The Oldest Ice Cream Shops In The US

If there is one thing Americans can't resist, it's a scoop of ice cream. In fact, according to the International Dairy Food Association, each American consumes about four gallons — or 20 pounds — of ice cream per year. Believe it or not, this makes the U.S. the second biggest consumer of ice cream in the world, just behind New Zealand and ahead of Australia.

Ice cream has a long and storied history. While it's uncertain who invented the icy treat, it's generally accepted that its origins date back to as early as 2000 B.C. The frosty dessert made its way to the New World in the 18th century, already being mentioned in a 1744 letter written by a guest of Maryland Governor William Bladen. The earliest known advertisement for the product was published in the New York Gazette on May 12, 1777, but ice cream remained a luxury reserved for the elite until the 19th century and the invention of insulated ice houses.

Today, there are over 17,000 ice cream shops in the U.S., but this wasn't always the case. Long before ice cream became a mass-produced household staple, the dairy dessert was sold in small, family-owned shops, many of which featured soda fountains, or counters that served ice cream, sodas, and syrups. Interestingly, some of these historic parlors still exist, serving up ice cream along with a large scoop of history. Keen to find out more? Here is a list of America's oldest ice cream parlors that are still in business!

The Bassett family was already making ice cream when Abraham Lincoln served his first term in office. In fact, the first batches of what would later become Bassetts Ice Cream were already churned by mule power in 1861. This operation turned into America's first ice cream parlor in 1892, when the Bassett family opened a shop at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, where it has remained open ever since. Today, Bassetts Ice Cream is still run by the same family, now in its sixth generation.

Aside from selling its frosty desserts at the Reading Terminal Market, Bassetts distributes its ice cream to dipping parlors and restaurants around the country. The ice cream has also found an international following in China, Taiwan, and South Korea. What sets Bassetts Ice Cream apart is the recipe. The shop specializes in Philadelphia-style ice cream, which means that it doesn't contain egg yolk, allowing for a richer, cream-forward flavor. Sold in cones, cups, pints, and quarts, the frozen dessert comes in a huge range of flavors from classics like vanilla and chocolate to more imaginative options such as pomegranate blueberry chunk and raspberry truffle. Over the years, the company's product selection has grown to also include specialty milkshakes, floats, and refreshing sorbets.

Fentons Creamery has been a beloved institution in Oakland, California, since opening its doors at 41st and Howe streets in 1894. Founded by Elbridge Seth Fenton, who is said to have been persuaded to start making ice cream by his grandson, the business was passed down through generations until it was purchased by an Oakland native, Scott Whidden, in 1987. Today, Fentons Creamery is located on Piedmont Avenue, a few streets away from the original store. The ice cream parlor also opened another location in Vacaville, California in 2007.

Interestingly, according to some accounts, Fentons Creamery is where the rocky road ice cream was first invented when an employee transformed a Rocky Road candy bar into ice cream. Today, the parlor still sells rocky road, alongside other ice cream flavors such as pistachio raspberry swirl, butter pecan butterfinger, and bubble gum. There is also a range of seasonal ice cream flavors like eggnog, pistachio pomegranate, and cherry vanilla, as well as made-to-order ice cream cakes.

The ice cream at Fentons Creamery is made from the finest ingredients. The business takes pride in its high-calcium, high-protein milk sourced from California cows, including Jersey, Holstein, Guernsey, and Hereford breeds. The ice cream is made in 10-gallon batches using high butterfat content for a creamy, dense texture.

Set in the historic city of Fredericksburg, Virginia, Goolrick's Pharmacy has been in business since 1897. True to its name, the enterprise started out as a pharmacy, gradually evolving into a hybrid establishment with a soda fountain. Over a century later, Goolrick's is still in the same location, and its soda counter has earned the distinction of being recognized as the longest continuously operating soda fountain in the U.S. Today, the soda fountain offers a range of sweet treats including sodas, ice cream, as well as breakfast dishes and sandwiches.

While Goolrick's Pharmacy has faced its fair share of challenges over the years — including competition from more modern chain pharmacies — it has managed to stay in business and even thrive. Nevertheless, the drug store building has been undergoing renovations since 2024 to bring it to modern standards while preserving its historic charm. And there is a good reason for this — years of use, flooding, and old fire damage had taken their toll on the iconic landmark.

Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor is a sight to behold. Stepping inside the shop feels like traveling back in time to 1900, with its marble counter, maple flooring, carved tin ceiling tiles, and brass chandeliers. This turn-of-the-century marvel in Columbus, Indiana, also features two onyx soda fountains, which were bought at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. The parlor has been restored to its former grandeur by Tony Moravec, who purchased the business after the passing of the last of the Zaharako family operators, Lew Zaharako, in 2006. Determined to preserve this piece of local history, Moravec even located the collector who had acquired the parlor's 1908 Welte player organ and arranged to buy it back.

