Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery

Soft pretzels are one of my favorite things in the world, but I also love any pretzel really ... so when we decided to make a day trip to check out Lititz, PA, this is my top priority on the itinerary. The history all around the building in placards and given on the short and sweet tour were all informative and very interesting. Rolling and twisting your own pretzel was very cool as well. We spent quite a lot between ourselves and grabbing things for family in the store as well, because everything looks so good, and so far the few things we've tried back home have been great. Try the soft pretzel for sure! Being from Philly I've never met a soft pretzel I don't like, but theirs was very unique tasting compared to a philly street pretzel. Phenomenal.

We were in Lancaster County from Kentucky and just had to try a pretzel! Very cool atmosphere! My husband and I both got a hot pretzel and picked out some goodies to bring home. The pretzel was very good, however I would have liked to see samples of their mustard given with the pretzels instead of the Land o Lakes branded cheese.

My husband and I visited the historic Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, America's first pretzel bakery since 1861! We tried their original pretzel, which was soft and warm, but oh-so-salty! Although we skipped the pretzel-making tour, the gift shop was a fun stop. Picked up a cute souvenir magnet for Lititz - a sweet reminder of our visit. A must-visit for pretzel lovers and history buffs! 4/5 stars.

I've done this tour before and it was great last time. This round was not so good. They didn't have enough pretzels after the tour to buy. (They had like 5 total) The tour guide was unintelligible, monotone and was barely enthused. She memorized a script and you could tell. While she may be nice enough, she's not cut out to do these tours. I would not attend this again if same tour "guide."

A true American dream when you see the size of the operation and the inspiration to love family and to keep tradition small town. Small pretzel. But loved all over the world amazing Customer service, great tour. Amazing place to take children so that they can learn how to be disciplined and work hard and work together.

This was a fun experience and definitely recommend going! The house is beautiful and full of history. The pretzel tour is a great experience for all ages and the kids loved the hands on pretzel making part. Our tour guide was so engaging and enthusiastic especially with the kids. So neat to learn the history in a creative way and see alot of the building up close. We had a great time!

Looking for a great day out with the family, friends or a group of very curious little ones? This place is it! A educational flash back to one of our most loved salty snack. Its a quick tour with some treats. I highly recommend this place.

Love the “play dough” in learning how to make a pretzel. I loved the tour guide who shared the history and made it fun for the kiddos. I recall when I was there 20 something years ago.

We went on a tour with our school group and our guide Colin was absolutely fantastic!!! He had an awesome personality and really engaged the kids in the tour. After the tour we enjoyed freshly baked soft pretzels, which I can honestly say were the best I've ever had. Definitely going to stop in here again when we are in the area!!

Super fun experience to come and learn how to make pretzels from some of the friendly staff at the pretzel bakery! Our two toddler aged boys really enjoyed rolling out the dough and were pretty captivated by the machines and implements that were shown over the course of the tour. Our tour guide was friendly and engaging and at the end of the tour we enjoyed a bag of hard pretzels and then happily also ordered a soft pretzel and some other items from the giftshop on the way out. The area immediately around the bakery is lively and there are lots of other shops and restaurants around which make this a fun spot to spend a little extra time. Would certainly come back when in the area!

If you want to check off America's oldest pretzel bakery from your visit list, head on over to Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery in Lititz, PA. It's the perfect lazy day activity to add some flavor to your Lititz visit while you meander about the charming small town shops. It's not a large place, so tends to get packed and super busy, but it can clear out just as quickly. They offer reasonably priced tours, but there was a bit of a wait due to rush of tourists, so wound up not taking it. One negative was that it was really hot outside and they didn't seem to have air conditioning, so it was uncomfortably warm inside the building (even employees in the shop were commenting how hot it was). The soft pretzels were served hot, with a perfectly baked outer shell distinct from other soft pretzels. It was tasty and fresh, but not as soft as I like my soft pretzels to be, but perhaps that's what makes Julius Sturgis pretzels unique from other fresh pretzels you can get in the area. The soft pretzels are only $1.75 each (cheaper than most markets in the Lancaster area). Prices for pretzel products and souvenirs in the shop were moderate, but not unreasonable for a smaller local pretzelier (I may have made that word up). We wound up buying a bag of pretzel sticks to bring home. This place is definitely worth a stop for some unique history and a nice pretzel treat while visiting Lititz and the greater Lancaster area.

