toast and Golden Pear, can be mixed and matched from large bins. The store also offers online ordering, curbside pickup, and delivery for those who want their candy fix without leaving home.
11. Pepper Lane Fudge & Sweets, Intercourse, Pennsylvania
Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse has been home to this fudge shop since 1972, when it operated under the name Jim Garrahy’s Fudge Kitchen. The Sensenig family purchased it in 1999 and gave it its current name, and third-generation fudge maker Geoff Cordell took ownership in 2018, keeping the craft traditions firmly intact.
The shop produces nearly 25,000 pounds of fudge annually using a secret family recipe dating to the early 1800s. Raw ingredients are heated in seasoned copper kettles, then poured onto 750-pound Vermont marble tables where fudge makers hand-paddle the mixture for about 30 minutes. The result is a fudge with a firm crust and a creamy interior that holds up well for travel.
Year-round flavors include Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Turtle, while seasonal varieties rotate in Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel, Pumpkin, Maple Bacon, and Mint Chocolate Chip. Beyond fudge, the shop offers chocolate truffles, pretzel rods, giant chocolate-covered marshmallows, chocolate-covered Oreos, caramel sea salt nut clusters, and handmade peanut butter cups. Visitors can watch the fudge-making process and sample flavors before buying, which makes the decision-making process both fun and delicious.
