7 Old-Timey General Stores In Utah

General stores have long been the heart of small-town Utah, serving as essential hubs for commerce, community, tourism, and culture. From Eden to Moab, these storied establishments provided the goods needed for daily life and served as gathering places that shaped the character of their small towns. While many have adapted to modern times, transforming into restaurants, retro shops, or museums, they remain steadfast symbols of the state's pioneer heritage and entrepreneurial spirit.

The Eden General Store (Eden)

Initially built in 1881 by Elija Wilbur, the Eden General Store stocked everything from brooms and buggy whips to salted meats and penny candy. Legend has it that Wilbur learned woodworking skills from Brigham Young, the one-time president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The landmark two-story building served as a general store, post office, and dance hall, and quickly became the meeting place for Eden locals. During the late 1920s to mid-1960s, it was owned by Leonard and Phyllis Fuller and called Fuller Mercantile.

Today, the historic Eden General Store is a vibrant Tex-Mex restaurant called Carlos & Harley’s Fresh Mex Cantina, but it still maintains the old Eden signage outside. The restaurant’s menu is inspired by traditional Mexican cuisine, with dishes like molcajete for two (served in a molten volcanic stone) and poblano salmon, alongside gluten-free and vegetarian options. The full bar serves a variety of craft cocktails on tap, including a Mango Blood Orange Seltzer and a Jalapeño Cream Ale.

Thomas Judd's Store Co. (St. George)

When Thomas Judd opened his general store in the historic town of St. George in 1911, there were about 1,800 residents living there. Today, this town is in a desert valley set against the backdrop of the Pine Valley Mountains in the Mojave Desert, and it has over 110,000 residents. The store then sold dry goods, hay, groceries, and clothing to local farmers and ranchers. Sadly, 11 years after building the store, Thomas Judd died, leaving the store to his son, Joseph, who later passed it on to his son, Tom Jr.

In 1982, the store was slated for demolition but was spared when Dr. Mark and Barbara Greene purchased the store, and Tom Judd Jr. continued to work until his retirement in 1988. Nowadays, remnants of the old general store are still visible in the new retro-inspired shop, including old counters and shelving, vintage tin Coca-Cola signs, and an old gas pump out front. There’s also an impressive collection of sodas in glass bottles, ice cream, candy barrels, soup, sandwiches, and homemade breadsticks.

Ruby’s Inn General Store (Bryce Canyon City)

The historic Ruby’s Inn is less than two miles outside the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park, the perfect stop for outdoor enthusiasts to see the world’s largest concentration of hoodoos. The inn dates back to the early 1900s, when Reuben C. Syrett, or “Ruby," fell in love with the spectacular scenery of Bryce Canyon and built a ranch and a lodge called Tourist Rest at the edge of the canyon. When President Warren G. Harding designated Bryce Canyon a National Monument in 1923, Ruby moved Tourist Rest to the location of his ranch and named it Ruby's Inn.

With more and more tourists drawn to the area, Ruby’s Inn's reputation grew as the ideal base camp with its proximity to the national park. What started as a modest operation with 20 rooms is today a sprawling tourist destination with almost 700 rooms on over 1,800 acres. There are three restaurants (the Cowboy’s Buffet & Steak Room, Canyon Diner, and Ebenezer’s Barn and Grill), a campground and RV park, and Ruby’s Inn General Store, which carries camping supplies, groceries, clothing, and souvenirs. Ruby’s Inn remains a family affair in 2025, managed by Ruby’s great-grandson, Lance Syrett.

Bryce Canyon General Store (Bryce Canyon City)

What is now known as the Bryce Canyon General Store was once the Bryce Canyon Camp Center and then the Bryce Canyon Inn before its current iteration. It was built in 1932 and sat in the center of the inn’s housekeeping cabins. Gilbert Stanley Underwood, an American architect renowned for designing National Park lodges, designed it using a distinct style of architecture called National Park Service rustic. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in April 1995.

Today, the store is located within Bryce Canyon National Park, along the Lodge Loop Road near the North Campground. The store stocks a variety of camping supplies, including split wood, cooking fuel, and tarps. It also serves to-go food items on any camper’s wish list, such as coffee, tea, soup, ice cream, and sandwiches. In what might be a nod to its storied past, visitors can also find laundry services, restrooms, and showers in the general store.

Goulding’s Trading Post (Oljato-Monument Valley)

Goulding’s Trading Post was founded in 1923 by sheep trader Harry Goulding and his wife Leone, nicknamed “Mike," after a visit to the area now known as Monument Valley. Once part of the Paiute Indian Reservation, the land was put up for sale when the reservation was relocated. Harry and Mike jumped at the opportunity, setting up a trading post. At first, the Gouldings traded food and goods for jewelry and handmade rugs with the local Navajo people before constructing a permanent building.

The trading post has since expanded into a resort called Goulding's Lodge, including guest rooms and a dining facility. However, visitors can still see the original building, which opened as Goulding's Post Trading Post Museum in 1989.

The Country Store (Glendale)

The Country Store is an old-fashioned, Western-style general store located in Glendale, Utah, near the entrance of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. The historic general store is considered a centerpiece of Glendale’s small-town charm and a reminder of its pioneer heritage. Once known as Berryville after the three Berry brothers who were among the first settlers to the area in 1864, the town was quickly abandoned after two of the brothers were killed. New settlers arrived in 1871 and renamed the town Glendale.

One of the oldest buildings in Glendale, The Country Store is remembered as the place to go for ice cream and candy by the locals. In 2023, the old store was bought by the husband-and-wife team of Tyler and Esther Brinkerhoof and renamed Brink’s Grill & Country Store. The country store sells basic convenience store groceries, while the grill features an all-you-can-eat Mongolian stir fry buffet, and desserts like turtle cheesecake, lava fudge cake, and hand-dipped hard ice cream.

Hole N" The Rock General Store (Moab)

Hole N" The Rock is an iconic roadside attraction in the sandstone cliffs of southern Utah, 12 miles south of the adventure capital of the Southwest, Moab. The historic 5,000 square foot home was started in the 1940s as a small alcove for the miner and sculptor Albert Christensen's sons to sleep in. The marvel of engineering carved in sandstone features 14 rooms, a 65-foot chimney, and a deep bathtub, and is decorated with original furnishings, paintings, and Albert’s wife’s doll collection.

Travelers stopping to see the eccentric home of the Christensen family can also visit the exotic zoo, which features a mini donkey, an albino raccoon, and a pair of angora goats. A replica of an old-timey general store on the property sells vintage items, souvenirs, and ice cream.

The establishment of Zion's Cooperative Mercantile Institution (ZCMI) played a pivotal role in the history of general stores and mercantiles across Utah during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Once vital hubs for goods and social gatherings, many of these establishments have been preserved or revamped while retaining their unique back stories. From landmark buildings that once housed co-op stores tied to the LDS Church to eclectic roadside attractions and modern eateries, these once old-timey general stores reflect Utah’s rich heritage while offering visitors a blend of nostalgia and contemporary experiences.