Mechanicsburg residents and visitors looking to beat the heat this weekend will have an additional option to cool off . Eckel's Ice Cream Fountain at 36 E. Main St.
announced it will be open Saturday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.
m., serving up old-fashioned ice cream and classic drinks. The business closed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since opened exclusively for Mechanicsburg's annual Jubilee Day street fair.
Saturday marks the business' first opening aside from that event, and more open days could be on the horizon. Deb McCreary, who has owned Eckel's Ice Cream Fountain since 2013, hopes to open the shop at least two weekends in August. McCreary said it means a lot to reopen and has heard a lot of excitement from community members.
"I think it just adds an ambience and the old fashioned apothecary that is still there adds to the historical sense of the community," she said. Eckels opened as a pharmacy in 1879, according to McCreary. Its ice cream fountain dates back to the late 1920s and the business continued to operate as a drug store through 80s.
The building saw some other operations after an ownership change in 2003 and reopened as an ice cream shop with a light lunch menu in 2014 after McCreary took over. Popular menu items include floats and the "Girl, Interrupted" sundae, named in honor of the 1999 movie that features scenes filmed in the shop. Popular drink options include phosphates and egg cream.
While McCreary said the business isn't currently featuring it.
