With tours on the half hour, the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Company is one that is not to be missed if you're in the area. Children 1-3 are free, 3 - 12 are $2.50, and 12 up are $3.50. For a very reasonable $8.50, my sons and I were able to get a 1/2 tour with a very dynamic young speaker. In the past I believe you were able to eat your own pretzel however due to health code, you learn how to twist pretzels and then are given hard pretzels at the end of the tour. My kids are soft pretzel fans so knowing this I bought them soft pretzels ($1.25 per pretzel). After the hands on portion, we got certificates which was a nice touch. It was a great and affordable way to spend the afternoon and interesting to learn a bit about the different machinery and techniques that go into pretzel making! Very glad that we went. read more

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

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We made a reservation in advance online for a weekday morning visit. Good thing we did - a tour bus of visitors were there, and we were the only other people! The tour was informative but not boring. It was fun to learn how to twist a pretzel and to be able to try it out. Loved the little sample of pretzels we got at the end of the tour. We later enjoyed the pretzels we bought at the gift shop. A fun visit! read more

1 star for the $3 "Factory Tour", which lasts under 15 minutes and chiefly informs you that their pretzels are now manufactured somewhere else. 5 stars for the notion of taking a free look at the historical photos and the miniature animatronic diorama of pretzel bakers, then buying a fresh hot pretzel and munching it as you stroll around the quaint sidewalks of historic Lititz. Net, 3 stars. read more

Did this tour on a snowy day. Very informative and the people were super nice!! Very reasonably priced and the fresh hot pretzels are fabulous!!!! read more

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

Super neat place in Lititz! This was probably my favorite place we stopped in to visit while in PA. The prices are super reasonable($1 for a soda, less than 2 for soft pretzel). The tour was pretty cool and interesting with a hands on experience. The pretzels they handed out with the tour were amazing. I can't explain the texture but it was a great little pretzel read more

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It was a great experience. Ask for Stella to be your guide. She's the best. Very informative, very interactive, very reasonably priced. Disclaimer: soft pretzels are sold separately and seemed to be just okay in flavor, but still tasty. I had no problem eating it :) read more

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

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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. read more

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. read more

Very nice people working in the store. The fresh soft pretzels were delish. I would recommend. They were helpful getting the information to you about their products and how to order them read more

The Sturgis Pretzel House claims to be the first pretzel factory in America. The actual factory for Sturgis pretzels is elsewhere, but this building is maintained as a gift shop and museum for those who are interested in the history of the pretzel in America. For a small fee ($3 adults, $1 children, less for groups), you get a tour of their facility, a history lesson in how pretzels were invented and how they became part of American culture, and of course a small bag of pretzels. The bags of pretzels available in the gift shop are also tasty, and include a number of multi-grain varieties. If you are in the area with kids, it is definitely worth a stop. The whole experience should take you an hour or less. read more

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What an amazing place to learn how pretzels are made. The staff is very friendly and offers lots of informational facts about pretzels. You even can make your own pretzel out of clay. Overall the pretzels are awesome and definitely recommend the visit here. read more

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

Must stop by when visiting Lancaster county. Best soft pretzel, which was nice and warm. The house has a tour and lots of cool history (as well as the rest of the street/nearby area). Hard pretzels were good, too. Cinnamon and cheese are best. Jalapeño and sour dough were good, too. read more

Being soft pretzel lovers my mom and I were really looking forward to visiting the Julius Sturgis bakery. We signed up for a tour and patiently waited our turn. Ugh not exactly the tour we were hoping for. Our guide was some young kid who was a bit pompous and kept telling everyone to keep the volume level down and silence cell phones. Puh-lease! They also let too many people in with each group so it was pretty cramped. After 15 minutes we were all done and got a bag of hard pretzels. I would have preferred a soft pretzel. Next up was the gift shop. My mom and I each got a t-shirt and picked up some hard pretzels. We were expecting a huge selection of soft pretzels but there were only 2 sad looking pretzels in a warmer next to the register. We probably would have done better at Target. The highlight of this trip was the t-shirts and making a pretzel out of playdough. Not sure if I'd come back. Prices were fair but I wish there was a better soft pretzel selection. read more

Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery - My playdough pretzel - Bakeries Near Me - Lititz, Pennsylvania

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Wonderful tour and so much fun making the pretzels our tour guide was great very interesting history on the pretzel learning how to twist the pretzels was so much fun highly recommended and staff were super friendly read more

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I love the pretzel in a bag as well as fresh hot one . I can not believe the business was started 1861 and still standing and so well maintained the building and business . Will go back when I get a chance again . read more

It is interesting to see how pretzels were made in the olden days. It was a quick and fun tour to see how the pretzels were made back then. It's interesting to know how pretzel came to happen in the first place. I wish they had a little working stove for visitors to make/bake their pretzels with their choices of toppings. read more

Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery - Certified pretzel twisters ^_^ - Bakeries Near Me - Lititz, Pennsylvania

A tiny piece of pretzel Americana. The tour is interesting (for adults), but not really something that is going to hold the attention of younger children. They let you roll out some dough and teach you how to make a pretzel shape, and show you all of the old equipment and ovens, but you don't actually get to bake any pretzels. They do have a small retail area in the front to get any variety of pretzel your heart desires, and yes, they are slightly better than your normal supermarket variety, and prices are not jacked up for tourists. read more

Nice tour. Fair price. Great for kids, even toddlers. We've done this tour a couple times with our kids over the years & id Do it again.

Such a fun little piece of history. Precious tour guides and for the price you can't beat it! read more

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

This was a really cute working museum and shop. The young lady working our tour was amazing! She had so much knowledge which she energetically shared and crated a fun and engaging learning experience!! This is a great stop for history buffs, young kids or just a random stop on a weekend trip! I would definitely recommend stopping in and learning everything you could possibly want to know about pretzels. read more

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

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Cute little pretzel store with a tour if you're interested. We just shopped and found out that most of the items they sell are not made at this location but we did try a soft pretzel that was pretty yummy! The area is nice so it's worth the time if you're in the area. read more

This was a really cool and informative tour. Who knew the pretzel had some dynamic beginnings. Extending back as far as the Civil War - the original Mr Sturgis was a genius business man that mastered the pretzel. The price for the tour was fine - it was less than 30 minutes. The interactive part of pretzel twisting was fun. Their soft pretzel was a treat - it wasn't loaded with sugar, butter or salt. It was pretty clean and light. They are so fresh - they throw out whatever pretzels sit for 2 hours and make new ones. read more

Best handmade pretzels. Delicious when they are hot out of the oven. Go visit the oldest prestle Bakery and one of the oldest companies in Lititz PA...the greatest town in the US! read more

I came here expecting to have fun and eat some pretzels and I left as a certified pretzel maker! Stopped here during a trip to Lancaster and it's definitely worth the quick drive. Especially if you have kids. Tours are very reasonably priced and they run frequently. read more

Great little family place with friendly staff. Your was perfect and they even engaged my 7yo. Soft pretzels we bought at the end were delicious! Our visit was ~45min. read more

We visited the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery a few weeks ago, and the visit was well worth it. There is a short 20 minute tour for 3 dollars where they explain the history of the pretzel, how it arrived here etc. Free soft pretzel at the end of he tour. This bakery was founded in 1861 and one of the sons Tom Sturgis moved his operation to Reading. There is also a small shop and an area with brochures, maps, coupons and pamphlets on the Lancaster Area. read more

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Really cute historical space. Our tour guide Abby was super knowledgeable and funny, which made for a fun tour through the pretzel making process. We learned hands on how to twist pretzels and about their symbolism. Tour ends with a bag of horse and buggy pretzels. Super! read more

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

I have enjoyed many factory tours, and this was easily the worst factory tour I've ever been on. It is amazing to me that they charged money for this tour (kids pay, too). During our visit, we heard the charming story of how Sturgis came by their recipe. However, we listened to this story in a hot, cramped room which was full of too many visitors. Afterward, the group learned to make the classic pretzel shape using dough (which was turned in for disposal, not baking). Last, there was a brief look at a bakery. After the tour, no pretzels were given out, and we were shuttled into the gift shop. Southeastern Pennsylvania is absolutely packed with interesting (and free!) company tours (the number of potato chip and pretzel factories per capita must be higher here than anywhere else in the world!), Sturgis does not measure up. read more

I'm not a huge pretzel person but when in Lancaster what is there to do, am I right? I skipped on the tour cause of time restrain. I had one of the pretzels, it was eh. Kind of mediocre. I prefer Auntie Anne's over this. The pretzel was soft though but not much flavor. They have a huge selection of pretzels here. Soft and hard ones, crackers, cinnamon and cheese. Relatively cheap too. If you're a pretzel fanatic this is the perfect place to be, they also show you how to make pretzels during the tour. read more

This is where the hard pretzel was invented. RESPECT! For a mere $3, you get a short tour of a 1750s home that also served double-duty as the first ever hard pretzel bakery in the world. Did you know that prior to 1861 all pretzels were soft pretzels? Or that back in the day, if you baked a soft pretzel too long it turned hard, and was considered a "mistake" and simply thrown out? Neither did I, but it's a fascinating tale, and well worth the 3 bucks you lay down. In just a few moments, the entire 500+ year history of the pretzel becomes clear, and you even learn how to quickly "twist" a pretzel from dough in hands on fashion. read more

