By Natalie Derrickson
Some say the “good old days” are gone, but at Schimpff’s Confectionery, they’re on full display and good enough to eat. In fact, most would insist on giving in to a sweet tooth during a visit to the number one candy store in America, according to USA Today.
Sugar sizzles against the walls of a copper pot while pillow candies crack and scatter across the butcher block, and eager shoppers attempt to whittle down their shopping list. This is a typical day at Schimpff’s Confectionery — sugar, history, creativity, and craft, honed across generations dating back to 1891.
Schimpff’s is well-known for several specialties: cinnamon red hots, hand-made chocolates, hard fish candy, and a regional favorite, Modjeskas — a gooey caramel-covered marshmallow. Outside the building, look up to spot the sets of red bricks flanking the second-story windows — markers of the 1937 flood that devastated downtown Jeffersonville and other riverside communities. Schimpff’s held on, rebuilt, and continues to deliver sweets, memories, and space to enjoy one another’s company across generations.
Plan your visit with plenty of time to shop for sweets and learn about the history of candy-making. Call ahead to schedule a guided tour and learn what candy will be made in-store — you won’t want to miss the live demonstrations. Stick around and enjoy a deli lunch and a chocolate Coke, a Coca-Cola with chocolate syrup, at Schimpff’s classic soda fountain, in operation since 1921.
Schimpff’s is home to a candy museum filled with candy artifacts that Jill and Warren Schimpff, the recently retired fourth-generation owners, have collected. In 2025, the Schimpffs passed the torch to “Cousin Steve” Shepherd and his wife, Beth. The shop’s fifth generation of ownership continues the tradition, wonder, and delight that a landmark candy store should.
Photos courtesy of SoIN Tourism
Schimpff’s Confectionery
347 Spring St., Jeffersonville, IN 47130
812-283-8367
