Over 12,000 Elephant Figurines Fill A Museum Inside This Pennsylvania Candy Emporium

More than 12,000 elephants share a roof with a candy counter in Pennsylvania. They’re figurines, statues, and trinkets, gathered in just about every size, shape, material, and color you can name.

The whole herd started decades ago with a single carved wooden elephant. That one small piece eventually grew into a full museum, sitting right beside shelves of retro candy and trays of homemade fudge.

I love how two totally unrelated passions ended up living happily under the same roof. Elephants and sweets shouldn’t make sense together, yet I can’t imagine anyone leaving this place without a grin.

There’s also a talking elephant out front and a tiny teapot museum waiting in the gardens out back. So which would you check out first, the pachyderms or the penuche fudge?

This Roadside Stop Packs Two Attractions Into One Building

Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum & Candy Emporium is part candy shop, part museum, and fully committed to both jobs. It sits in Orrtanna, a small Adams County community in south-central Pennsylvania.

Getting there couldn’t be much easier. The emporium lies along Route 30, roughly 12 miles west of downtown Gettysburg.

That location makes it a natural add-on for anyone touring the battlefield area. Travelers heading between Gettysburg and Chambersburg can pull in without straying far from their route.

Inside, the layout splits between sugar and pachyderms. One side handles candy, fudge, and souvenirs, while a separate room holds the elephant collection that made the place famous.

Outdoors, there’s even more to explore. Gardens, statues, and a pint-sized teapot museum stretch the visit well beyond the shopping aisles.

Admission to the museum and gardens doesn’t cost a thing, which feels almost too generous these days. You can wander freely and spend money only on the treats that tempt you.

So yes, it’s a candy store. It’s also a strange, cheerful little world built around one man’s very specific obsession, and it rewards anyone who slows down long enough to look around.

One Carved Wooden Elephant Started The Whole Herd

Every great collection needs a first piece, and Ed Gotwalt’s was a single carved wooden elephant. That modest start came in the late 1960s, long before anyone could guess where it would lead.

In 1975, he opened a general store along this same stretch of road. The shop sold everyday goods at first, but the elephants had other plans.

Piece by piece, the herd kept growing. Over the years, the collection pulled in elephants from all over the globe.

Eventually the general store gave way to something far quirkier. It became the elephant museum and candy emporium that carries his nickname today.

The Mister Ed name stuck, and so did the theme. Even the signs and souvenirs lean happily into the elephant motif.

I like that the whole thing still feels personal. You’re not touring a corporate attraction, you’re seeing decades of one man’s curiosity laid out on shelves.

The business has stayed in its rural Pennsylvania spot ever since. Tourism sources estimate that roughly 150,000 visitors come through the doors each year.

That’s a lot of people for a shop that began as a country store. It’s also proof that one wooden elephant can carry a surprising amount of weight.

More Than 12,000 Elephants Are Waiting In One Very Busy Room

Twelve thousand is a hard number to picture until it’s staring back at you from every shelf. The museum at Mister Ed’s holds more than 12,000 elephant figurines, art pieces, and household items.

The variety is the real fun. You’ll spot elephants in every imaginable size, material, shape, and color, from tiny miniatures to far larger pieces.

Glass display cases hold many of the smaller treasures. Leaning in close pays off, because some of these little guys are wonderfully detailed.

Scattered among the displays are signs called Pachyderm Points. They share facts about real elephants, so you sneak in a little science between figurines.

The emporium bills it as the largest collection of its kind in the world. Honestly, I’m not sure who would even try to compete.

Collectors may recognize pieces similar to ones on their own shelves at home. That spark of recognition makes the room feel surprisingly personal.

For kids, the room can work like a giant search game. Who can find the smallest elephant in the whole place?

Give yourself more time here than you think you need. With thousands of pieces packed together, something new pops out every time you turn around.

Somebody Please Stop Me Before The Candy Bar Aisle

Over 1,200 varieties of candy fill the emporium side of the building. That number includes more than 400 different candy bars gathered from around the world.

Nostalgia does a lot of the heavy lifting here. Retro sweets that vanished from most grocery stores years ago still show up on these shelves.

Bulk candy bins let you build your own mix. M&Ms even come separated by color, which is either delightful or dangerous, depending on your self-control.

Fine chocolates and truffles sit behind the counter for anyone feeling fancy. Chocolate-covered pretzels add a salty-sweet option for people who can’t pick a side.

Souvenir mugs and containers can also be filled with candy. Ask the staff how the current deal works, because it’s a fun way to bring home a keepsake.

Unusual sodas round out the shopping, giving you something to wash down all that sugar. Retro magnets and elephant trinkets sit nearby for a souvenir that won’t melt.

Card purchases come with a small minimum, so a little cash makes quick loose-candy buys easier. A budget helps too, because this is the kind of room where baskets fill up fast.

The Fudge Counter Deserves Its Own Pit Stop

Fudge might be the sweetest reason to linger at Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum & Candy Emporium. The shop makes its own, and the flavor list runs past 70 varieties.

