Faces of Tourism Story

Jill and Warren

Schimpff's Confectionary (Jeffersonville)

We think we’re the oldest continually operated candy store at the same site in the United States. Schimpff’s has been at the same site since 1891 when Warren’s great grandfather started.

Warren: My father was one of five children born in the apartment above the candy shop. I got interested in how candy was made when I started dating Jill.

Jill: Warren proposed to me by hiding my engagement ring in a box of long-stemmed chocolate-covered cherries.

Warren: We bought the business to keep it in the family. We wanted to see if we could help revitalize the downtown by staying in business. We added the museum and demonstration area. It’s been fun to document the history of the U.S. candy industry as told by its packaging and advertising.

Jill: They say children don’t like history, but that’s not the case at all. They like this kind of history.

Warren: Sweet history.

Jill: Louisville’s just across the river, but here we are, small town America. People get this flavor of tree-lined streets with this 123-year-old candy store. They find this a connection to their own family’s past, and they’re happy to find a little place like this.