Richard P.
Yelp
I'm a sucker for Indiana's little historical gems and I'd long wanted to make it down to Schimpff's Confectionery in Jeffersonville, Indiana. During a recent day trip for a work project, I finally had the chance to check it out.
Schimpff's Confectionery is one of the oldest, continuously operating, and family owned candy businesses in the U.S. It was founded in 1891 by Gustav Schimpff Sr. and Jr.
Schimpff's is located in Jeffersonville's historic district downtown. It has a confectionery, lunch room, candy museum, and candy demonstration area. There's an actual 50's soda fountain and an original tin ceiling. The loosely organized setting reminds me of Heidelberg Haus (not in terms of the German piece, but more in terms of the disorganized sense of wonder). It's what I would call more accessible than Heidelberg, though. There's old-fashioned candy jars, cases, candy-making equipment, and much more. Schimpff's is largely devoid of the familiar national brands. This is truly a retro-vibed candy wonder.
Groups can arrange tours of the museum. Schimpff's has one of the few candy museums in the United States. It displays thousands of pieces of American candy memorabilia and represents decades of collecting candy equipment and artifacts.
Schimpff's is mostly known for its cinnamon red hots, hard candy fish, and Modjeskas (marshmallow dipped in caramel). As a fun fact, Modjeskas are named after a Polish actress who became famous in the U.S. in the late 19th century. The candy first surfaced in Louisville's Busath's Candies. For years, only Busath's called the candy by this name, but once Busath's closed other candy makers adopted the name that sticks to this day.
You can order online or do call-in orders. I found the prices very reasonable - for example, you can get a 1-pound can of cinnamon red hots for $10!
Employees here are super friendly and helpful and enthusiastic about explaining their business, candy making, candy history, and more.
While I'm not sure I'd say Schimpff's alone is worth the day trip to Jeffersonville, this area has quite a bit to offer and Schimpff's should definitely be part of it. I'm so excited I was able to check this off my Indiana bucket list.
Entryways are pretty accessible and everyone is helpful. While older buildings are definitely never perfect, for the most part I was able to do everything I wanted.