Classic chocolate shows up, of course. Penuche, the brown-sugar fudge that’s become hard to find, has also appeared in the lineup.

Rotating flavors keep things interesting. A cookie butter version has turned up at times, so ask what’s on the counter that day.

The house-made goodies don’t stop at fudge. Fresh roasted jumbo peanuts and cinnamon-glazed nuts are made right on site.

Peanut butter gets ground fresh here too. A jar of that makes a sneaky-smart souvenir for the folks back home.

With so much cooking going on, the shop smells like a sugar factory in the best way. Good luck walking past the fudge case without at least pausing.

Fudge also travels well, which makes it ideal for a long drive home. Pick up a couple of slabs, and your car instantly becomes the most popular vehicle in the family.

My advice is simple: try one flavor you know and one you’ve never heard of. That way you get comfort and adventure in the same order.

A Real Truck Full Of PEZ Is Parked Right Against The Building

Few candy displays come with wheels, but this one does. Part of the PEZ collection sits inside a real truck attached to the building.

The PEZ area ranks as one of the largest collections of its kind on the East Coast. Rows of dispensers show off just how many characters have topped those little plastic stems over the decades.

Fans of these tiny candy-shooters will feel right at home. Even casual visitors can get pulled in, hunting for the character they owned as a kid.

The room ties neatly into the nostalgia running through the whole emporium. PEZ has been a lunchbox favorite for generations, so plenty of people have a memory attached.

Dispensers and refills are part of the shopping mix, so you can walk out with a new addition. Collectors, consider yourselves warned.

Little cubby-style rooms help break the shop into themed corners. The PEZ space stands out as one of the most playful of them.

It’s also a smart stop for younger kids who might lose patience with glass cases. Bright colors and familiar faces can hold their attention a bit longer.

Snap a photo of the truck before you leave. It’s one of the more unexpected sights along this stretch of Pennsylvania road.

Miss Ellie Has A Few Things To Say Out In The Garden

A talking elephant statue named Miss Ellie greets guests near the Mister Ed’s sign. She shares stories with visitors, which beats most welcome mats by a mile.

Behind the shop, whimsical gardens stretch out with even more life-size elephant statues. A path winds past quirky decorations, flowers, and other animal figures.

Near the pond, elephant fountains send water spouting from their trunks. It’s a silly, joyful detail that makes for an easy photo.

An enchanted forest area adds another layer of whimsy to the walk. A wooden train also sits among the plantings, ready for a family snapshot.

Photo cutouts near Miss Ellie let you pose as part of the scene. Go ahead and be goofy, since the elephants clearly aren’t judging.

Picnic spots make the gardens a natural place to sample your haul. A fudge break outside on a sunny afternoon feels like a pretty good use of time.

The garden walk also gives restless kids space to stretch their legs. Adults may appreciate the breather between rounds of candy shopping, too.

Some outdoor pieces show their age, which honestly adds to the roadside feel. Consider them the weathered senior members of the herd.

Somebody Snuck A Teapot Museum Into The Elephant Kingdom

Just when the elephant theme seems complete, the gardens pull a fast one. A small teapot-shaped building houses Miss Pat’s Teapot Museum.

Inside, more than 100 teapots sit on display. Each one carries its own personality, so it’s fun to compare the shapes and designs.

The building itself might be the best part. A teapot-shaped museum full of teapots is the kind of logic I can fully respect.

It’s a quick stop, so it fits easily into a garden stroll. Even visitors who came only for candy may find themselves peeking through the door.

Tea lovers will obviously enjoy the collection. Anyone who grew up with a teapot on Grandma’s stove might feel a little wave of nostalgia, too.

Miss Pat’s collection also shows that Mister Ed’s isn’t only about one animal. The whole property celebrates collecting itself, whatever the object happens to be.

That spirit gives the emporium a warm, homemade quality. Each display reflects someone who simply loved gathering things and wanted to share them.

Keep your phone handy, because the teapot building makes a great photo. Next to life-size elephants, it turns the grounds into something like a storybook village.

Plan A Leisurely Afternoon And Leave Room In The Trunk

Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum & Candy Emporium sits at 6019 Chambersburg Road in Orrtanna, Pennsylvania 17353. Parking is available, including space for buses.

The shop typically opens daily from late morning into early evening. Hours can shift, so it’s smart to check ahead before making the drive.

Admission to the museum and gardens is free. You’ll only spend money on whatever candy, fudge, or souvenirs end up in your basket.

The emporium is ADA compliant, and restrooms are on site. Those details make it an easy stop for families, retirees, and tour groups alike.

Pairing the visit with a Gettysburg trip makes plenty of sense. The drive along Route 30 is short, and you’ll have a sweet reward for the ride home.

Is it a candy store, a museum, or a roadside oddity? Truthfully, it’s all three, and that mix is exactly what makes it fun.

I believe the best day trips leave you with a story and a snack. Mister Ed’s handles both, with about 12,000 elephants standing by as witnesses.

Go for the fudge, stay for the elephants, and save a few minutes for Miss Ellie. She’s got a story ready for you.