PHILADELPHIA, PA — Shane Confectionery is turning Philadelphians’ reported paranormal encounters into a limited-run Halloween collection, producing 125 Haunted Philadelphia boxes that pair locally inspired confections with the stories behind them.
The Old City candy shop began taking pre-orders ahead of an Oct. 5 pickup date. Each box contains 14 confections — two each of seven varieties — based on submitted ghost stories and Philadelphia legends.
The specific assortment will remain largely undisclosed until Oct. 5. One confection, however, is a Sparkling Champagne Pâte de Fruit made with prosecco and popping sugar and inspired by a story about a phantom party at a former hotel.
“We were really excited when we started getting replies with people’s ghost stories,” Shane Confectionery Director of Design Pavia Burroughs said.
The shop sought accounts of personal paranormal experiences earlier this year. Burroughs said submissions that were too brief to translate into candy or were fictional stories were excluded, while the final collection combines reported experiences with established local legends.
Each box also includes an illustrated zine detailing the hauntings and their historical context, including a bibliography, and a beeswax ghost-shaped candle made by Philadelphia Bee Co.
Individual confections from the collection will also be sold from Shane’s chocolate case and can be included in custom assortments while supplies last. The Haunted Philadelphia assortment contains nuts, dairy and alcohol.
The Halloween release follows a Pine Barrens-themed collection last year. Shane has reopened its submission form for Philadelphia paranormal experiences that could be considered for its 2027 Halloween box.
Beyond the limited collection, the shop is bringing back seasonal items including Chocolate SEPTA Rats, Mr. Pumpkin Chocolate Figures, Galvani’s Electric Frogs, Cinnamon and Chili Ghost Bon Bons, Memento Mori Chocolate Medallions, Honey Sesame Bon Bons, spicy cinnamon chili drinking chocolate mix and chocolate-dipped honeycomb candy.
Next door, Franklin Fountain is offering seasonal items including Apple Pie Ice Cream, the Great Pumpkin Sundae, hot cider, a Caramel Apple Float and Caramel Apple Pie Shake.
Shane Confectionery is located at 110 Market St. in Philadelphia, with Franklin Fountain at 116 Market St.
Pre-orders for the Haunted Philadelphia box are available at shanecandies.com/shop/chocolate/boxed-chocolates/halloween_artisan/.
Support the local news that supports Chester County. MyChesCo delivers reliable, fact-based reporting and essential community resources—free for everyone. If you value that, click here to become a patron today.