This Illinois General Store Has Sold Penny Candy By The Piece Since Before The Civil War

Cardamom and fresh coffee are the first things you notice, long before your eyes adjust to the old counters and glass candy jars. In a tiny Swedish settlement surrounded by Illinois cornfields, a store built before the Civil War still sells sweets the old-fashioned way.

Kids can pick out treats by the piece while grandparents swap stories about the candy counters they remember. It makes for a cheap, cozy day trip that feels like walking straight into a family photo album.

A Pre-Civil War Store On Main Street

Out on the flat prairie of Henry County, roughly a short drive from the Quad Cities and Galesburg, sits the village of Bishop Hill. At 101 W Main St, the Bishop Hill Colony Store has been part of daily life here since 1853.

Swedish immigrants founded the village in 1846 as a communal settlement, sharing work, land, and meals. The store they built served as the heart of that community, handling both shopping and mail for families who had traveled a very long way to start fresh in Illinois.

Today the building still stands proudly on its original spot, and it still sells goods to anyone who walks through the door. The shelves are packed with Swedish treats, coffee, candy, home decor, and gifts, so it works as both a time capsule and a genuinely useful little shop.

Bishop Hill itself is small enough to explore on foot, with several pre-Civil War buildings, museums, and a colony church nearby. Corn fields stretch in nearly every direction, which makes the whole village feel like a surprise when it suddenly appears on the horizon.

The Colony Store is one of the easiest places to start a visit, right in the middle of everything.

Roots In A Swedish Colony

Back in the 1850s, nobody in Bishop Hill drove to a supermarket. Colonists came to this building for supplies, and the ground floor also worked as the post office, where letters from Sweden must have caused plenty of excitement.

Upstairs held offices and living quarters, so the building stayed busy from top to bottom. It was the place where news traveled, business got done, and neighbors crossed paths several times a week.

Fast forward more than a century, and the old store needed serious care. After an extensive restoration, it reopened on May 25, 1975, ready for a new generation of shoppers.

The Bishop Hill Heritage Association runs it today, and that detail matters more than most people realize.

Every purchase helps pay for the ongoing restoration and preservation of the village’s historic buildings. So when your kid picks out a candy stick or you grab a bag of coffee, you are quietly helping keep a piece of Illinois history standing.

Fun fact for the car ride home: descendants of the original Swedish settlers still live in the area. That living connection gives the village a warmth that feels personal rather than staged, and the store reflects it.

Creaky Floors And Original Counters

Step inside slowly, because the floor will announce you anyway. Those wooden boards have been walked on since the 1850s, and they give a soft creak that instantly sets the mood.

The store kept its wood floors and its general store counters, which is exactly why history lovers adore it. Instead of glossy modern displays, you get long, sturdy counters that have anchored this room for generations.

The Greek Revival building has a simple, handsome style that looks right at home in a prairie village.

Many guests describe the feeling as homey, like stepping into a relative’s old house where everything has a story. It is the kind of space where people happily lose track of time, poking into corners and finding something new on each shelf.

For kids, the setup itself becomes part of the fun. Most of them have never seen a store without bright signs and checkout lanes, so the old fixtures feel almost like a movie set.

Grandparents tend to light up here too. A creaky floor and a long counter can bring back memories faster than any photo, and those stories are half the reason to bring the whole family along.

The Old-Fashioned Candy Counter

Candy sticks in every color. Jars lined up like a rainbow.

A child pressing close to the glass, trying to choose just one.

That scene plays out all day at the Colony Store’s candy counter, easily the most talked-about part of the shop. Penny candy still fills the jars, and many sweets are sold by the piece or by the pound, so families can control how much they spend.

Old-fashioned candy sticks are a classic grab, and Swedish candies add a fun twist you will not find at a gas station. The triple coated malted milk balls have earned something close to cult status among regulars, who call them ridiculously good.

Beyond the jars, there is fudge, truffles, and chocolates available by the piece or pound. Cordials show up among the treats too, making it easy to build a small sampler bag for the drive home.

