ben franklin variety store

Wish we would have had more time this trip thru Winterset. We had stopped there a couple of years back an it looks the same, thank goodness. Will make sure to make it a point to stop next time.

Where else can you find suspenders, paper doilies, and a toilet plunger? This Ben Franklin is an honest to goodness, old fashion five and dime store, except it's for real, not tourists. The town of Winterset is too small to have a Walmart which has saved the downtown, and Ben Franklin is the go-to store for most anything you need. Unlike the Ben Franklins in the east which have morphed into craft stores, this Ben Franklin is true to its roots. I visit whenever I am passing through Winterset, and I always find something I haven't been able to find anywhere else. It's just a kick to walk the aisles looking at things and discovering treasures. How many towns do you know where you can walk downtown to buy a spool of thread? In Winterset you can, and Ben Franklin is the store.