To share his passion for history, Moravec opened a mini museum in a building next door that displays a collection of mechanical musical instruments and pre-1900 soda fountains and syrup dispensers. He also restored the Zaharako family's Victorian-era home, located above the ice cream parlor. Interestingly, Moravec's preservation efforts attracted the interest of film writer, director, and producer Robert Moniot, who used the ice cream shop as the set for his film "The Ice Cream Man," in 1995.

Zaharakos serves homemade ice cream, ice cream floats, ice cream sodas, and milkshakes. Just a few of the flavors on offer include butter pecan, coffee, and mint chocolate chip. Customers can top their frozen confection with flavored sauces such as strawberry, caramel, and peanut butter. Last but not least, the frosty creation can be embellished with an assortment of toppings like chopped Snickers bar bits, maraschino cherries, and gummy worms.

The history of Angelo Brocato Original Italian Ice Cream Parlor can be traced back to late 19th century Sicily where the then 12-year-old Angelo Brocato completed his apprenticeship at an ice cream parlor in the city of Palermo. Angelo brought all he had learned in Italy to the U.S., where he opened a gelateria in the French Quarter of New Orleans. He manually churned the ice cream, introducing the city to such new flavors as torroncino, a vanilla gelato blended with cinnamon and ground almonds. In addition, he also started producing granita al limone, or lemon ice.

While the Angelo Brocato ice cream shop is no longer in its original location, the parlor's owners have done their best to recreate the original store's Old World aesthetic at their Mid-City site. Some of the store's vintage decor elements include ceiling fans, glass-topped tables, and apothecary jars filled with colorful confectionery.

Angelo Brocato still specializes in gelato, which is made with a mixture of local and Italian ingredients. Unlike regular ice cream, the gelato is made from a custard mixture that contains less air and milk fat, resulting in a denser treat. Angelo Brocato also continues to sell granitas made with juice, water, and sugar. Aside from the standard icy treats, the shop also offers specialty items such as spumoni, a wedge of tutti frutti, lemon and pistachio almond gelato, crowned with a dollop of sweet almond whipped cream.

Wilson's Restaurant & Ice Cream Parlor has been a landmark in the picturesque village of Ephraim, Wisconsin for over a century. Starting out as a homemade ice cream and candy store, the small family-run business has gradually evolved into a full-service eatery. The current restaurant building was constructed in 1910 and still features the original flagstone flooring.

The seasonal restaurant, which operates from May to October, continues to serve old-fashioned soda fountain items, alongside American classics such as burgers, hot dogs, soups, and chili. In terms of ice cream, Wilson's offers a variety of ice cream flavor combinations and toppings. One of these is the Three Kings, featuring chocolate, French vanilla, and mint chocolate chip ice cream, topped with whipped cream, hot fudge, and a cherry. The restaurant also offers a range of sundaes and ice cream coolers including the self-explanatory Cappuccino Cooler, the Boston Cooler with ginger ale and French vanilla ice cream, and the Fantasy Cooler with orange Fanta and French vanilla ice cream.

Not much has changed in the ice cream recipes, ingredients, and confectionery techniques used by Aglamesis Bros. Ice Cream and Chocolates since it first opened in 1908. Founded by two brothers from Sparta, Greece, the Cincinnati landmark originally operated as The Metropolitan before adopting its current name during the Great Depression. At the time, the brothers churned all the ice cream by hand and utilized rock salt in the freezing process. They even made deliveries and became known for having the fastest horses in town.

Today, Aglamesis Bros. Ice Cream and Chocolates boasts two locations in Cincinnati and one in Hamilton, Ohio. The store's Oakley outlet dates back to 1913 and still features elements of its original decor, including hand-laid tile flooring, a tin ceiling, marble-topped tables, and a soda fountain. One of the parlor's most charming features are its Tiffany lamps from the 1920s.

Aglamesis Bros. Ice Cream and Chocolates offers seasonal ice cream flavors, a strategy that allows the parlor to make the most of fresh ingredients. For instance, the seasonal flavors for March range from black cherry, coconut, and pistachio to chocolate almond and banana chocolate. True to its name, the shop also stocks chocolates like salted caramels, Swiss chocolate creams, pecan bark, and coconut clusters.

Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain has had quite a few name changes over the years. The store opened its doors as the South Pasadena Pharmacy in 1915 before changing its name to Raymond Pharmacy in the 1920s and 1930s. It wasn't until the 1940s that the pharmacy took on its current name. Located along Route 66, over the years, the South Pasadena corner store has become a historic attraction thanks to its vintage charm.

Stepping into the Fair Oaks Pharmacy feels like a nostalgic trip down memory lane. The retro interior features neon signs, vintage toys, and a range of old-fashioned knickknacks and posters. However, the star of the show is the store's soda fountain. Complete with a marble countertop and chrome stools, the fountain station offers ice cream by the scoop, hand-dipped milkshakes and malts, and ice cream sodas. Fair Oaks Pharmacy also serves phosphate sodas, an old-fashioned beverage made with flavored syrup, carbonated water, and a splash of acid phosphate, originally added to the drink as a replacement for citrus.

San Francisco's St. Francis Fountain is nothing short of an institution. Established in 1918 by a Greek immigrant, the diner remained in the same family until it was sold in 2000. Recently, the historic store, which features a vintage fountain counter, has been acquired by a first-time restaurant owner, Mantakarn Seenin. Luckily, any significant changes to the store are unlikely in the near future, as the business is listed on San Francisco's Legacy Business Registry, which restricts drastic renovations or rebranding.

While St. Francis Fountain's menu has expanded to include soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, and a range of other bites, its interior remains largely unchanged, with checkerboard floors and retro barstools. Most importantly, just like in the past, diners can still have their fill of ice cream, which includes options such as Black & White with a classic chocolate and vanilla combo, the coffee-flavored Dusty Road, and Buster Brown, which is composed of a warm fudge brownie topped with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and finished with raspberry sauce, whipped cream, and walnuts.

While the original Leopold's Ice Cream location in Savannah, Georgia, no longer exists, its spirit lives on at the new flagship store on Broughton Street, which was opened in 2004 by Stratton Leopold, the son of one of the store's founders. Despite the change in location, the new Leopold's Ice Cream incorporates several historic elements from the original ice cream parlor, including a marble soda counter, a wooden back bar, and an old-fashioned telephone booth. Interestingly, the interior of the new store was created with the help of Oscar-nominated set designer Dan Lomino.

Faithful to its roots, Leopold's ice cream is still handcrafted using the original recipe of the Leopold brothers, who founded the shop over a century ago. With over 20 flavors, including gluten-free and vegan options, the store offers a diverse selection of frozen treats bound to satisfy most palates. Notably, the menu features one of Leopold's Ice Cream's original flavors — tutti frutti, a blend of rum ice cream, candied fruits, and roasted Georgia pecans, is a timeless classic that has withstood the test of time. Leopold's Ice Cream also serves a soda fountain menu that features sundaes, ice cream sandwiches, milkshakes, malts, and ice cream sodas.

"The only way to survive this heat is with a cup of Petersen's ice cream in hand!" or so claim the employees of Petersen's Ice Cream. This very well may be true, since the Oak Park, Illinois, store has been keeping its customers happy with rich, creamy ice cream since 1919. And the patrons are definitely not complaining — Petersen's Ice Cream has been awarded the blue ribbon at the Illinois State Fair on multiple occasions.

Petersen's Ice Cream still features the store's authentic tin ceilings and marble counters, where patrons can still enjoy rich and creamy ice cream — courtesy of its 16 to 18 percent butterfat content. One of the store's most unique menu items is the Turtle Pie, which comes with a generous portion of seven scoops of vanilla ice cream, Petersen's fudge and hot caramel, and oven-roasted pecans — all held together with a graham cracker crust. Of course, those looking for something less filling can opt for the store's selection of ice cream scoops and sundaes.

The story of Graeter's in Hyde Park begins in 1870, when Louis Charles Graeter started hand-making ice cream in French pots and selling it out of carts in Cincinnati, Ohio. Building on this venture, Graeter's wife Regina opened Graeter's in Hyde Park in 1922 after her husband's passing. At a time when new mass-production methods were entering the industry, Regina continued to produce ice cream in small-batch French pots. Today, Graeter's in Hyde Park is operated by the third generation of the Graeter family. While the French pot machines have been updated over the years, the parlor's time-tested ice cream-making process in 2.5-gallon batches remains unchanged.

Graeter's in Hyde Park features a truly overwhelming fountain menu of ice cream flavors. There are over 10 chocolate chip flavors alone, from cookie dough chocolate chip to black raspberry chocolate chip. Meanwhile, fans of classic flavors can opt for the likes of butter pecan, Madagascar vanilla bean, and cookies and cream. Beyond traditional favorites, the ice cream parlor also serves sorbets, milkshakes, malts, and sundaes.