Nearly every small Midwestern town used to have a pharmacy with a soda fountain inside. Now, only a handful of these amazing places still exist here in Iowa. These 10 historic soda fountains will take you back in time. Stop in and enjoy root beer floats, cherry sundaes, and all of the frosty goodness you can handle.
- Penn Drug, 714 Illinois Street, Sidney
Penn Drug/Facebook
Penn Drug/Facebook
Penn Drug/Facebook Penn Drug Company has been around since 1863, making it Iowa’s oldest family-owned drug store. Its old-fashioned soda fountain is a favorite among locals and visitors, alike.
- Stoner Drug, 1105 Main Street, Hamburg
Stoner Drug/Facebook
Stoner Drug/Facebook
Stoner Drug/Facebook Stoner Drug in Hamburg is the parent store of six drug stores across three states. They are famous for their thick malts, old fashioned ice cream sodas, and sundaes.
- Geroge Jay Drug, 612 W Sheridan Avenue, Shenandoah
George Jay Drug Co/Facebook
George Jay Drug Co/Facebook George Jay Drug was established in 1888. It’s still in its original building, and the nostalgia is thick, here. This place is full of fond memories, and their sweet treats are the best.
- McMahon Drug Store, 627 Davis Avenue, Corning
Google Maps
Stanley Sagov/Flickr
Dave Hensley/Flickr Hy-Vee bought this soda fountain location in 2011, and they continue to serve the town of Corning as both a drug store and a soda fountain. This quaint store serves legendary phosphates.
- Old Time Soda Fountain, 100 N Central Ave., Allerton
Google Maps
Old Time Soda Fountain/Facebook
Old Time Soda Fountain/Facebook A non-profit group of local citizens decided to save this historic soda fountain, and the local heritage society now runs it. You can visit any Saturday night between 6:30pm and 9:30pm. Stop by and take a look a their collection of yearbooks, old portraits, and items of historical significance to this location.
- Bauder’s Drug, 3802 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines
Lindsay A./Yelp
Kari B./Yelp
Kk N./Yelp It’s not technically in a “small town” but Bauder’s Drug is too good to pass up. This soda fountain serves fantastic ice cream, fresh peach soda. and a nice selection of soda floats. Being here is as close as you can get to taking a ride on a time machine.
- Lagomarcino’s, 2132 11th Street, Davenport
Village of East Davenport Website
Google Maps This place is famous for their wonderful soda fountain menu that includes malts, ice cream sodas, ice cream sundaes, hot fudge sundae with a bitter sweet fudge sauce served over home made ice cream, and egg cremes. They’ve been around since 1908.
- Bake Shop and Hollywood Cafe, 1301 Broadway, Denison
Bake Shop and Hollywood Cafe/Facebook
Google Maps Located in the Donna Reed Theatre building, this place is a living tribute to Donna Reed. Everything is made on site. Their specialty is shakes and malts.
- Ackley Heritage Soda Fountain, 701 Park Avenue, Ackley
Google Maps
Bethany C/Trip Advisor This soda fountain is part of the Ackley Heritage Center that includes farm buildings and prairie houses on the outskirts of the town of Ackley. It’s open Tuesdays through Fridays from 3pm until 7pm. Admission to the Ackley Heritage Center is free.
- Benzer Pharmacy, 101 N Walnut Stree, Colfax
Benzer Pharmacy/Yelp
Carrie F./Yelp Benzer’s Pharmacy bought Weirick’s Pharmacy in 2016. Weirick’s had been a family-owned pharmacy and soda fountain for 110 years. Although it has new owners, the historic soda fountain remains in place, in business, and worth a visit.
Is there an old fashioned soda fountain in your town? Tell us about it in the comments.
Penn Drug/Facebook
Penn Drug Company has been around since 1863, making it Iowa’s oldest family-owned drug store. Its old-fashioned soda fountain is a favorite among locals and visitors, alike.
Stoner Drug/Facebook
Stoner Drug in Hamburg is the parent store of six drug stores across three states. They are famous for their thick malts, old fashioned ice cream sodas, and sundaes.
George Jay Drug Co/Facebook
George Jay Drug was established in 1888. It’s still in its original building, and the nostalgia is thick, here. This place is full of fond memories, and their sweet treats are the best.
Google Maps
Stanley Sagov/Flickr
Dave Hensley/Flickr
Hy-Vee bought this soda fountain location in 2011, and they continue to serve the town of Corning as both a drug store and a soda fountain. This quaint store serves legendary phosphates.
Old Time Soda Fountain/Facebook
A non-profit group of local citizens decided to save this historic soda fountain, and the local heritage society now runs it. You can visit any Saturday night between 6:30pm and 9:30pm. Stop by and take a look a their collection of yearbooks, old portraits, and items of historical significance to this location.
Lindsay A./Yelp
Kari B./Yelp
Kk N./Yelp
It’s not technically in a “small town” but Bauder’s Drug is too good to pass up. This soda fountain serves fantastic ice cream, fresh peach soda. and a nice selection of soda floats. Being here is as close as you can get to taking a ride on a time machine.
Village of East Davenport Website
This place is famous for their wonderful soda fountain menu that includes malts, ice cream sodas, ice cream sundaes, hot fudge sundae with a bitter sweet fudge sauce served over home made ice cream, and egg cremes. They’ve been around since 1908.
Bake Shop and Hollywood Cafe/Facebook
Located in the Donna Reed Theatre building, this place is a living tribute to Donna Reed. Everything is made on site. Their specialty is shakes and malts.
Bethany C/Trip Advisor
This soda fountain is part of the Ackley Heritage Center that includes farm buildings and prairie houses on the outskirts of the town of Ackley. It’s open Tuesdays through Fridays from 3pm until 7pm. Admission to the Ackley Heritage Center is free.
Benzer Pharmacy/Yelp
Carrie F./Yelp
Benzer’s Pharmacy bought Weirick’s Pharmacy in 2016. Weirick’s had been a family-owned pharmacy and soda fountain for 110 years. Although it has new owners, the historic soda fountain remains in place, in business, and worth a visit.
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