While in the Lancaster, PA area, I had several different soft pretzels, and they all were very good. BUT when I ate one of Julius Sturgis's pretzels, I had found the absolute BEST hot, fresh, soft pretzel that I have ever eaten !!! If you have the opportunity to visit the Lancaster area, I highly recommend that you go by Sturgis's and get an amazing and delicious pretzel ! Also a big shout out to the staff ! Thanks for a great experience. We will be back

Great spot to go with family or visitors. My kids had a blast and we enjoyed the fresh pretzels that we purchased after the tour.

This is such a cool part of history and also- I ate the best soft pretzel, hot from the oven, of my LIFE here! If nothing else, go get a pretzel (or 4!). The tour was really interesting and worth the super reasonable price. There's lots of interesting info (if you like pretzels!) and a shop full of all kinds of good stuff- pretzels in many forms, tshirts, pretzel earrings and stickers and magnets and other fun pretzel items. The people working here were super nice and helpful and you can't really ask for more! Oh- there's parking on the side and a bathroom, which was appreciated after a long drive.

Tour is a must! Not expensive and worth it. Friendly staff and amazing pretzels. It's small inside so expect a cluster during tourist season. I highly recommend the dark chocolate covered cinnamon pretzel sticks made with Wilbur chocolate.

This is a cute little shop with a huge pretzel out front for photo opportunities. The staff was friendly, but we weren't overly impressed with the fresh pretzel. It was hot and had plenty of salt, but it wasn't flavorful. It was bland and nothing I would get again. Some of the chocolate & other packaged pretzels in the shop were better.

We visited Lititz on a Sunday, so not much was open, thank goodness Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery was, as that was our intended destination. It was fairly crowded and the baking smells coming from inside were heavenly. We ordered two pretzels with cheese sauce, and went back for two more, so much for the diet. The pretzels had a crunchy outside and were so tender on the inside. The cheese sauce was more of a salsa cheese sauce and was scrumptious. The bakery is historical as it is America's First Pretzel Bakery, and they have been serving these delicious beauties for years. They do offer a pretzel making class, wish we had had time, that would have been a fun experience. If you find yourself in the area, you must stop.

Such a cute little stop. My son and I both enjoyed it. You get some dough and make your own pretzel, though you don't eat it, it's just for practice. You learn the history of the Italian monks and the reason for the shape and twist. $5 for the tour I highly recommend!!! You get a little bag of pretzels at the end and they're delicious!

Oh, let me tell you about the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery! It's like stepping into a twisted world of pretzel magic, where the dough is kneaded with love and the tours are as cute as a puppy doing tricks. Now, I know what you're thinking - a pretzel bakery tour? Is that even a thing? Well, my friend, prepare to have your mind pretzeled. The tour at Julius Sturgis is a delightful experience that will make you appreciate the art of pretzel-making like never before. For just five bucks, you get a 30-minute journey into the fascinating world of pretzel production. It's like being transported to a pretzel Willy Wonka's factory, minus the Oompa Loompas. As you walk through the bakery, you'll witness the intricacies of pretzel rolling, twisting, and baking, as if you're watching a group of aspiring contortionist bakers putting on a show. But here's where the cuteness factor kicks in. The tour guides are so passionate about pretzels, you can practically see the enthusiasm oozing out of their perfectly-shaped pretzel smiles. They'll regale you with fun facts about pretzel history, making you realize that these twisted treats have a story as fascinating as a twisty rollercoaster ride. And let's not forget about the samples! Oh, the samples. As you reach the end of the tour, you're rewarded with the sweet taste of victory. They'll offer you freshly baked pretzel samples, served with a side of dipping sauce that will make your taste buds do a happy dance. It's like a pretzel party in your mouth, and everyone's invited. So, if you're searching for a jolly good time and have a hankering for pretzels, the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery is the place to be. It's a cute and quirky adventure that's worth every penny of that five-dollar bill. Get ready to embark on a journey of doughy deliciousness and learn the twisted secrets of pretzel perfection. Trust me, you won't leave disappointed. Pretzel cheers to that!

