Old Village Mercantile

Old Village Mercantile is the kind of stop that feels like a winning midgame—small-town charm up front, then surprise after surprise once you step inside. ♟️🏡 The building itself is an authentic c. 1909 mercantile, and the shelves are stacked with nostalgia (including 600+ varieties of old-fashioned candy) that instantly puts everyone in a better mood. 🍬✨ The smart play is to slow down: browse the antiques and gifts, then pivot to the coffee house and handcrafted ice cream when you’re ready to “cash in” the visit. ☕🍦 And because it’s right on Hwy 21 in Caledonia—close to outdoor favorites like Elephant Rocks and Johnson’s Shut-Ins—it’s an easy, strategic detour that turns a drive into a memory. 🚗🌲

Old time shop filled with old fashioned candies, coffees, tees, honeys attractively displayed among vintage items and antiques. Definitely worth a road trip from St Louis and the homemade ice cream was glorious! Keep an eye out for their special events calendar, the merchants do a great job organizing festivals.

This place has the best ice cream I've ever had! Rich in flavor, no ice crystals, perfect texture, locally made, and delightful flavor selections! This store is incredible inside and out filled with antiques and artwork, with a beautiful community building adjacent to it where you can eat and rest in air conditioning and a Garden Gift Shoppe & Antiques in the back that are surrounded by countless garden decorations and plants. You feel the creative energy filling the air! Any angle you look, you will notice something new whether indoors, in the garden, or in their restrooms (they have the best men's restroom I have ever seen!). It's like a blissful slip back in time. Would be an absolute joy to revisit any time of year.

The atmosphere at Christmas was awesome! Tons of candy, chocolate, fudge, and ice cream. I got the gooey butter cake ice cream and hands down best ice cream I have ever had!

WOW! What a neat old timey candy store. We stopped in for ice cream after hiking at Elephant Rock State Park and what an experience. It was like going back in time. All sorts of bagged candy, artisan candies, coffees, fudge, cookies and homemade ice cream. The employees are efficient and friendly and the ice cream was delicious. We will definitely add this to our list of places to srop when we are on our way to our favorite hiking destinations