Charlottesville’s Best Ice Cream Shops

Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Shop

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is a top seller at this locally-owned franchise in Barracks Road. If you’re in the mood for some classic flavors for dessert like chunky monkey or the top selling chocolate chip cookie dough, get a cup or house-made cone here. To add some variety, try your favorite flavors as a sundae or shake. They also provide non-dairy selections, and you can take a pint on the go to satisfy a late-night craving. A Ben & Jerry’s ice cream cake is a sure-fire hit for kids’ parties and they take care of the whole family, fur babies too. Ask about doggie desserts.

Carter Mountain Orchard Ice Cream

This must-see orchard, located just a short drive from downtown Charlottesville, is a wonderful destination for dessert lovers. All you have to do is go up to the ice cream window for a delicious soft-serve cone. For an extra sweet dessert treat, try your scoop on top of a pie slice, in a cider donut ice cream sandwich, or in an ice cream slushie float! The cider donuts are a Charlottesville staple and kids will happily stand in line for one of these cinnamon-coated treats. Enjoy the spectacular view while eating your treat at one of their convenient picnic tables and get your annual kid pic in the giant apple photo prop. Someday you’ll be able to show your teenager precious pictures of themselves on the mountaintop posing as the cute worm when they were a baby, a toddler, a preschooler and a gap-toothed elementary school kid.

Chandler’s Ice Cream

Chandler’s Ice Cream is a fan favorite located on River Road in Charlottesville just across the parking lot from Tractor Supply. Their small and sweet drive-up menu of vanilla, chocolate, and twisted soft serve ice cream (with the standard assortment of toppings, of course) has a unique ability to transport you back to your childhood! If you need something more substantial, you can get a hot dog and chips while banana boat sundaes and root beer floats round out the menu. Keep it simple is their motto and they do it well. Close to Pen Park this is the perfect family stop on the way home to cool off after some biking, pickle ball or kite flying. Only open during the warm months. No indoor seating but there is a picnic table.

Chaps Ice Cream Parlor

Chaps Ice Cream, located on Charlottesville’s historic Downtown Mall, is a Charlottesville institution. Chaps is an institution in Charlottesville — it’s one of the oldest ice cream shops in town. Chaps opened in 1985 and founder Tony Labua’s goal was a nostalgic nod to the soda fountains he grew up with in the 1950’s. The timeless atmosphere of this Happy Days-style ice cream parlor isn’t the only thing that dates back to the 1950s: all of their ice cream is produced on-site using a 75-year-old family recipe from his Grandfather. From butter pecan to chocolate and sherbet, each flavor is delicious! Top sellers are Oreo Cookie Dough and Birthday Cake ice cream.  In 2024 they added a new location on the UVa Corner.  Watch the dessert menu for Peach Ice Cream when the fruit is in season – it is made with Chile’s peaches grown right in Crozet! A promised stop at Chaps is the perfect motivation for the kids to behave extra well at a New Dominion Bookstore storytime or stop at the Discovery Museum. Indoor and outdoor seating available.

Crozet Creamery

Crozet Creamery, located on Piedmont Place across the way from the JMRL Library in Crozet, is a local favorite. Each of their varieties, which are available online in an ever-changing selection of frozen dessert delights, meets all of the criteria: handcrafted, taste-tested, and manufactured fresh in small amounts every day. They even let employees craft personalized flavors for the hyper-local touch. Eat your treats indoors, at the shop patio or take your sweets over to the nearby Claudius Crozet Park and let the kids run off their energy on the swings and slides. You can also order pints to go and ice cream cakes perfect for parties.

Each of their varieties, an ever-changing selection of delectable delights, meets all of the criteria: handcrafted, taste-tested, and manufactured fresh in small amounts every day.

Kilwin’s Dessert Shop

It’s hard to miss Kilwins when walking on Charlottesville Historic Downtown Mall. A hive of activity is on display through large glass storefront windows. The aroma of desserts from caramel and chocolates to and ice cream and the sight of praline pecans being pulled from the copper kettle will surely lure you through the door. And since Kilwins is a franchise, the stores are locally-owned and all their sweet treats are made in-house. Along with their inventive ice cream flavors, Kilwins also serves a variety of other treats such as candy-covered apples and handcrafted fudge. So stop in, cool off, and enjoy a delicious treat, or take it for a walk down the historic Downtown Mall. Their most popular ice cream flavors are sea salt caramel and chocolate sea salt caramel.

