Step into these American town squares, and it’s like flipping back the calendar 70 years. Whether it’s the classic diners, vintage storefronts, courthouse lawns, or brick-lined sidewalks, these squares have preserved the heart and soul of mid-20th-century Main Street USA. Here are 22 town squares that still feel like it’s 1955 — and why they’re worth a visit.
1. Georgetown, Texas
One of the most beautifully preserved Victorian squares in the country, complete with an old courthouse, retro signage, and mom-and-pop shops lining the plaza.
2. Galena, Illinois
Cobblestone streets and 19th-century brick buildings wrap around a square that hasn’t changed much — except maybe the cars parked outside.
3. Abingdon, Virginia
This charming Southern town features vintage storefronts, a classic town green, and the 1930s-era Barter Theatre still in operation.
4. Oxford, Mississippi
The courthouse square is alive with bookstores, diners, and soda-fountain cafés — all steeped in old Southern charm.
5. Healdsburg, California
Though now dotted with wine shops, this Northern California town square still has the quiet, leafy park at its heart — framed by family-owned storefronts.
6. McKinney, Texas
With classic brick buildings, a town clock, and retro signage, McKinney’s historic square evokes small-town America to a T.
7. Medina, Ohio
Its centerpiece is a perfectly preserved town green, ringed by old shops, an antique toy store, and an ice cream parlor that still scoops like it did decades ago.
8. Collierville, Tennessee
Designated “America’s Best Main Street” in 2014, Collierville’s square features a gazebo, vintage lampposts, and barber shops straight out of Eisenhower-era America.
9. Woodstock, Vermont
This postcard-perfect New England town has clapboard houses, a central green, and locally run shops where the past feels very much alive.
10. Franklin, Tennessee
With its Art Deco theater marquee, drugstore soda fountains, and walkable square centered around the old courthouse, Franklin looks like a Norman Rockwell scene.
11. Mount Airy, North Carolina
Andy Griffith’s hometown inspired The Andy Griffith Show — and the town square still feels like Mayberry, complete with Floyd’s Barber Shop.
12. Staunton, Virginia
With its railroad depot, historic movie palace, and timeless architecture, Staunton’s downtown square is like stepping into the past.
13. Jackson, Wyoming
Though a gateway to luxury now, Jackson’s town square retains old wooden boardwalks, a classic elk-antler arch, and saloons that haven’t changed in decades.
14. Bardstown, Kentucky
Known as the Bourbon Capital of the World, Bardstown’s square features antique shops, diners, and vintage signage under classic courthouse towers.
15. Fayetteville, Arkansas
The square hosts year-round events and retains old-fashioned buildings, a farmers’ market, and a slow, easy rhythm you’d expect from the ’50s.
16. Eureka Springs, Arkansas
With winding streets, Victorian-era shops, and no stoplights downtown, this Ozark town square hasn’t rushed into the 21st century — by choice.
17. Wickford Village, Rhode Island
Cobblestone sidewalks, clapboard storefronts, and a harbor town square that hasn’t changed much since midcentury — or the century before.
18. De Smet, South Dakota
Best known as the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder, this prairie town’s tiny square features hardware stores, bakeries, and not a fast-food chain in sight.
19. Guthrie, Oklahoma
Once the territorial capital, Guthrie’s brick-paved downtown and vintage signs feel stuck in time in the best possible way.
20. Berlin, Maryland
Used as a filming location for Runaway Bride, this picture-perfect town square is filled with nostalgic storefronts and old-school diners.
21. Clarksdale, Mississippi
This blues hub has preserved its midcentury charm with vintage signage, a music-filled square, and rhythm that’s barely changed since the ’50s.
22. Glenwood Springs, Colorado
Surrounded by mountains and rich with historic buildings, the town square includes an old train depot and soda fountains that still serve cherry cokes.