My family loved the pretzel bakery, and I love them, so I that warrants a 5 star review. A very fun visit and a really cool slice of history. A must for any visitor to the area. There is a lot to see it Lititz! Check out our video here: https://youtu.be/lxo1vObNKiw

The staff at this historical place are warm and inviting ...as are the hot freshly made Lititz pretzels. Plus added fun learning how to twist your very own pretzels for yourselves from my friend Herb. Great teaching and fun experience for the entire family. Don't miss this historical business or, the many other places to see in our beautiful community. hopefully you saved a few pretzels for later, as there is a number of well established well liked brew pubs in town with delicious food available. LITITZ, PA ROCKS!

We had heard how good Julius Sturgis was and just had to try it. We were so glad that we did. I love soft pretzels. My husband loves hard pretzels. It was the perfect store for us. We didn't know there would be soft pretzels to try in the front and hard pretzel bags in the back. There were so many different varieties. We wanted to try them all. We bought cinnamon and regular hard pretzel bags. The best was the chocolate pretzel boxes. We live in Pittsburgh and we're getting to the end of our bags. We wish we lived closer and/or they sold them over here. It just means that we have to make another trip out to charming Lititz and see it again/buy more pretzels. Definitely try them out. You'll love them. So fresh and delicious!

"Yes I'm dying to be a star and make them laugh Sound just like a record on the phonograph Those days are gone forever Over a long time ago," (Pretzel Logic by Steely Dan) Any list of any "thing" or "events" has to have something that was first, right? So where might you think you'd find America's first commercial pretzel bakery? Well, courtesy of Julius Sturgis, you'd find it in Lititz, Pennsylvania. The Sturgis Pretzel Factory is still alive and kicking, producing and selling dozens of varieties of pretzels. Their pretzels are baked in nearby Reading, but they offer a very cool tour in Lititz where you can try your hand at the centuries old technique of pretzel twisting. We bought one of their delicious soft pretzels to split as a snack, and we bought a bag of cinnamon sugar pretzels for us and two mini bags for the grand kids, both of whom are evangelic in their love of pretzels. Sturgis Pretzels is a "must see" in Lititz.

Had a fantastic trip to the Sturgis Pretzel Bakery today! Our tour guide Chase (or maybe named Chance... i forget) was incredibly kind, funny and full of interesting pretzel facts!! The tour was 25minutes and included an opportunity to learn how to twist pretzel dough in the same vicinity of the original bakery. It was a total blast and an experience we won't soon forget. My family loves pretzels and this place is a must see for any "pretzel fan" traveling through the area. Everyone working there was friendly and it was a wonderful tour!

Fun tour. Got to learn how to twist a pretzel, and hear about the history of pretzels from human hands to industrial. Pretzel shop has samples and goodies to buy. Parking on the side parking lot. Friendly staff and interactive hour spent.

What a fun tour with Linda! She was knowledgeable and very entertaining. We learned quite a bit from her about the pretzel process and Sturgis family. We bought both a soft and bags of hard pretzels to take home. We are one of the families they talk about who buys a bunch to take home to Florida. Fun quick informative stop. Tours are 4$ for adults.

I never did the tour but the pretzel is delicious! I totally recommend the treat. They are always baking a new batch!

