Today you can pick up all your groceries in one swift trip to the supermarket – but seeking out an independent general store can lead you to all manner of gourmet treasures. These versatile shops have been on village main streets and rural roadsides for centuries, and there's often no telling what you'll find inside. Here we've discovered 30 of America's most historic general stores, offering everything from homemade sweet treats to one-of-a-kind trinkets. Due to COVID-19, be sure to check local travel restrictions, including state travel advisories, and individual stores before visiting.
Old Village Mercantile is a destination for the sweet-toothed, hawking some 600 varieties of retro candy, plus homemade ice cream and Amish-made fudge. It's had plenty of practice whipping up these moreish sweet treats too: its more-than-a-century-long lifespan has earned it a deserving place on the National Register of Historic Places. You'll find it tucked away in quaint Caledonia, a Missouri town renowned for its Scottish heritage.
This Southern shop – dating right back to 1872 – charms visitors before they even step inside, with a wood-clad façade draped in greenery and fronted by neat flower beds. The interior is filled with tempting treats too. Loyal customers swing by for the store's own blackberry jelly, pickles and Georgia peach hot sauce. There's also a café selling handmade sandwiches and just-baked goods.
This rustic general store in eastern Texas has a history stretching back to 1907, when it served as a mercantile and post office for the buzzy cotton town of Hearne. Sadly the shop was closed for almost four decades in the 20th century, before being revived again in 2007. Now it's a hot spot for groceries and gifts once more, and it also dishes up daily lunch specials from burgers and brisket to fried catfish.
The folks at Wilson Store promise a walk back in time, as the restored shop dates to the 1850s. The upstairs is dedicated to antiques and home décor, while downstairs stocks a glorious hodgepodge of goodies. Customers can stock up on everything from Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese and locally-made jellies to handmade soaps and old-school candy. There's country ham and house-made chips on offer too.
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New England's The Brick Store is held up as the oldest continuously-operating general store in the States. It was opened right back in the 1790s, when it also served as a post office, and in the store's more recent history, punters have included the likes of 44th President Barack Obama. Today it's a sweet lover's dream, famed for its handcrafted fudge and maple syrup. Customers can usually pick up made-to-order sandwiches at the deli as well.
This veteran general store – the oldest in the state of California – has seen a lot in its 150-plus year history. Knights Ferry General Store's 1852 founding date means it predates the American Civil War and it also survived the devastating Great Flood of 1862. Today the shop is crammed full of fresh local produce and deli goodies, while the saloon and grill dish up burgers, sandwiches and salads.
There are a handful of Mast General Stores across the southeast now, but this is the original and, some might say, the best. The store and its nearby annex were built in the 1880s and 1909 respectively, on land purportedly traded for sheepskin, a dog and a rifle. Today the main store still houses the town's post office and sells cookware and cups of coffee for 5 cents a pop. The annex, meanwhile, brims with retro candy.
This Jericho stalwart has a history spanning more than two centuries, beginning life in 1807. Back then it sold farm produce, molasses and rum. Some 200 years later it remains a staple of the community, and farm-fresh goods and local delights are still the speciality. Come by for deli meats smoked on site and Vermont maple "creemees" – cones piled high with maple syrup-flavored soft-serve ice cream.
Beale Street is the glittering main artery of Memphis and A. Schwab Trading Company is its oldest store. The shop opened way back in 1876, when it sold household bits and basic clothing. Now the store is an Aladdin's cave of Memphis memorabilia, old-school sweets and cookware. There's also an old-fashioned soda fountain for retro milkshakes and ice cream-topped waffle cones.
Visitors en route from pretty Cataract Falls should make a stop at Cataract General Store, a cornerstone of the little town of Spencer since 1860. True to its roots, it's still stocked with groceries and snacks, plus toys, camping gear and souvenirs too. House specialities include moon pies – marshmallow encased in graham cookies and typically doused in chocolate – and pickles from a decades-old pickle barrel.
Proprietors of the Port Gamble General Store promise visitors they'll embark on a "treasure hunt" when they pass through the door. The cute shop is fit to bursting with souvenirs, local tipples and candy, while the on-site café dishes out home-baked goods, ice cream and sandwiches to hungry shoppers. The store building dates back to 1916 and it's also been home to offices for the Puget Mill Company.
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"Doing it the Bradley's way since 1927" – that's the motto of this homely country store on the outskirts of Florida's capital. Turns out the Bradley's way involves dishing out tempting smoked sausages made to a recipe that's been in the family since 1910, when Grandma Mary Bradley began selling sausages right from her own kitchen. Customers can also try country delights like hogshead cheese and mayhaw jelly, and pick up gift packs loaded with goodies.
This quaint-as-can-be general store is right in the middle of Amish country and is thought to be the oldest of its kind still operating in the state. It's been serving the folks of Trumbull County since 1840 and is still a top stop for sweet treats, from old-school soda to homemade fudge. The pies are the real drawcard though – traditional Amish fry pies are filled with fruits like blueberries and peaches, then fried and glazed to perfection.
A wonderful mishmash of gifts and groceries can be found within the walls of The Brewster Store. The building actually began life as a church in 1852, before being converted to a store in 1866. Since then it's satisfied the folks of small town Brewster with its impressive selection of oil lamps, clothing and gourmet treats. Staff will grind carefully selected, imported coffee beans right on site, and direct you to shelves heaving with saltwater taffy, penny candy and cranberries picked from local bogs.
