Childhood memories of trips to Mount Gretna’s Jigger Shop are likely shared by more Lebanon residents than just about any other experience. After all, the business has been in operation for nearly 125 years.
LebTown sent local photographer William Trostel to chronicle an afternoon spent at the Gretna staple.
The trip is off to a stylish start with this beautiful car in the Jigger Shop parking lot. Mount Gretna is a great destination for a weekend drive, with winding roads, beautiful scenery, and relatively little traffic (unless it happens to be one of the busy weekends up there).Approach to the Jigger Shop. The establishment was originally constructed in 1895 and has been serving ever since.Ordering at one end of the open-air pavilion might take a while if you can’t make up your mind – the split menu includes more than just its famous ice cream. The serving buzzer is one of only a few modern conveniences introduced to the old-fashioned parlor.Ice cream doesn’t get much more archetypal than chocolate scoops in waffle cones!Posters from Mount Gretna’s long history as a hidden hub of culture and entertainment line the wooden walls.This fried flounder sandwich is just one of the many food options available, with the Shop branching out into wraps and salads in more recent years.A stroll through the surrounding campgrounds afterwards, through lush groves of pine and mountain laurel. Maybe you’ll even stumble on a Fairy Garden!Mount Gretna’s many attractions crowd for space on this signpost.Peeking back at the Jigger Shop deck – a great way to stay outside while enjoying ice cream.Mount Gretna’s Lake Conewago, occupying a central (and refreshing) place in the town.
The Jigger Shop and the sights of Mount Gretna aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, but they are seasonal—check them out this summer if you’re looking to relive a classic.
The Jigger Shop is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day in the summer months, but look up individual attractions for their own hours. The Lake & Beach grounds, for instance, are open from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Do you have favorite summertime tradition in Lebanon County? We want to hear about it: email our newsroom or leave a comment below.
Josh Groh is a Cornwall native and writer who began reporting for LebTown in 2019. He continued to regularly contribute to LebTown while earning a degree in environmental science at Lebanon Valley College, graduating in 2021. Since then, he has lead conservation crews in Colorado and taken on additional...
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