Bottom Line: Soft pretzels, a pretzel gift shop and even a tour. I didn't think I could visit Lititz without visiting the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery so despite just having had lunch my husband and I headed to the Pretzel Bakery. As much as I love a good tour we didn't make time to take it so our experience was limited to shopping the retail store and getting a soft pretzel. The soft pretzel was fine but it didn't standout to me. We got a side of cheese and I was expecting it to be more like a cheddar inspired cheese sauce but instead it was nacho cheese which I thought was a bit weird. We also got a pretzel ornament to remember our trip to Lititz. The employees were very friendly. Overall it was a nice pit stop and I'd definitely come back for the tour.

This is my second time doing this activity, but it's been at least 20 years since I participated in the pretzel making experience at the Reading location. The tour is probably more kid-oriented, but we found that it was also enjoyable for adults. They ask that you show up at least ten minutes before your scheduled tour time. The tour starts with some history on Julius Sturgis and his family's pretzel factory. There are tools, ovens, and automated machinery included in the tour for us to see how the pretzels have been created throughout the years. We also used clay to learn how to twist a soft pretzel. Each participant is given a certificate to acknowledge their newly gained pretzel making expertise. The certificate is a very cute touch for children participating in this tour. The tour ends in the gift shop where you can purchase pretzel related souvenirs; from actual hard and soft pretzels, to pencils, magnets, and shirts. We purchased a magnet, and also used a coupon from the Lititz Welcome Center to get two soft pretzels for the price of one. The soft pretzel was salty and pillowy, just as a freshly baked soft pretzel should be! Our tickets for two adults came to $8 total. This is fun activity to participate in while in Lititz!

I first came here back in 2012 when I still lived in PA and I absolutely loved it. My wife and I were visiting some family nearby back in Dec 2021 and I loved being able to take my wife here. The pretzel bakery was the first commercial pretzel bakery in the US and it's wonderful to learn about the history of the bakery, history of pretzels, and how pretzels were made back then. They still make soft pretzels for sale here and they are really, really good. They also have a decently-sized gift shop so you can pick up some pretzels to bring back home (we're very happy for that now as we live in TN). You 100% have to come here if you're visiting Lititz!

Not all pretzel factory offers in person tour. This one does. Your is every 1/2 hours. Just walk in. $3.75 per adult, $2.75 for lids for a 25 min tour. Whole tour took place in one big non air conditioner room including a make your own pretzel station and a demo oven area. We didn't use real flour dough but white play dough was used instead. Can't take the play dough with you either. Took a pic and leave it. Then pretend to put in oven. The tour guide did a good job. She was friendly and cheerful. We were given a small bag of hard pretzels before we leave. Bought some fresh soft pretzel at retail. $1.5 each. It's ok. They are much smaller in size as compared to the one we saw at the mall. In conclusion, won't return. It's out of our way from other tourist attraction. Go for a few hours experience but once is enough.

Very educational and interactive family-friendly experience. The tour guide was professional, knowledgeable and engaging. We were able to partake in the last tour of the day, sadly we were unable to enjoy any of the pretzels we had just learned all about; hence the 4 out of 5 stars. Best business practices for customer service would be to ensure there was ample product available for the entire day. Maybe another time.

We were passing thru the town of Lititz and decided to swing by Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery. The bakery was founded in 1861 and is America's Oldest Pretzel Bakery. It is also on the list of National Register of Historic Places in the U.S. Even though tours ($3.75/ticket) are currently suspended, you could still check out the snack/souvenir shop in a historic stone house. You can read up on the bakery's interesting history inside. The shop has lots of pretzel snacks, including fresh, soft pretzels made from the original recipe of Julius Sturgis at 2 for $4. They taste pretty good too!

Amazing soft pretzels. We stopped in here as we didn't want a big lunch. The gift shop was small but offered a lot of pretzel options from chocolate covered to sourdough. You can take a tour for a price, but we did not have a chance to do that. At the register, you can purchase fresh, hot, soft pretzels. They also have cheese sauce and yellow mustard. Prices were inexpensive. We got 2 pretzels, a bag of sourdough pretzels and a container of cheese sauce for $9.00. The fresh pretzel was amazing. My only wish is they had honey mustard to go with it!

