Top Five Shops in Downtown Gettysburg

Nerd Herd is one of Downtown Gettysburg's gems (Photo courtesy of Nerd Herd Gettysburg)

Nerd Herd is one of Downtown Gettysburg’s gems (Photo courtesy of Nerd Herd Gettysburg)

By Sam Shourds, Staff Writer

Waldo’s and Company

Waldo’s isn’t your average coffee shop. In fact, its employees, a collection of volunteer artists, consider the space “a creative environment where people from all different backgrounds could come together in pursuit of enjoying community, fostering creativity, and advancing culture.”

The coffee, sodas, and smoothies are just an added bonus to this quaint, eclectic space including a library, artistic spaces, board games, and a cozy workspace. You won’t fail to detect the charm of every single nook and book available to you. In addition, Waldo’s offers a selection of board games that you can play at your leisure.

Lark

Next, we move along to Lark. Lark is a beautiful space equipped with artisan jewelry, toys, clothing, decorations, and candy. Its cozy feel and authentic creaky hardwood floors make this shop one of the most prized gems of downtown Gettysburg.

Whether you’re shopping for your grandmother, brother, or yourself, Lark will have the quality gift you’re looking for. And there’s always something new to see when browsing the displays as they rotate through new vendors.

Overall, Lark is the place to be for quality trinkets and and great gifts.

Nerd Herd

Down the street, past the Pub, Gettysburg Hotel, and Starbucks, is the next place on the list. The Nerd Herd is a student-run store that sells nerdy novelties and provides a safe environment to nerd out with like-minded individuals. Whether you love Nintendo, punny t-shirts, puzzles, or a combination of all of these things and more, the Nerd Herd is the place to be.

And if you aren’t convinced by their merchandise, the life-sized chess board and Connect Four out front ought to do the trick. Oh, still not convinced?  How about the game vault in the back of the store where you can try out a ton of new board games and bounce around on orange spring-shaped chairs? If you’re not a nerd, these things may not appeal to you, but then again you wouldn’t bother reading this section if you’re not a nerd.

Moral of the story: go to Nerd Herd!

Sweeet!

If you have a sweet tooth, then this next shop will surely appeal to you. From the street, the multi-colored Sweeet! Candy Store sign is sure to catch you attention. And you will not be disappointed if you’re intrigued enough to go in.

The classic candy store feels like a step back in time with every candy bar imaginable, vintage lunch boxes, wacky soda flavors, and toys lining every wall. It’s a great place to grab a quick sweet treat or browse for hours deciding on soda flavors, from key lime pie to butter.

Boutique 229

Boutique 229 is the furthest destination from Gettysburg College, but it’s certainly worth the trek. The store contains thrifted clothing, vintage and current. The first floor houses dresses, jackets, bags, and shoes that could’ve been worn decades ago, and probably were! While the average college student may not be interested in shoulder pads and carpet bags, the first floor is certainly a fun blast from the past.

If you venture to the second floor, you’ll see a wide selection of current clothing, lightly used and very fabulous. Brands like American Eagle, Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, and Old Navy adorn the women’s section, making the room feel like an average teenage girls’ closet. But if you’re not into that style, don’t fret! Right next door to the women’s room is the men’s section of clothing with old band t-shirts, leather jackets, and old-timey cameras.

Like all of the stores on this list, this quaint shop captures the charm and excitement of the town of Gettysburg.

Author: Gettysburgian Staff

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