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From the Archives: Girl Scout Season Origin

Posted on June 6, 2023   |   Updated on September 30, 2025

Girl Scout cookie season is one of my favorite times of the year! Did you know that it originated in Philly? In the early 1930’s, Philadelphia Girl Scouts held a cookie sale to benefit a local children's nursery and orphanage.

The Girl Scout cookie sale historical marker is on 1401 Arch Street. (Brittany Valentine/City Cast Philly)

The Girl Scout cookie sale historical marker is on 1401 Arch Street. (Brittany Valentine/City Cast Philly)

Philadelphia’s sale was unique because a scout’s parents worked for the Philadelphia Gas and Electric Company on Arch Street, which allowed them to bake the cookies in the company's oven.

It was also the first time a troop sold cookies to the general public. This quickly became a tradition for local troops, and by 1936, the Girl Scouts adopted the annual cookie sale as a national program.

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