Fun and well worth the visit! Their pretzels are top notch! I ate three soft ones before I left.

This place is adorable and historic! Lots of pretzel options for purchase and they have a tour and pretzel making lesson for like $4. We didn't do the tour but did grab some fresh soft pretzels, which I thought were okay. My favorite part was the giant pretzel out front.

What a fun place to go. The staff was super friendly where they took us out a tour they explained it was all about where hard pretzels came from who invented them. We got to try free samples just a lot of fun there's a gift shop in which you can buy pretzels. pretzels were delicious if you're in town what a great thing to do

I've taken all my kids here. It's so much fun to learn about history and food that was started back in the day.

When you initially come in your enter the shop of where they sell hard and fresh soft pretzels. The soft pretzels are delicious and warm, the cheese is also good. They have a buy 2 soft pretzels with cheese deal for $4 which is what I got. Great snack :) there is quite a variety to choose from for the hard pretzels in their shop as well as clothing items. There is also an option to pay for a Julius Sturgis pretzel factory tour which was happening when we got there in the back area. Very cool. We would like to do that sometime in the summer just to learn how everything started. We love places that have a long legendary history behind them so I recommend checking this place out if you're in the area!

Quick 25 minute tour that explained the company's history of making pretzels. I loved how we were able to participate hands on with making the twist of the pretzel and how they go through each step of doing so. It was a very in depth tour and our guide was able to answer all the questions we had. This was a great experience for all ages.

Super fun! Great tour guide! The tour was really interesting and hands on for the kids. The pretzels are delicious!!!

This old pretzel factory is a great amount of fun. All the employees were incredibly nice. Our tour guide was energetic and fun. Apologies, I forgot his name. There is a great amount of education and entertainment. The tour is short, about 30 mins. I would not recommend it for young kids. However, as an adult, it's a blast. The tour is only $4, but the history is priceless.

Sooooo I've taken the tour like 6 times.... Is that bad? HAHAHAHA I love this place! They created the hard pretzels that we know and love today! It is so nice to see them still in business. Even though I've taken the tour so many times, I still learn new stuff each time that I take it. Did you know that in the past, they were able to twist 53 pretzels per minute??? CRAZY!!!! I also love finding out that this room was their bedroom, this was their kitchen etc. If you get there at the right times, they have fresh hot soft pretzels for sale! They also sell other pretzel related chotskies... Ive gotten their magnets and a few Christmas ornaments! They also sell T-shirts and hats. But most importantly, they sell PRETZELS! Plain, with cheese, extra salt, chocolate dipped! Everything! All in all, a very very cute little tour. It costs $5 per person. I really like keeping places like this going. If you are in the area, make a reservation and go! its so much fun!!! I would like to add that I miss Intercourse pretzel factory ...

pretzels are amazing!! My family took the tour and learned the making of the pretzels. it was fun and very cool! Everyone were so friendly.

great little tour! Everyone is friendly, and it is so informative. A tour bus came as we were leaving and boy was there a crowd and a line. The pretzel itself was good, and the hard pretzels were surprisingly light. There was a coupon for BOGO pretzel in the tour map from the hotel. Glad to have gone.

This was a wonderful experience. We had scheduled a tour, but ended up two hours late due to some crazy traffic on a travel day. I had called to let them know we could not make it. We eventually arrived and were very lucky that there was space on the last tour of the day. It was a really interesting view into how pretzels were made back in the day, and both our kids and we enjoyed it. Also can't beat freshly made soft pretzels afterwards. I'd also highly recommend the chocolate covered pretzels with peanut butter in them. Absolutely worth the visit!

The best pretzels, anywhere! Hot, soft pretzels are wonderful, especially on a cold day! Many awesome specialty pretzel selections as well.

