12 Ice Cream Shops In Pennsylvania That Everyone Absolutely Loves
Ice cream in Pennsylvania is not just dessert, it is a whole mood.
One scoop can turn a random afternoon into a little celebration, especially when the shop feels welcoming and the cones come out piled high.
Great ice cream spots have their own kind of magic, the sweet smell drifting out the door, the cheerful chatter in line, and that first cold bite that makes everything else fade into the background.
Classic flavors bring the nostalgia, creative specials bring the excitement, and seasonal swirls keep people coming back with a “just one more visit” promise.
Beloved shops earn their reputation the honest way, by serving ice cream that tastes fresh, rich, and seriously satisfying.
Some places nail the old-school charm, some feel like a modern treat lab, and some win with simple perfection and friendly service.
Pennsylvania has plenty of reasons to take a drive, but a top-tier cone might be the sweetest one.
Personal confession: ice cream shops turn me into a kid again, because I will stand at the menu board like it is a life decision, then order my favorite anyway.
1. The Franklin Fountain
Walking into this place feels like stepping through a time machine straight into 1900.
The Franklin Fountain sits at 116 Market Street in Old City Philadelphia, housed in a building that matches its throwback vibe perfectly with exposed brick walls and antique light fixtures hanging from pressed tin ceilings.
Brothers Ryan and Eric Berley opened this nostalgic parlor in 2004, and they take their historical accuracy seriously.
Staff members wear period-appropriate clothing while serving up handmade ice cream using recipes and techniques from centuries past.
Their signature Lightning Rod sundae towers over the table with multiple scoops, hot fudge, and whipped cream that actually tastes like cream instead of chemicals.
I tried their salted caramel flavor last spring, and honestly, I went back three days in a row because I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
The shop also makes its own sodas and candies, so you’re getting a full old-timey experience with every visit.
2. Bassetts Ice Cream
America’s oldest ice cream company still scooping since 1861 deserves some serious respect.
You’ll find Bassetts at Reading Terminal Market, 45 North 12th Street in Philadelphia, where they’ve been a market staple since the building opened in the 1890s.
Six generations of the Bassett family have perfected their craft, and their vanilla bean remains the gold standard against which all other vanillas should be judged.
The market location buzzes with energy as tourists and locals alike crowd around the counter, debating between classic flavors and seasonal specials.
Their raisin classic brings that old-school sweetness, while the butter almond crunch delivers exactly what the name promises.
The shop operates from a traditional market stall rather than a standalone building, giving it an authentic, no-frills atmosphere.
Fun fact: Bassetts supplied ice cream to the White House during several presidential administrations, so you’re basically eating like royalty.
3. Penn State Berkey Creamery
College campuses aren’t usually known for world-class ice cream, but Penn State breaks that rule spectacularly.
The Berkey Creamery operates at 119 Rodney A.
Erickson Food Science Building on the University Park campus, and it’s become such a destination that non-students plan entire trips around visiting.
This isn’t some small-time operation either.
The creamery produces over 750,000 hand-dipped ice cream cones annually and distributes pints across Pennsylvania and beyond.
Peachy Paterno became legendary during Joe Paterno’s coaching era, and it remains a bestseller even though the name changed after 2012.
My nephew dragged me here during a campus visit, and I’ll admit the Death by Chocolate lived up to its dramatic name with layers of chocolate ice cream, chocolate chips, and fudge swirls.
The building itself looks like a typical academic structure from the outside, but inside, it’s pure ice cream heaven with educational displays about dairy science mixed among the freezers.
4. Fox Meadows Creamery
Fresh milk from happy cows makes better ice cream, and this family-owned spot proves it daily.
Fox Meadows Creamery sits at 2475 West Main Street in Ephrata, right in the heart of Lancaster County’s gorgeous farmland, where you can literally see the dairy cows grazing while you eat.
The Hess family started this operation in 2015, transforming their working dairy farm into an ice cream destination that uses milk from their own herd.
