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    Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery

    4.2 (157 reviews)
    InexpensiveBakeries, Food Tours
    Open 10:30 am - 4:30 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    Recommended Reviews - Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery

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    Sign out front showimg the history of this place.
    Tim S.

    This was our 2nd stop on our pretzel tour between York and Philadelphia. This place was the first pretzel bakery in the modern New World. Pretty crazy, right? We didn't take the tour due to time constraints, but we walked around the shop/house and purchased quite a few pretzels for family/friends back home in AZ/CA. We tore into a bag of the Chris B's (get it?? crispy) in the car and they were nice and salty and came in different shapes. Dug into the sourdough ones when I got home to AZ and they are delicious as well. Great pretzels, friendly staff and a bit of a history lesson. Must stop if you are in Central PA near Lititz.

    The oldest pretzel bakery in the country!
    Michele F.

    A friend and I decided to explore Letitz this past weekend and were excited to visit this place. They run tours every 30 minutes, where a guide takes you into the old oven room and shows you how to roll your own pretzel. She also shared a lot of history about this bakery and the family who own it. After you complete your pretzel, you get a certificate showing you're an official pretzel twister. The tour ends with a free bag of pretzels and a walk through their store. In addition to selling different varieties of pretzels, they also sell souvenirs. The group on our tour was a mix of young families with kids, and adults of all ages. My friend and I had a great time and I would highly recommend stopping here if you're ever in Letitz.

    Dede C.

    We made a trip here during the time we were visiting my parents in order to see Lititz and this facility. We enjoyed the trip to Lititz, but I will say they had way too many people on the Sturgis tour and you just didn't have enough room to make your own pretzel. It was almost like they were more focused on making money on the tours that having the appropriate amount of people on the tour itself. We must've had 30 people on a tour that was made for 20. There was a fair amount of items in the store to purchase for pretzels and we enjoyed the selection, but I will say the tour itself is probably overrated. Just stop in and buy some pretzels and enjoy your time in LititzThe history of the town itself to me is more exciting and free to see in the historical society room than the tour of the pretzel factory itself.

    Front
    Annabelle L.

    It's a short storytelling by their staff of how Julius Sturgis came to create pretzels. Visitors also got to shape the dough to a pretzel shape, which is about 5 minutes to do. Then, we get a certificate stating we've completed the pretzel training.

    Symbols in a pretzel
    Saira K.

    Highly recommend you visit! This was a really great experience! The people working there are just great! Alison, the tour guide, and everyone else was great - welcoming, helpful, friendly! There's free parking on the street, further on in the historic center of Lititz there's meter parking, but here it's free, there's also a parking lot on the side. Don't miss the tour every half hour. It costs $6 and there are discounts. You get to make a pretzel! You learn about the history of the pretzel, you get samples and stickers. Fun! There's a shop with their pretzels. The soft pretzel was great! Don't miss this!

    Sign
    Will C.

    Decent selection of standard pretzels but really was hoping for a lot more different flavors to choose from. Still all in all, probably the best pretzels in the US so I'm not complaining much. Great selection of pretzel dips, chocolate covered pretzels and T-shirts. There is a tour you can take for $6/adult which I think would have made the experience great. Staff were pleasant and accommodating.

    Exterior
    Manish C.

    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.

    Lynndel F.

    What a fun stroll around the town of Lititz and enjoyed a Julius Sturgis pretzel on a pleasantly cool and sunny day. It was nice to experience warm pretzels freshly baked. Worth the wait in line for sure and they are vegan. Very friendly town. Parking was good too.

    Outside - historical marker
    Alexander P.

    Cute pretzel shop in Lititz with historical roots. The first commercial pretzel bakery in America. $1.75 for a soft pretzel. A must-stop if you're visiting Lititz.

    Nicole A.

    Amazing tour and history! Our guide, Colin, was informative and entertaining. My daughter loved making the pretzel and pretending to be a pretzel baker. The pretzels (hard and soft) we purchased afterwards were delicious.

    Jamie M.

    Cute little historic place, the soft pretzels are delicious. Be prepared to buy lots of pretzels! We should have done the tour.

    I made this!
    Miguel M.

    We didn't have any food, but we took the tour and it was very interesting. Got my hands into making my own pretzel and receive the certificate for it. I went through the fire and ice event so it was crowded, but the flow was smooth. The family history only proves that when family stays and works together, they can be successful. It's great way to spend time, learn some history, and enjoy the pretzels!

    Pretzel out front
    Shannon L.

    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.

    Two scrumptious handmade pretzels.

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    I wouldn't make a special trip for this but the tour is cheap and you get to touch stuff. Beautiful town

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    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.

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery

    Review Highlights - Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery

    Founded back in 1861, this place is the first commercial pretzel bakery in the U.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Uncle Henry’s Pretzel Bakery
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