Here is the budget-friendly secret: a handful of penny candy costs very little, yet kids remember picking it out for years. Let each child choose a few pieces on their own, and watch how seriously they take the job.

It might be the cheapest souvenir of your whole trip, and probably the most loved.

Coffee Beans, Teas, And Swedish Pantry Treats

Follow your nose and you will end up at the coffee. A rich aroma greets shoppers the moment they walk in, and plenty of folks consider it the best welcome in Bishop Hill.

The store carries many flavors of coffee beans, both regular and decaf. Staff will grind the beans for you, or you can take them home whole.

Some loyal visitors make a special trip twice a year just to restock, while others find the flavored blends a bit too sweet for their taste, so asking for a sample first is a smart move.

Helpful staff are happy to offer a taste so you can be sure you like a flavor before buying. That small courtesy says a lot about the place.

Tea fans are in luck too. The selection includes unusual teas that keep people coming back over the years to discover new favorites.

Then there is the Swedish pantry side of things. Look for lingonberry jam, jellies, local honey, and maple syrup infused with cardamom, a spice beloved in Swedish baking.

A small fridge in the back holds cold cheese and drinks, handy for a quick snack while you wander the village.

Tomtes, Wooden Ornaments, And Scandinavian Decor

Meet the Tomte, a little bearded figure from Swedish folklore said to watch over a home and family. Shoppers often leave with one, tucked carefully under an arm like a new tiny guardian.

Scandinavian style runs through the whole gift section. Wooden ornaments are a favorite pick, along with traditional pieces like the classic Swedish wooden horse.

Mugs and Swedish Viking-themed merchandise appeal to anyone with a bit of Nordic pride, or just a love of cute gear.

Home decor fills a good chunk of the shelves, and seasonal items rotate through the year. Plenty of visitors mention the tons of seasonal decor available, which makes the shop a handy stop when holidays are around the corner.

Smaller surprises hide among the bigger pieces too. Candles and bar soaps from France sit near the Swedish goods, adding a charming mix that keeps browsing interesting.

Gift hunters, take note. Because so many items feel unique, it is easy to find something meaningful for a teacher, a grandparent, or a friend who loves history.

And since purchases support village preservation, every ornament carries a little extra purpose beyond looking pretty on the tree.

Friendly Faces Behind The Counter

Good service turns a nice shop into a favorite one, and the Colony Store has that covered. Friendly staff come up again and again when people describe their visits.

The folks working here enjoy chatting, answering questions, and sharing a bit about the village. Longtime visitors describe the women running the store as sweet and welcoming, the kind of people who make you feel like a regular even on your first trip.

That warmth suits a wide range of guests. History buffs can easily spend an hour soaking in the old setup.

Families with kids get a relaxed space where little ones can look at candy without anyone rushing them along. Couples on a slow weekend drive will find plenty of gifts and snacks to fill a bag.

The overall vibe feels charming and small-town, with some calling it downright Hallmark-movie cozy. Nobody is in a hurry, which is a refreshing change from big-box stores.

For grandparents bringing grandkids, it is a sweet way to share an old-fashioned tradition. Picking out candy by the piece, hearing the floors creak, and talking with a friendly clerk adds up to the kind of simple outing families keep retelling.

Planning Your Visit And Why It Is Worth The Drive

Timing is everything in Bishop Hill. The Colony Store is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm.

It closes on Monday and Tuesday, and so do some state-owned sites and other village shops, so plan a midweek or weekend trip instead.

Admission is not a thing here, since it is a working store. You can browse for free and spend as little as a few coins on penny candy, which makes it an easy budget-friendly outing for the whole family.

Set your map to 101 W Main St, Bishop Hill. Pair the stop with the nearby museums, including one filled with Olof Krans paintings, the 1854 Steeple Building, and the historic Colony Church to make a full day of it.

So, is it worth the drive across the Illinois prairie? For anyone who loves history, sweets, or simple family traditions, the answer leans strongly toward yes.

Creaky floors, glass candy jars, and the scent of fresh coffee are hard to beat for a low-cost day out. Bring a little cash, a sweet tooth, and some patience while the kids choose their candy.