Last summer, while exploring Lititz, I walked past the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery and immediately wanted to go inside. There was only one small problem...they were closed. Fine, Universe. NOTED. I'll come back. Fast forward to an early August Thursday when my Lancaster Adventure Day brought me back within striking distance of Lititz. I remembered my unfinished pretzel business from the year before and worked a visit into my afternoon. This time, I did my homework first! The Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery is more than just a place to buy pretzels. Founded in 1861, it's America's first commercial pretzel bakery, and the Sturgis family is the oldest pretzel-baking family in America. The historic building itself dates all the way back to 1784, so you're walking into a legitimate piece of Pennsylvania history. Even better? They offer interactive tours! I was able to reserve my tour online ahead of time, selected the 3pm time slot and received a confirmation letting me know I'd pay when I arrived. For only $6 for an adult tour, this felt like a ridiculously inexpensive addition to my adventure day. Supposedly, I was also going to learn how to twist a pretzel. An interactive food experience AND some Pennsylvania history for $6?! Heck yes! Let the countdown begin! Traffic getting into Lititz was a bit challenging that afternoon, but I pulled in right on time for my 3pm tour. I found metered street parking within a short walk of the bakery and paid about $3 for an hour and a half, which gave me plenty of time for the tour and some shopping afterward. I checked in at the desk just inside the door, paid my $6 and headed directly into the tour. Our guide was energetic, engaging and really good at keeping both the adults and the little kids interested. The tour lasted about 25 to 30 minutes and covered the history of Julius Sturgis, America's pretzel-baking history, the original ovens and how pretzel making has changed since the bakery opened in 1861. Then came my favorite part...WE GOT TO TWIST PRETZELS! Everyone received a piece of practice dough and our guide walked us through how to roll and properly twist it into that iconic pretzel shape. Learning the history and meaning behind the different steps of twisting the pretzel was probably my favorite part of the entire tour. One important thing to know ahead of time: you aren't actually making an edible pretzel during the tour. The dough is strictly for practicing the twisting technique and gets discarded afterward due to food safety regulations. I was a tiny bit disappointed because I had visions of proudly eating my handcrafted masterpiece, but once I understood why, it made sense. But what DID I get to keep?! My OFFICIAL PRETZEL TWISTER CERTIFICATE! Listen, I'm a kid at heart. You give me a certificate announcing that I have successfully learned how to twist a pretzel and I am going to treasure that thing like I just completed an advanced degree in carbohydrates. I'm absolutely framing it. And I'm absolutely hanging it somewhere among my legitimate professional certificates. After the tour, everyone received a small bag of Julius Sturgis hard pretzels and was encouraged to explore the bakery store. They had all kinds of pretzel goodies and souvenirs, including pretzels, shirts, aprons, magnets and other fun little mementos. I found the prices surprisingly reasonable for a tourist attraction. Since I couldn't eat the pretzel I twisted, there was really only one responsible course of action...buy a soft pretzel. And it was fantastic! Their soft pretzels are baked fresh on-site using Julius Sturgis' original recipe, and mine was fluffy, warm and generously covered in salt. It was my first Julius Sturgis soft pretzel and a pretty fantastic way to finish the experience. For $6, I thought the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery tour was an awesome little experience. It's interactive, educational, inexpensive and extremely family-friendly. There were some very young kiddos in my group, and our guide did a great job keeping them involved and entertained. Would I take the tour again? Probably not, simply because I feel like I got the full experience the first time. But should you do it once? Absolutely! It's Pennsylvania history you can touch, twist and then celebrate afterward by eating a completely different pretzel someone else professionally made for you. And you'll have the certificate to prove it! read more

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Cute little storytelling tour that lasts just under 30 minutes. You learn some history and get dough to shape your own pretzel, but you don't get to cook it or take it home. At the end, they give you a small bag of hard pretzels. The storytelling was good and the workers were friendly, but I wasn't too impressed. It's a small, cramped space, and I'd recommend the tour for kids 8 and up. Our group had several kids ages 2-5, with lots of crying and screaming, making it hard to hear and very difficult for the storyteller. You can reserve your tour online, and they start on time, so keep that in mind. There is street parking and a few spots in the back, and we had no trouble finding a spot. There's a gift shop available and fjeu also sell soft pretzels and other snacks. Overall, it's a cute and cheap activity if you have an extra 20-30 minutes. read more

