Mast General Store

Yes, another Mast Store. You know, the general store with the big barrels of candy.
Normally you can peer in the window of one of these places and see, the colorful displays of sweet treats. This particular location has clothing and shoes on the first level, with the candy and kitsch in the basement. Always a blast to browse through that stuff.
When you’re downstairs you can hear every creak and footstep from above, making this the world’s creakiest floor.
As usual, well-​staffed with friendly people and a clean bathroom. The kids found some pretty collectible minerals/​rock for 59 cents each; they came with little cards describing what they were and where they came from. Yes, I’m shaking my head too, that I actually paid money for rocks.
Yes, it’s touristy and I can’t believe they haven’t hit a market saturation point but they really do hire some helpful employees!

Great place to visit for souvenirs, apparel, knick-​knacks, and candy. They sell candy by the pound. Some of the stuff is overpriced as is any souvenir shop or popular touristy store. Lots of other great shops around the town. Store is 3 levels. Not very wheelchair or stroller accessible. 2^nd floor is Main Street level. Basement is back alley level. Third floor is knives and other things of that sort.

As quaint as this «general store» is, I am not totally in love with it. Upstairs, you have clothing for casual and outdoorsy types, a separate room to the left with footwear, jewelry, camping doodads, rocking chairs for chillin’ near the front, and a small cooler with old-​fashioned, obscure sodas. The floors creak. Now, downstairs. We will take the stairs. I love going down either set of side-​by-​side staircases, as there are no signs designating which is «up» and which is «down», and I also love bucking the system, even though there is none to be bucked, despite dirty looks I sometimes get when bucking. Down below, you get: pretty window suncatchers, hummingbird feeders, bodycare, kitchen junk, sale tables past the repro vintage toys, modern toys that have class, gags, magic tricks and overpriced kids’ books; stuffed animals, collectible tin mini «lunchboxes», candles, small housewares, etc. Has a back door which leads to small, private lot. Parking can be tough on Main Street and its environs. There is a bathroom.
The best stuff deserves this separation from the above words– the fresh popped popcorn without butter but with light oil and salt, and the vintage candy barrels. Some candy is today’s, and the rest is from all other decades from the twenties on. So interesting. It is so much fun to try different olde-​timey stuff in order to discover if our ancestors had taste buds or not (most did). You can get «Ice Cubes» here, which are hard to find, but not necessarily vintage. It can take half an hour to decide what you want, so be prepared to spend time by the barrels. Plus, most items are mini-​sized, so you are not breaking the bank.
However, I have tempered my edibles passion with dispassion. This is due to the waaaaaay overpriced clothing items. Joe Blow nor his female counterpart can shop here for clothes. Even sale prices are overpriced. I quickly put down pairs of shoes that were supposed to be on sale, because I felt like the help peeking into my mistress’s dressing quarters. Hey, I guess it’s better than buying bolts of calico, but I’ll take muslin because I have to. Or cheap candy.

Definitely a touristy spot, but they have lots of camping gear, and the lower level has a great candy store with lots of vintage toys and locally-​sourced kitchen ware.

I have grew up 7 miles from Waynesville. Over the years it has changed a lot. It used to be one of the towns everyone went to to get their clothing, groceries, things they needed for everyday life and a theater, Now it is pretty much a tourist town. Places to eat, art, coffee shops, theater gone, mostly things the seasonal traveler looks for to take something home to their friends or to remind them what a nice time they had in Western North Carolina.
Mast is one to the places I like to visit when I go to Waynesville. The verity is unmatched in the area. Everything from hiking supplies to candy, clothing, toys. One place we always find something to buy and use or take home to friends. Everyone is always friendly and ready to help with your questions.
When you are done or before you shop go to frog level and visit the Panacea for the best expresso in the area.

It’s a great store, almost a time capsule. The employees are always extremely friendly, and they carry almost everything –including pretty much any candy you could want!

Walking into this store was like going back to 1989… in a good way! It reminded me of visiting grandma’s…you know, lots of warm and fuzzy things that you only find at grandma’s and then go downstairs and you have found grandma’s cookie jar… But with all of your favorite childhood toys and candies… Im talking sesame chews, lemon heads, even BAZOOKAS! I was in heaven! I love Mast General for all the warm, fuzzy nostalgia. Thanks for taking me back!

This is a fun store to walk around in! I love the lower level where all the candy, toys, and house wears are!

There’s really not a heck of a lot to do in and around Waynesville, NC (Asheville is about 30 – 40 min), but Mast General Store was a great place to kill some time!
I suggest you go immediately downstairs, since that’s where all the candy and souvenirs are! I walked away with a great, big mug (perfect for soup or cereal) and a magnet. Jay had to pull me away from the heavenly bins filled to the brim with every candy you could think of — from vintage stuff, to rare finds, to your regular, everyday Snickers.

Mast General is a staple of Main Street, Waynesville.
The main floor caters mostly to the needs of tourists to the area — a lot of random trinkets and clothing emblazoned with the name of the state or an image of Smokey Mountain ephemera. It’s still fun to dig around. One of my mom’s favorite purses is from this floor of Mast General.
Upstairs is all the outdoor gear you will need to spend a day out in the nearby Smokies — water bottles, fleeces, light camping gear, etc. They carry a lot of respected brands at pretty decent prices.
The lower level is full of old fashioned candy displayed in barrels. I tend to stock up on old favorites like Mary Janes, Sugar Daddies, and anything chocolate. Grab a bag and fill it up with whatever you choose — you pay by weight at the cash register near the stairs.