Candy Americana Museum near Hershey, PA

The Candy Americana Museum is located in Lititz, Pennsylvania, which is near Hershey, Pennsylvania. Penny Buzzard, the wife of former president John Buzzard, created the museum 1972.

Penny Buzzard was knowledgeable about antiques. She enjoyed going to antique shows and flea markets. For years she went to numerous antique shows and flea markets in search of old chocolate memorabilia. She found more than 1000 of these items that included tins, boxes and moulds. She had so much chocolate memorabilia that she decided to display them in a museum.

News of her collection spread, and as knowledge of what she was doing spread, so did the size of her collection. It wasn't long before business associates began to contribute chocolate memorabilia they had found. Marble slabs, starch trays, copper kettles, candy machinery and other related items made their way into the collection.

The Candy Americana Museum, which started out a relatively small one-room museum has grown to become a popular tourist attraction that has self-guided tours and a video host that explains the history of chocolate.

A modern candy kitchen was opened in the museum in 1977. Visitors can watch chocolates being handmade right before their eyes. Visitors can also see marshmallow, almond bark, peanut butter meltaways, almond butter crunch, heavenly hash and mint drizzle being made.

Another popular visitor attraction in the Candy Americana Museum is the collection of more than 150 antique porcelain chocolate pots. They are hand-painted and come from Europe and the Orient. Some come from Dresden, Haviland and Limoges, places known for their cultural and artistic splendor.