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Looking for fun things to do on a trip to Amish Country with my girlfriend, I stumbled across the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery. We decided to take advantage of the 25-minute pretzel bakery tour. At $6, it was a great deal. I love history, I love pretzels, and the bakery tour was a great way to merge my love of both. Our knowledgeable tour guide told us of the history of the building, what drove Julius Sturgis to become a pretzel baker, and the history of pretzel baking in the Sturgis family and how the family has adapted to changing times (they're still making pretzels although not in the original Lititz location). We even got to practice twisting a pretzel of our own (I was far from a natural). Everybody got a little bag of pretzels for our pretzel twisting efforts. The gift shop has plenty of great pretzel treats, pretzel magnets, pretzel ornaments, and such along with very tasty soft pretzels for purchase. The Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery is a great place for a fun little visit. read more

This shop is cool because they also provide tours, though I came too late to join the tour unfortunately. It's still cool to see some of the old stuff and they have a lot of fun hard pretzel flavors to try. I also got a soft pretzel, but it honestly wasn't all that great. It was dry and too salty, and they didn't offer any mustard. The service was good though and it's a nice place, I just don't recommend the soft pretzels. read more

Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery - Pretzel - Bakeries Near Me - Lititz, Pennsylvania

The tour is quite short and starts earlier than they tell you. We were 3 mins late due to every street being shut down. The tour was half over when we got there. The staff was nice and rushed to get us in but we missed a lot for only being 3 mins late. So please arrive early! Even still it's a super short tour. You get free hard mini pretzels. We bought pretzels as well and they were amazing. I wish we bought more. They were super cheap. read more

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If you're of a certain age, you may remember that Mr. Rogers visited this pretzel bakery back in the day. Walk inside and it's largely unchanged. A tour of the country's first pretzel bakery is offered for those who pay. It's guided and doesn't last too long. You can also just pop in to see the lobby and shop where you can buy their famous hard pretzels. For $2, you can get a warm pretzel. That's what I got. It was warm, but didn't taste very good. It's still worth going if you love history. read more

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I visited the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery this past Sunday when I was passing through Lititz. Julius Sturgis founded the bakery in 1861, and it's still family-owned today (although they now bake their pretzels at a modern facility outside Lititz). For $6 (for adults), you can experience a 25-minute tour. It includes a lesson on the history of Julius Sturgis and his pretzel bakery, the chance to twist your own pretzel (they give you a piece of dough and you can twist it, but it doesn't get baked - fair enough, some were pretty ugly), a look at the old ovens (they use pizza ovens now), and a bag of pretzels for a snack. It might be a little kitschy, but our tour guide was very nice and it was fun to experience a little Lititz history while passing through town! Even if you don't want to do a tour, you can stop inside the old factory, pick up a soft pretzel, and do some shopping in their gift shop - but it was a fun experience! read more

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This is a nice activity to check out if you're in the area. The tour takes about 30 minutes and includes a history of the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Factory. They even give you a piece of pretzel dough so you can learn how pretzels were made back in the day. The presentation room can get pretty warm since the ovens are running. I was surprised to learn that you don't get to eat the pretzel you make--they only give you a pretzel-shaped bag as a keepsake. If you want fresh pretzels, you can buy them in the gift shop afterward. There's a small parking lot on the side as well as street parking. Overall, it's a good experience and a fun way to spend some time if you're nearby. read more

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Their pretzels are out of this world' .. I think everyone woulld say the same .. Soooo warm and delicious.. I love mustard on mine .. it's a meal in itself for me ..., They are also great rewarded .. so brink home for later on .. or freeze them . Thaw and reheat them in the microwave, wrapped in a paper towel .. Reheat on low .. start with a few seconds so you don't make them tough... I learned that the hard way .. Enjoy !' read more

If your a pretzel lover & find yourself in Litiz,PA , be sure to check this place out. The staff were very accomadating, when I had to change tour from July 3, to July 4 later tour in the day. Charlie, our tour guide made the history of pretzel & Sturgis family interactive, fun well learning history of oldest pretzel bakery. My favorite part of the tour was viewing the old style kitchen and oven. I love how the bakery stayed within the family. For me, visiting there production factory of other well known pretzels, felt like a piece of puzzle; into pretzel history. The tour itself $6, 1/2 hour long, 150 year old bakery, where the soft pretzel are still made. The decor,pretzel tree, and products were sold, with soft pretzels, made in house , and option to get cheese on the side. Side note: The location in Reading, PA , connected to bakery , has a catalog, to order pretzels, pretzel tins etc.. A must visit for Lancaster PA, on everyone list. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery - Front - Bakeries Near Me - Lititz, Pennsylvania