That farm-to-cone approach means the ice cream tastes incredibly fresh and creamy.
Salted pretzel flavor pays homage to Pennsylvania’s pretzel heritage, mixing sweet and salty in ways that shouldn’t work but absolutely do.
The creamery building looks like a charming red barn, complete with white trim and a welcoming front porch lined with rocking chairs.
Kids go crazy for the mint chocolate brownie, while adults tend to gravitate toward more sophisticated options like lavender honey or brown butter caramel.
5. Milk Jawn
Only in Philadelphia would someone name an ice cream shop using local slang, and somehow it works perfectly.
Milk Jawn operates at 1439 East Passyunk Avenue in the city, bringing a contemporary twist to frozen treats in a space that feels equal parts hip and welcoming.
Owner Billy Rohrback opened the shop in 2017 after years of experimenting with unusual flavor combinations that sound weird on paper but taste incredible in reality.
The interior features bright, Instagram-worthy murals and a minimalist counter design that lets the ice cream do the talking.
Thai iced tea flavor became an instant cult favorite, capturing that distinctive orange color and sweet spiced taste perfectly.
I’m usually skeptical of trendy food spots, but their black sesame changed my mind completely with its nutty, sophisticated flavor profile.
They rotate flavors constantly, so you never know what creative concoction might appear next.
The shop also offers vegan options that actually taste good, not like sad coconut milk pretending to be ice cream.
6. Page Dairy Mart
Some places refuse to change, and thank goodness for that stubbornness.
Page Dairy Mart has been serving soft-serve and hand-dipped ice cream at 4600 East Carson Street in Pittsburgh’s South Side since 1951, and the building still rocks its original mid-century architecture.
This walk-up window operation keeps things simple with no indoor seating, just picnic tables outside where you can watch the Monongahela River flow by.
The vintage neon sign glows like a beacon for ice cream lovers on warm summer nights.
Their soft-serve twist cone represents everything right about classic American ice cream stands, with that perfect swirl of chocolate and vanilla that tastes exactly like childhood summers.
The family running the place has maintained the same recipes for decades, refusing to modernize or mess with success.
Banana splits here come piled so high with toppings that eating one requires strategic planning and possibly a bib.
Fun fact: the dairy mart survived multiple floods over the years, bouncing back each time stronger than before.
7. Dave & Andy’s Homemade Ice Cream
Friendship and ice cream make an excellent combination, as proven by this Oakland neighborhood gem.
Dave Raimondo and Andy Huston started their partnership at 207 Atwood Street in Pittsburgh back in 1983, creating a shop that feels more like visiting a friend’s kitchen than a commercial establishment.
The storefront occupies a narrow building near the University of Pittsburgh campus, with brick walls covered in local art and a constantly changing menu board that lists over 30 flavors.
Students, professors, and families all crowd in together, debating flavor choices and catching up with the friendly staff.
Toasted coconut tastes like vacation in a cone, while their coffee flavors use locally roasted beans that deliver serious caffeine kicks alongside the sugar rush.
Every flavor gets made in small batches using a recipe base they’ve perfected over four decades.
The shop’s commitment to quality means they’ll run out of popular flavors rather than compromise by making inferior replacement batches.
8. Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream
Pittsburgh’s Strip District got sweeter when this shop opened its doors on Penn Avenue.
Millie’s started in Pittsburgh, founded by Chad and Lauren Townsend, bringing their small-batch artisan approach to a city that appreciated the attention to detail.
The space features white subway tiles, hanging Edison bulbs, and a marble counter that looks straight out of a fancy kitchen magazine.
Everything about the design screams quality without being pretentious or stuffy.
Honey and pecans flavor sounds intense, but it’s actually smooth and balanced, with just enough bold flavor to make it interesting without tasting like you’re eating a dessert.
Their waffle cones get made fresh throughout the day, filling the shop with that irresistible smell of baking that draws people in from blocks away.
I brought my sister here last fall, and she declared the darkest chocolate her new reason for living, which seemed dramatic until I tasted it myself.