Fishtail General Store says it's offered punters "a little bit of everything since 1900". True to word, there's not much you won't find inside this long-running mercantile. There are little trinkets and antiques, all manner of dried and canned goods, and, for foodies, tasty deli sandwiches and ice cream for sale. This photo shows the store's old-school original sign.
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This Hansel and Gretel-esque shop may look like a movie set, but it's been a permanent fixture of the little town of St. James since 1857. Still at the heart of the local community, the store was home to the town's very first post office and was here when St. James was little more than a huddle of 30 houses. Now it offers a tasty slice of history, its shelves laden with jellies, pickles and candy. There are baked goods for sale too.
Operating as a general store since 1809, this spot still promises its customers "the best in country home accessories and gourmet specialties" some 200 years later. The pretty clapboard shop is named for James Brown and William Hopkins, the store's owners from the Roaring Twenties. Today there's still no shortage of things to sink your teeth into: look out for fruity butters, spices, rubs and relishes by local makers.
From May through to October, punters pour into the sweet Cottagewood Store for their foodie fix, as they have done for more than a century. The shop was established in 1895 and it remains a beloved Deephaven landmark, now selling gifts and souvenirs and typically holding events too. Stock up on candy for the kids and stick around for a breakfast sandwich or a Cottagewood Flat – handmade paninis filled with oozy cheese and meats.
General stores don't come much more rustic or old-school than Rabbit Hash, operational since 1831. It's barely changed in almost two centuries, despite surviving a devastating trio of floods in 1884, 1913 and 1937. The latter left the little shop almost entirely underwater. Today it's a one-stop shop for trinkets and foodie gifts, with hampers on sale for beer lovers, coffee fiends and more.
Customers will feel like they've been sucked into a time machine at this super-retro spot in northeastern Texas. The shop dates back to the 1870s and the modern owners have kept vintage touches that offer up a slice of the past. There's an old-school juke box and a soda fountain, and you can fill up on root beer floats and 5-cent coffee. The pecan pralines and Blue Bell Ice Cream are the house favorites.
The Old West-style sign and the promise of "Fountain Lunch" hints at the age of this Californian shop. It's located in former mining boom town Randsburg and it originally served as Jone's Drug Co., before opening as a general store in the 1930s. Today punters still swing by for groceries, then sit at the counter and sip malt milkshakes, or feast on breakfast plates and deli sandwiches.
Another New England jewel, Hope General Store was established in 1832 and has been in operation ever since. It's long been a spot for pantry staples and still stocks everything from candy and soft drinks to crackers and canned soup, plus a huge range of craft beers. On the hunt for lunch? Made-to-order sandwiches, pizzas and hot specials will fill you up after a bit of retail therapy.
This historic spot is billed as the "oldest continually-operating retail establishment in Oregon" and it's now looked after by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. It has its roots in the 19th century, when bourbon was brewed right out the back and it was the community's go-to shop. Today it's open seasonally and still operates as a dinky store and café for deli sandwiches, ice cream and camping provisions.
Russell’s General Store looks picture-perfect, with its super-neat stacked shelves, piano and vintage magazines. But despite its relatively modern aesthetic, the store has been operating since 1919, when it was established by namesake Cecil Russell. You can still stock up on canned and dried goods, but be sure to sample one of the house bakes: Russell's fruit pies are now the stuff of local legend.
Barely changed since the 1920s, this classic general store occupies a spot along the old Route 66 – in fact, it actually predates the Mother Road herself. It's still a favorite stop-off spot for travelers who come by to admire the original old tin ceiling and to stock up on provisions for the road. As well as plants, little gifts and Route 66 relics, there's fresh produce, canned goods and hearty deli sandwiches.
You can't miss the cheerful shop front of Good Hart General Store, clad in red and draped with rosette flags. The current building dates to the 1930s, then serving as a typical grocery store and gas station, and has now had the same owner since the Seventies. There's even still a vintage cash register dating to 1901. Today the store sells everything from books to Michigan-made gifts, but it's the food that keeps people coming back. The warming pot pies have been sold since 1986, while the cookies have a diehard local fanbase.
Protected by the Vineyard Trust, Alley's General Store is the oldest retail spot on the resort island of Martha's Vineyard, in operation since 1858 (with a recent change in ownership). Today Alley's is as much a local hangout as it is a store. Visitors will find all the usual, time-tested goodies from coffee and snacks to candy for the kids.
Its name a giveaway, this delightfully old-school general store dates back to 1904, and came out of the 1904 World's Fair. Beyond the gifts and homewares, sweet treats are this spot's speciality. Visitors can expect tempting chocolate displays, slabs of homemade fudge and rainbow rows of saltwater taffy.
The roots of this fetching country store are hazy, but it's known that they began with a business named Farmer’s Supply circa 1910. From then on, the store's doors never fully closed and it operated as a general hardware store for generations. Times were hard in the 1990s and the store only opened one night per week – but it's been fully operational again since 2007. Punters can get their fix of local apple butter and baked goods, and peruse cookware and barrels filled with candy. The venue is also renowned for its live music events and café.
With a history dating back to 1792, The Colebrook Store is tipped as the longest continuously-operating general store in the state, and today it has a foodie focus. Glass cabinets heave with fresh baked goods from chocolate éclairs to sticky cinnamon buns, and there are daily deli specials. Pizza Friday is always a hit as well.