Inside scoop: 10 unique VA ice cream shops to visit for National Ice Cream Month

With the hot summer temperatures upon us, be sure to stop by a local Virginia creamery to celebrate National Ice Cream Month.

Do you want to cleanse your palate with rich, creamy ice cream during these hot summer months? With July being National Ice Cream Month, finding a delicious ice creamery near you is clearly essential. 

We’ve got the inside scoop on 10 of the top ice cream parlor locations around the commonwealth for you to try.

Pop’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream 

Address: 109 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314

When Ray “Pop” Giovanni opened Pop’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream in the 1940s, he primarily did catering for the White House. Besides, the shop’s location is right outside of Washington DC. 

The founder passed away in 1998, but the local business is still living up to the same legacy that he created with his original recipes.

It’s said that First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt had many favorite flavors when she went to Pop’s. One modern fan favorite flavor is the choco-banana blend.

Kline’s Dairy Bar

Address: 58 E Wolfe St, Harrisonburg, VA 22802

Established in 1943 in downtown Harrisonburg, Kline’s Dairy Bar has a history almost as rich as its ice cream. Initially, the company served customers through a window at the Kline family home. Over the years, Kline’s has expanded significantly, currently serving from seven locations across the Shenandoah Valley.

Have you heard about their salted caramel crunch flavor? What about the cherry chocolate chip? They are all customer favorites from Kline’s Dairy Bar. 

Scoop Ice Cream 

Address: 403 Strawberry St, Richmond, VA 23220

When Morgan Botwinick opened a cafe called Whisk in 2015, the owner envisioned an exciting twist: An ice cream shop. A few years later, Scoop is delighting customers with a wide array of creamy ice cream flavors, served with smiles. Each flavor promises a burst of goodness, ensuring that visitors not only enjoy their treat but also look forward to returning for more.

Many return co\ustomers find great delight in the creamery’s key lime pie flavored ice cream, as well as the salty peanut butter crunch.

Sweet Things Ice Cream Shoppe

Address: 106 W Washington St, Lexington, VA 24450

When the Sweet Things Ice Cream Shoppe was founded in 1982, it quickly gained a following thanks to a delicious delicacy—hand-rolled waffle cones. Proudly serving the Lexington community for over 30 years, the creamery continues its legacy as a cash-only business.

Many community members rave about the dulce de leche and black raspberry flavors.

The Split Banana 

Address: 7 W Beverley St, Staunton, VA 24401 

When this gelato shop opened its doors 15 years ago, they didn’t anticipate that their ice cream would be so popular in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. The Split Banana offers a whopping 24 constantly rotating flavors that are made fresh daily with local milk from grass-fed cows. 

Two of the gelato favorites from The Split Banana are the M&M birthday cake and matcha.

Lolly’s Creamery

Address: 5109 Colley Ave, Norfolk, VA 23508

When a young couple moved to Virginia Beach, they noticed that there were no options for locally made ice cream in the area. They then decided to create Lolly’s Creamery for the 757 area code ice cream lovers! This family-owned business creates smiles one scoop of ice cream at a time.

Have you heard of ice cream pizzas? You can order one here! 

Carl’s Frozen Custard

Address: 2200 Princess Anne St, Fredericksburg, VA 22401

When Carl Sponseller founded Carl’s Frozen Custard in 1947, there was no way of knowing that the building would become part of the Virginia Historical Society, and registered as a Virginia Historic Landmark. Today the recipes are still the same as they were when the business opened—and they are all served daily while supplies last.

Some of the different treats that people have come to love include the famous pineapple milkshake and the maplenut sundae.

The Hilton Creamery 

Address: 10349 Warwick Blvd, Newport News, VA 23601

When a group of four friends decided that they enjoyed sweet treats, they decided to start making different popsicle selections. The popsicles started to sell out at local farmers markets, causing them to grow and eventually open The Hilton Creamery. Now, they sell popsicles and other creamy ice cream goodness.

We’re all for punny things, so we were naturally drawn to the Graham Central Station ice cream offering. Another honorable mention is the Cappuccino Crunch flavor.

Chaps Ice Cream 

Address: 223 E Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22902

This old fashioned ice cream parlor is located in downtown Charlottesville, on a local corner near UVA. Chaps has been serving the same scoops since they opened over 35 years ago. The business makes different flavors based on people’s requests—so go in with your creativity!

Some of the favorites from this parlor include chocolate fudge walnut and mint chocolate chip.

Nathan’s Dairy Bar

Address: 8948 Mathis Ave, Manassas, VA 20110

Nathan’s Dairy Bar was founded in the early 2000s by a Manassas local who named the shop after his son, Nathan. Twice a week, the ice cream shop switches around the unique flavors that it offers. This dairy bar provides any type of ice cream, from soft serve to different sherbet flavors. 

Some of the fun flavors that we recommend are the Cookie Monster and the Play-Dough ice cream.