The Museum of Chocolate & Confectionery at Spindler Confectdions features a whimsical collection of items celebrating the noteworthy candy-making history of the Boston area. The collection includes historic candy boxes, advertisements, store displays, equipment, packaging and many more surprises.  It is intermingled with our little shop, and there is no admission charge.

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The Boston metro area was once home to over 140 confectioneries, many of them large multi-story factories. Main Street in Cambridge, once known as “Confectioners Row”, was arguably the epicenter for American candy production through the mid 1960s.  In 1929 over 40 candy factories lined Main Street and the surrounding area.

John Hannon built the first commercial chocolate mill in the lower mills district of Dorchester in 1765.  It was later sold to his business partner James Baker and became the Baker Chocolate Company. In 1836 East Boston was home to the newly constructed Boston Sugar Refinery, and the confectionery industry began its boom in 1847 when Oliver R. Chase invented a special machine - the first of it's kind in the world - that churned out flavored chalky wafers.  We know them today as NECCO Wafers.

 

The chocolate & candy industry grew tremendously, reaching its peak in the 1960’s when the industry produced over 1 Billion dollars worth of candy in today's money.  Numerous inventions and historically important events flowed out of the factories, as well as the occasional scandal! A few companies from the era remain, but most are long gone and the factory buildings repurposed or torn down.  However, remnants remain if you know where to look.

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Explore our shop and online exhibits to learn more about this lost industry, and the Art, History, and Science of confectionery.  
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