Such a fun time at the Julius Sturgis Pretzel bakery! The store had a wide variety of treats, pretzels and other snacks. They even had samples so you could try their wide variety of pretzels before buying. The warm soft pretzels did the trick before entering the tour. The prices were pretty great too! We were called in for our tour and our tour guide, Abby was knowledgeable and super sweet! We heard the cool history of the Sturgis pretzel factory and then got a chance to roll out our own pretzel using their technique. After getting some more info on the history and seeing the ovens, we all left with a small bag of pretzels! A fun time for kids and adults of all ages. Important note before you go-- The tour isn't air conditioned, so better off going when it's not super hot outside!

Small fun tour in a beautiful town. Went to this bakery and sampled all the pretzels. The tour guide was awesome! Great story teller. Tours are short and small, perfect for kids or really anyone. The history is amazing and fun to hear about. Practice rolling a pretzel and sample some on your way out. Soft pretzels are available on site and lots of stuff to buy. Walk to cute town after and stay for lunch or dinner!

Surprisingly busy! We got a couple of soft pretzels but didn't do the tour. Worth a look

enjoyable tour. first hard pretzel maker in the US according to them. cool. interactive pretzel making is part of the tour. high energy tour guide. really enjoyed it.

Avoid. Tour guide (I believe her name was Sandy) was rude to both of my kids. There's a way to speak to kids when you are giving them a tour and there's a way not to speak to them when they aren't your kids. People at front desk were too busy talking among themselves that they forgot to even give me my tickets after I paid for them. Then I hear when I'm walking away "it's funny seeing people in shorts." Maybe because it was 75 degrees out. While I'm sure they meant nothing by that comment, it probably isn't best practice to talk about your guests. Getting back to Sandy...an older woman who worked there joined the tour and was chatting with my wife and kids. Sandy who previously told my kids not to speak said nothing then! I guess that was the boss talking to my wife and kids. Just awful and the soft pretzels tasted horrible.

In part this ship gets 4 stars for its historical importance as being one of the first pretzel shops. I love history and will continue to support a business that has been going for so long. They offer a fair amount of pretzel options from hard to soft and those with chocolate, peanut butter, etc. I had a soft pretzel which I would consider better than a store bought but not the best I've had.

A bit of history and a true step back into it. The story behind this merchant and its history is something to see. Really great and unique hard and soft pretzels. Take the tour and you will get a look at what's behind the art of pretzel baking. I now am a graduate of the school

This place is awesome. The tour is super cute and you get to make a (plain dough) pretzel. Our tour guide was a very peppy young woman who seemed to be having a blast despite the heat when we were there. The pretzels have a great light malt flavor. My husband has become obsessed with the horse and buggy shaped ones and we made the hour and a half trip again to buy 6 bags to hold us over. They also had some dark chocolate dipped caramel topped pretzels which were amazing. I'm not sure if they are a winter-only item but well worth it.

Stopped by before heading home from the Lititz Fire & Ice Festival just as they opened and unfortunately we would have had to wait 40 minutes for pretzels. I understand that you can take a tour and perhaps that's when the first pretzels of the day get made but I doubt I'm the only person who stops in before heading home in hopes of picking up a freshly made pretzel. The displays were really cool and they offer a nice selection of their products for sale in the shop so I was able to pick up some snacks for the road (albeit not warm ones). We'll be back for the 2020 Fire & Ice Festival and will plan for the tour.

Tried to buy pretzels twice the same morning. The store area was Jammed packed with some folks just pigging out on packaged pretzels blocking the doorways after making their purchase, oink oink. We came back and the scrum in the shop was too big there was no apparent checkout line so we left.

The pretzels were $1.50 which was a good price. They are very small and not too warm which was disappointing. The shop itself was adorable and sold horse and buggy pretzel bags for 50 cents which was a nice "souvenir." Personally, the hard bags of pretzels were much better than the soft ones. Went during the Lititz fire and ice festival so the store was crowded and there were no pretzels at the time. We had to return right before closing and were lucky enough to get one