Kohr Brother’s Frozen Custard

Looking for great soft serve in Charlottesville? Kohr Brother’s on 29 North serves a range of smoothies, desserts, and frozen custard varieties in a cup or cone. The kids will especially love that they can take a ride on a vintage carousel when they stop by the shop. The frozen custard at Kohr Brother’s in Charlottesville is still made with the same pure ingredients as custard was centuries ago: cream, eggs and sugar. Frozen custard is considered thick, smooth and creamy even though it has a little less fat and sugar than traditional ice cream. Kohr Brother’s Frozen Custard started on Coney Island and quickly spread to beach towns along the East Coast and can be found now in 4 states. Stop by for some classic Charlottesville ice cream and return in April for their legendary Nickel Cone Day, when each cone costs only 5 cents in honor of their anniversary – the price of a cone when they first opened in 1919.

La Flor Michoacana

With the purpose of bringing the vivid flavors of Michoacán, Mexico to Charlottesville, La Flor Michoacana Paleteria is your family’s one-stop shop for all things frozen. Their menu includes a wide variety of handcrafted frozen desserts – ice creams, popsicles, and aguas frescas created with only natural ingredients. Visitors who prefer the classics will find their favorite tastes, while adventurers can try Tres Leches, Pineapple Chili or Cotton Candy Marshmallow. It doesn’t get much better than this – you can eat ice cream and have a family geography lesson all in one spot. No list of Charlottesville’s Best Ice Cream Shops could leave of La Flor Michoacana.

Moo Thru at Dairy Market

Moo Thru brings the deliciousness of their original shop on 29 North (near Culpepper) to the center of Charlottesville. This must-see stall serves slow-churned ice cream produced with all-natural ingredients created by a family of 4^th generation Virginia dairy farmers. Stop by for the ideal end to a day at the nearby Washington Park Pool and for tired moms and dads – there are lots of easy dinner options at Dairy Market that can be eaten on-site or taken home! Some of the newest fan favorites for dessert at Moo Thru are Blackberry Merlot ice cream with Dark Chocolate Chunks and Bourbon Caramel while Cookies & Cream remains the top pick for children.

Splendora’s Gelato

After a day of exploring downtown Charlottesville, your family can savor the house-made gelatos and sorbettos at Splendora’s Gelato. They also just opened a dessert shop in The Shops in Stonefield so you can grab a bowl after you shop or see a movie. Splendora’s Gelato serves classic Italian flavors such as Stracciatella gelato and Lemon sorbetto alongside its own creations such as brown sugar peach ginger and Thai tea. There are even dairy free and gluten free choices for those with food sensitivities.  If you are struggling to choose, the café’s five-scoop sampler allows you to try a little of everything. Splendora’s Gelato Café is a must-see for its distinctive, handcrafted gelato and rotating weekly menu based on fresh seasonal ingredients. What’s the difference between gelato and ice cream? The talented team at #SplendyCville say gelato is the same basic ingredients as ice cream. It’s the older cousin with more milk than cream and beaten not whipped

SugarBear Ice Cream Shop

SugarBear Ice Cream’s distinctive flavors have made a name for themselves in stores throughout greater Charlottesville well before their sweet brick-and-mortar store opened on East High Street in May 2024. They well deserve their spot on our list of the best ice cream shops in Charlottesville! Visit their new location near Pantops for scoops, sundaes, and cookie ice cream sandwiches. Enjoy your treat in the outdoor ice cream garden. SugarBear takes a special pride in using local produce and materials in all of its creative flavors. Try Wild Woman Whiskey with Ragged Branch Whiskey, Crème Brulee or Mayan Hot Chocolate Ice Cream with Gearhearts chocolate shavings.

Charlottesville’s Best Ice Cream Shops

The long hot days of a Virginia summer can only mean one thing… It’s ice cream time. A family-favorite outing in Charlottesville is to head to your favorite local spot for a malt, a shake or a cone. When you’re ready to shake it up a little and visit some different dessert spots CharlottesvilleFamily has you covered with our Guide to the Best Ice Cream Shops in Charlottesville. Bon Appetit!