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I love this place. Great history, super friendly high school kids staffing the place. Get a tour, get a soft pretzel, grab some treats for your friends from the gift shop. If you grab one of those Lancaster passports by the front door there's a coupon in there for a BOGO on the soft pretzels. :-) read more

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! read more

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Fond memories since childhood, you can go on a tour and see how the pretzels are made. In the retail shop, enjoy an assortment of their homemade items including speciality pretzels with seasonings and chocolate covered (with Wilbur's from down the road of course!) Pleasant and friendly staff, it's a must stop! read more

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. read more

Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery - Sign - Bakeries Near Me - Lititz, Pennsylvania

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Love pretzels? This is the place for you. We've come here a few times and just love the interactive tour. It's just 25-30 minutes, which is the perfect amount of time for our little kids. The first part of the tour starts off with a quick overview on the history of the pretzel factory but quickly moves onto the interactive part of the tour where you get to roll out your own pretzel. Kids began working on the factory floor at the age of four! Sturgis also had 14 children, 7 girls and 7 boys. What started off as a crazy idea of dough left behind in the oven, turned into a snack that is beloved by millions of people. Our kids loved rolling out their own pretzels then watching the machine that twisted out pretzels. But the biggest hit? Getting a bag of pretzels at the end of the tour! There is a gift shop where you can buy some really unique Sturgis pretzels at the end from the horse and buggy Lancaster pretzels to the cheddar and sourdough pretzels. They also sell some tasty looking soft pretzels with a tub of hot cheddar cheese. What a fun stop! This is something kids will love! read more

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

Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Lititz, Pennsylvania

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. read more

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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. read more

Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Lititz, Pennsylvania

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. read more

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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. read more

Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Lititz, Pennsylvania

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Julius Sturgis is a must-do pretzel shop that traces its roots back to the 19th century. Your tour, which is really the primary reason you'd stop in, provides a snapshot into that era. The tour offers a little of everything, history lessons, insights into early American child labor, and (oddly) religious references while pretzelmaking. Once you're done pretzelmaking, you have the opportunity to tour the store. I grabbed a few soft pretzels with cheese - I was disappointed to find the cheese was a cold sealed cup of cheese - and went to snack in the car. I was underwhelmed by the pretzels, which weren't hot when we got them. They were on the denser side, and the salt was more of the light pretzel salt vs. the big white specks ala Super Pretzels. While it was a worthwhile experience, I think I'd settle for a nice hot pretzel at another location the next time I'm near Lititz. read more

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! read more

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! read more

Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery - I made this! - Bakeries Near Me - Lititz, Pennsylvania

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. read more

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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. read more

Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery - Two scrumptious handmade pretzels. - Bakeries Near Me - Lititz, Pennsylvania

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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 read more

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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! read more

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I went here for the first time a few months ago and it was great. Informative, professional, and well done by adult staff. I came back with my wife and it was awful from the moment we stepped in the door. Unprofessional employees yelling and not paying attention. The tour is supposed to max out at 20 people but had 31 (to my count) in it. So full that not everyone could participate. During the tour, other employees could be seen and heard goofing around. The oldest employee was probably 17 or 18, and there was zero professionalism taking place. I bought a pretzel at the end and even though I was the first one in line and there were three employees behind the counter, they had to finish chatting and giggling before taking the order. Would recommend looking to see who is working and if the tour is overpacked before visiting. Embarrassing hires and employees. read more

"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. read more

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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. read more

Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery - Dark chocolate covered cinnamon pretzel sticks - Bakeries Near Me - Lititz, Pennsylvania

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Pretzels as always amazing!! 3 stars are all for the Pretzels...actually deserve 5 But... the team working the store Saturday 11/16 were extremely rude and threw our bag of hard pretzels around rather violently... They really need to calm down and respect their customers read more

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! read more

Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery - Our pretzels - Bakeries Near Me - Lititz, Pennsylvania

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. read more

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A must stop for anyone going to Lancaster. How else would we ever know about the history of the pretzel? We have generational pictures with the pretzel outside! read more

Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery - Famous pretzel photo - Bakeries Near Me - Lititz, Pennsylvania

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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. read more

Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery - The storefront - Bakeries Near Me - Lititz, Pennsylvania

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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! read more

Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Lititz, Pennsylvania

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