I went to this place as a kid, and was happy to see on my recent visit not much as changed. The tour is a little cheesy, but interesting and not too long which makes it a great kid option. You also get to roll your own pretzel with some fake dough to see how they are made, and get a cute certificate that says so. Not bad for only a few dollars. These hard pretzels have a unique smokey, sort of burnt quality that I'm not the biggest fan of, but my hubs really digs. They make a nice soft pretzel though and they are available for only $1. Made fresh daily they are a huge improvement over the frozen kind most are used to. read more

Just don't expect much and you won't be disappointed. It's a small place, for $3 you get a short tour that tells you a little about pretzels and then you get to play with dough at the end. read more

Visited on Friday 4-11 We didn't take the tour, stopped to pick up some road trip snacks and get a couple photos. The fresh soft pretzels were yummy. My mom had a chocolate dipped rod while I got the fresh soft, outside I had mom hold my pretzel so I could snap a quick photo~she ate my pretzel! I had to go back in to get a couple more :) read more

Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery - Delicious fresh soft pretzel. - Bakeries Near Me - Lititz, Pennsylvania

Interesting place but the tour was NOT worth the money. Nice but very small store. Had a very historic, nostalgic feel to it. They play it up by adding other antique stuff. The entire general area that the public has access to (without the tour) and of any interest is about 300 square feet. There are 2 small adjoining rooms on one side where they sell the pretzels. The other side is where you wait for the tour. THAT's IT. If you have to wait for the tour, bring something to do because it takes 5 minutes to browse the selections and then ... (crickets chirping). There's also not much to do outside or any other interesting stores in the immediate vicinity. The tour was a waste of time. Worst, you had to PAY for it...even the kids. They take you to the back room. You play with dough, look at some old ovens, get a history lesson and that's it. Only a ONE ROOM TOUR. I guess to make up for the brevity of the tour, they give you a small complimentary bag of pretzels. So, if you do the math, you just paid $3 for a small bag of pretzels. The history lesson was interesting but they could have easily just typed it up, put it on the wall and people could have read it for free. As for playing with dough ... I prefer it in my pocket. The pretzels themselves were ... pretzels. The plain ones were like any other pretzels you had. The only redeeming quality of this place is that they have samples of various other unique pretzels they make and some were delish. The Cinnamon one was excellent and I bought a bag to go. Also bought a fresh warm soft pretzel which was also excellent. Overall, skip the tour, try the samples, buy a bag or 2 if you like and if your kids want to play with dough ... remind them of the play-dough they have at home that they don't play with. read more

Visited here on 7-22-2013 & am just now getting to write a review. It's a quaint little place in a quaint little Pennsylvania town. My main reason for visiting this part of PA was to visit/see pretzel factories & naturally, this one was on my list. We took the $3 (or so, can't recall the exact price) tour which consisted of pretzel lore & how to fashion a pretzel out of dough. It was interesting to see the old brick ovens (no longer in use). The main part of the place is reserved for pretzel goods. They gave us a small bag of pretzels for free at the end of the tour. I had a coupon from a local tourist guide which got me 2 soft pretzels for the price of one. I have to admit, the soft pretzels were very good - much better than the ones at the Intercourse Pretzel Factory. The Linden Hall School across the street has beautiful architecture & was an unexpected nice bonus to see. read more

The tour isn't bad, the factory is set up much like it was originally and the tour focuses on how pretzels were made back in the day. Our tour guide was knowledgeable, but a little obnoxious. We learned how to roll and fold a pretzel with playdoh. Which didn't taste good - don't eat it! The gift shop was full of all kinds of deliciousness for good prices. That is a good reason to visit alone. BOOM! read more

We walked in on a rainy weekday & treated ourselves to a tour. Wait was short as tours run often. Meanwhile there's a shop & plenty of displays to keep you busy before & after the tour. Mary was a great tour guide! She told us some fun facts, taught us the how & why of pretzel twisting, & answered questions. Tour is short, so great for quick visits. We loaded up on giftshop pretzels (many cheaper than in grocery stores!). Love the free samples and Horse & Buggy shaped hard pretzels! read more

We took the tour. It was pretty interesting, was a bit annoyed because there were too many kids and I couldn't hear. Tried regular soft pretzel, wouldn't say it's the best I've had, it was ok. read more

The visit with Janet was really great . She was super nice and for 3.5 dollars of visit ticket we ve learned how to twist a pretzel and we had a free packet of pretzel . The history of the factory was interesting and i absolutly loved it . read more

Soft pretzels were decent. They were only $1 and the dutch country website offers a coupon for 2 for 1, so ours were only $0.50 each. We did not take the tour because we had our dogs with us, so I can only comment on the shop and pretzels. read more