Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Everything at Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe is served in takeout containers.
Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe
The fried green tomato sandwich comes on jalapeño cornbread toast.
Café Reconcile
BBQ shrimp braised in beer are a popular menu item.
High Hat Cafe
The pastries at Lagniappe Bakehouse are worth waking up for.
Lagniappe Bakehouse
Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years.
The Appetite Repair Shop
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
23 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
24 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
25 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
26 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Massachusetts Whitman The Toll House Inn

The Toll House Inn

This site commemorates the former inn and restaurant where the chocolate chip cookie was first crafted.

Whitman, Massachusetts

Added By
Matthew Riley
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The Toll House Inn   mattyice / Atlas Obscura User
The Toll House Inn   mattyice / Atlas Obscura User
The Toll House Inn   mattyice / Atlas Obscura User
  e1savage / Atlas Obscura User
  e1savage / Atlas Obscura User
Placard For the Toll House Inn, August 2023   Ragnar of Ballard / Atlas Obscura User
  anwit / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

This Place Is a Stub

Help improve this place with additional information or photos.

Make an Edit

About

Toll House cookies get their namesake from the Toll House Inn, where Ruth Wakefield first invented one of the world's most famous cookies.

After running out of nuts for her cookies, Wakefield substituted them with chocolate pieces hoping they would melt. When she finished, the chips were still solid, but much softer. The new creation was a huge hit among the guests. 

Wakefield's recipe became so popular that it was published in several newspapers. Later, she struck an agreement with Andrew Nestlé to print her recipe on the packaging of his semi-sweet chocolate. In return, Nestlé provided her with an endless supply of chocolate she could use for the rest of her life.

In 1939, Nestlé introduced the Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels. Wakefield passed away in 1977, but the company still prints her recipe on the back of each bag. The Toll House Inn burned down in 1984. A sign and plaque mark the site where the inn once stood on Route 18. 

Related Tags

Cookies Houses Food Homes

Know Before You Go

Keep in mind that the only things to see here are a sign and a commemorative plaque. Use your best judgment about whether it's worth going out of your way for. 

Community Contributors

Added By

mattyice

Edited By

e1savage, Ragnar of Ballard, anwit

  • e1savage
  • Ragnar of Ballard
  • anwit

Published

December 4, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
The Toll House Inn
370-382 Bedford St
Whitman, Massachusetts, 02382
United States
42.070932, -70.948197
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Solitude Stone

West Bridgewater, Massachusetts

miles away

Bridgewater Seal Statue

Bridgewater, Massachusetts

miles away

The Legs of Myles Standish

Halifax, Massachusetts

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Massachusetts

Massachusetts

United States

Places 541
Stories 42

Nearby Places

Solitude Stone

West Bridgewater, Massachusetts

miles away

Bridgewater Seal Statue

Bridgewater, Massachusetts

miles away

The Legs of Myles Standish

Halifax, Massachusetts

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Massachusetts

Massachusetts

United States

Places 541
Stories 42

Related Places

  • Newport, Rhode Island

    Cornè House

    The home of the artist credited with introducing the tomato to the American diet.

  • Casa Popeno’s main garden

    Antigua, Guatemala

    Casa Popenoe

    This restored colonial house was once home to the botanist responsible for bringing avocados to the U.S.

  • This house was transported piece-by-piece from the Huizhou region of China.

    Salem, Massachusetts

    Yin Yu Tang: A Chinese Home

    A rare 16-bedroom Qing Dynasty house re-erected on the campus of the Peabody Essex Museum. 

  • View from Above; a more recent concrete construction can be seen nearby

    Green Island, Taiwan

    Youzihu

    The ruins of a prehistoric village hide on a remote Taiwanese island.

  • A stone tower with brown pointed roof surveys a mountainous valley

    Vaduz, Liechtenstein

    Schloss Vaduz

    Liechtenstein's royal family calls this medieval alpine castle home.

  • Alatskivi Castle

    Alatskivi, Estonia

    Alatskivi Castle

    A wealthy aristocratic family built this Disney-worthy, fairy-tale castle.

  • 9904 Colesville Road (Polychrome II)

    Silver Spring, Maryland

    Polychrome Historic District

    These five Art Deco homes were meant to solve the "small house problem."

  • Ida’s recipe is on the front-facing side of the grave.

    Rehovot, Israel

    Ida's Nut Roll Gravestone

    A family recipe is just one of several touches that make this Hebrew headstone special.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.