Seasonal flavors rotate monthly, incorporating local ingredients whenever possible to keep things fresh and exciting.
9. The Meadows Frozen Custard
Frozen custard isn’t quite ice cream, but it’s close enough and delicious enough to earn a spot on this list.
The Meadows has been a Meadville institution at 910 Water Street since 1947, serving up dense, creamy frozen custard that makes regular ice cream seem thin by comparison.
This family operation runs from a standalone building painted in cheerful colors, with a large covered pavilion providing shade for customers enjoying their treats.
The place gets absolutely mobbed on summer evenings when the weather turns perfect for cold desserts.
Their flavor of the day system means you never know what special creation might appear alongside the classic vanilla and chocolate options.
Peanut butter custard swirled with hot fudge creates a Reese’s cup experience that’s dangerously addictive.
The building’s retro architecture hasn’t changed much over the decades, maintaining that authentic mid-century roadside stand aesthetic.
Locals treat this place like a community gathering spot where everyone eventually runs into someone they know while waiting in line.
10. Lapp Valley Farm Creamery & Cafe
Another Lancaster County treasure, this working farm creamery operates at 244 Mentzer Road in New Holland, where Amish farmland stretches in every direction.
The Lapp family has been farming here for generations, but they only opened the creamery and cafe in 2009 after realizing their milk deserved to become something special.
The building combines traditional Pennsylvania barn architecture with modern amenities, creating a space that feels both historic and current.
Large windows let you watch the ice cream production process while you eat, which kids find endlessly fascinating.
Chocolate peanut butter pretzel flavor celebrates Pennsylvania’s snack food heritage in one gloriously messy scoop.
They also serve sandwiches and soups in the cafe section, but honestly, most people come specifically for the ice cream made from their own herd’s milk.
Strawberry season brings fresh berry ice cream that tastes like summer itself, sweet and bright and completely natural.
The farm setting means you can take a walk around the property after eating, working off approximately three of the thousand calories you just consumed.
11. Perrydell Farm and Dairy
Family farms make the best ice cream, period.
Perrydell operates at 90 Indian Rock Dam Road in York, where the Perry family has been operating the dairy since 1963 and turned it into a true ice cream destination.
The bright red barn serves as both working dairy facility and ice cream shop, with Holstein cows providing the raw material for every batch.
Kids can visit the farm animals before or after getting their ice cream, making this a full afternoon destination rather than just a quick stop.
Butter pecan here contains massive chunks of buttery pecans in a rich vanilla base that tastes nothing like the wimpy grocery store version.
My kids insisted on visiting three times during one summer vacation, and I didn’t exactly fight them on it because the maple walnut kept calling my name.
The shop also sells their ice cream in pints to take home, though it rarely survives the car ride without someone sneaking spoonfuls.
Farm-fresh eggs, milk, and seasonal produce are available too, making this a proper farm stand alongside the creamery.
12. Sarris Candies Ice Cream Parlor
Chocolate makers who also make ice cream possess an unfair advantage over the competition.
Sarris Candies runs their ice cream parlor at 511 Adams Avenue in Canonsburg, inside a massive candy store and factory complex that produces some of Pennsylvania’s finest chocolates.
The parlor section features marble counters, vintage-style light fixtures, and cases displaying both ice cream and handmade chocolates in a space that feels luxurious without being intimidating.
The building itself sprawls across multiple sections, housing production facilities, retail space, and a cafe all under one roof.
Their chocolate ice cream uses the same premium chocolate that goes into their famous candies, creating a depth of flavor that cheaper brands can’t match.
Hot fudge sundaes here represent the pinnacle of the form, with homemade fudge sauce that stays liquid and glossy instead of turning into a hockey puck.
You can watch candy makers working through viewing windows while eating your ice cream, which provides entertainment along with your sugar rush.
The combination of chocolate shop and ice cream parlor makes this place dangerous for anyone with a sweet tooth and weak willpower.