Bassett’s, Philadelphia, PA: Since 1861<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"Bassett's](\"https:\/\/www.travelocity.com\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Bassetts-Peanut-Butter-Dream-1.png\")
Bassett’s Peanut Butter Dream<\/p><\/div>\n
Bassett’s<\/a> offers 40 flavors. Thankfully, none of them are green tomato, which was one of the first ice cream flavors produced by founder Lewis Dubois Bassett on his Salem, NJ farm in 1861. This discontinued flavor has been revived over the years for special company events. \u201cIt is not a good mover,\u201d Michael Strange, Bassetts\u2019 great-great-grandson, says with a laugh. \u201cWe have members of the sixth generation involved in the business, so we\u2019re hoping to keep this going,\u201d he says. Bassett’s has been located in the Reading Terminal Market since the venerable farmers market opened in 1892. The original marble counter anchors the soda fountain. A popular mural painted in the 1970s, and considered a local icon, has also been retained. The ice cream is made off-site, but with original family recipes. With the exception of green tomato, Strange has found that when a flavor is discontinued, it ignites a huge groundswell. \u201cPeople are very passionate about their favorite ice cream,\u201d he says. Case in point: banana. Not a bestseller, Strange says, but once we discontinued it, people lobbied for it and we relented and brought it back.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Doumar\u2019s, Norfolk, VA: <\/strong>Since 1905<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"Doumar's](\"https:\/\/www.travelocity.com\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/doumar-strawberry.jpeg\")
Doumar’s strawberry<\/p><\/div>\n
Abe Doumar invented the ice cream cone, an entrepreneurial inspiration when the former souvenir salesperson came upon an ice cream vendor who had run out of bowls at the 1904 St. Louis World\u2019s Fair. According to current Doumar\u2019s co-owner Randy Windley, Abe, noticing another vendor who made waffles on a single iron wafflemaker, suggested he roll up his waffles in a cornucopia (or is that cone-ucopia) shape and merge with the ice cream vendor. Abe, according to family lore, sold the world\u2019s first ice cream cones at the fair and seeing the possibilities, went to a foundry to custom-build his own waffle cone machines. That machine is still in use at Doumar\u2019s<\/a>, which makes roughly 600-800 cones daily. A crushed cone is the topping for a signature Doumar\u2019s hot fudge sundae called the Ringo. It is also the little something extra in the Reggie, a chocolate shake, which is no longer on the menu but is a kept-secret for more seasoned Doumar\u2019s visitors who remember the treat from 50 years ago. Doumar\u2019s is still family-run. \u201cThere is a Doumar here every day,\u201d Windley says.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain, Pasadena, CA: Since 1915<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"Fair](\"https:\/\/www.travelocity.com\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/fair-oaks.png\")
Fair Oaks Pharmacy<\/p><\/div>\n
Pasadena native Brandon Shahniani reports that he was the most popular kid in his school after his family bought Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain<\/a> in 2005. Here, vintage ice cream parlor and Route 66 nostalgia intersect (it\u2019s a favorite stop for travelers on the Mother Road). Fair Oaks originated as a pharmacy, but a soda fountain was installed for customers to chase down bitter-tasting medications with the sweet stuff. Signature ice cream offerings are the classic banana split and the locally-inspired Huntington Heath Sundae, named after Pasadena\u2019s major thruway (it\u2019s got a hot caramel sauce base and two scoops of vanilla ice cream topped with hot fudge and Heath Bar pieces). All the interior wood is original, as are the marble counter, stools and tile. There are iconic treats such as Rickey\u2019s (lime or cherry syrup in soda water) and phosphates but the family has adapted with the times with an expanded sandwich menu and even milkshakes made with fresh fruit. \u201cBut at heart,\u201d Shahniani says, \u201cwe are an old-fashioned ice cream parlor.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Fenton\u2019s Creamery, Oakland, CA: <\/strong>Since 1894<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"Fenton's](\"https:\/\/www.travelocity.com\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Fentons-black-and-tan-copy.jpg\")
Fenton’s Black & Tan<\/p><\/div>\n
How does Fenton\u2019s Creamery<\/a> keep packing them in? It\u2019s simple, says Keith Ortega, a manager for 17 of Fenton\u2019s 125 years. \u201cIf you put out a premium product, you will continue to have customers.\u201d Fenton\u2019s makes its own handcrafted ice cream, which is between 14-16% butterfat and made with local or California ingredients. Take its most popular creation, the Black & Tan sundae, created in the 1920s by founder E. S. Fenton\u2019s grandson, Melvin. It was Melvin who convinced his grandfather to add ice cream to the company\u2019s dairy offerings and to open a soda fountain. The toasted almond ice cream used in the sundae contains almonds that are dry roasted especially for Fenton\u2019s by Henderson Nut Factory in Lafayette, CA. The caramel and chocolate sauces used in the sundae are also housemade. Production tours allow customers to watch the ice cream being made. Ortega is happy to share with visitors Fenton\u2019s history. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the best parts of my job,\u201d he enthuses.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Goolrick\u2019s Pharmacy, Fredericksburg, VA: <\/strong>Since 1867<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"Goolricks](\"https:\/\/www.travelocity.com\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Goolricks-Pharmacy-1024x640.jpg\")
Goolrick\u2019s Pharmacy<\/p><\/div>\n
Christopher Condor, about 30 and only the fourth owner in Goolrick\u2019s Pharmacy<\/a>\u2019s more than 150-year history, did not have a Goolrick\u2019s growing up. \u201cMy family moved around every two years,\u201d he says. \u201cI don\u2019t recall places like this; an old-fashioned pharmacy and soda fountain with a charm that harkens back to a simpler time.\u201d Condor is not just the owner, he is also the pharmacist. Goolrick\u2019s is said to be America\u2019s oldest continuously operating soda fountain, and perhaps that\u2019s why he feels keenly the \u201chuge responsibility\u201d in keeping Goolrick\u2019s going to make sure it will continue to make memories for visitors that span the generations. \u201cWe get babies tasting their first ice cream cone, teenagers discovering their independence and hanging out with friends and college students on dates and grandparents who tell us they came here as kids.\u201d The recently renovated Goolrick\u2019s has been at its present location for all but the first two years of its operation. Malts are of particular fascination to Millennials, Condor notes. \u201cWe get a lot of questions about what a malt is and we end up turning them on to it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Leopold\u2019s Ice Cream, Savannah, GA: <\/strong>Since 1919<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"Leopold's](\"https:\/\/www.travelocity.com\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Chia-Chong_Leopolds-Ice-Cream.jpg\")
Leopold’s Ice Cream | PHOTO: Chia Chong<\/p><\/div>\n
Stratton Leopold has 20 credits as a film producer, including Mission: Impossible III<\/em>, The Sum of All Fears<\/em> and the Terry Gilliam cult classic, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen<\/em>. But what he really wanted to do was dispense ice cream in the family tradition. And so the prodigal son returned to the Savannah institution<\/a> his father and two uncles founded. The marble soda fountain counter, the rotary phone booth and the wooden back bar are all original. The rich ice cream is made on-site. Three of the menu\u2019s 50 rotating flavors\u2014Tutti-Fruiti, Rum Bisque and Lemon Custard\u2014 are unchanged since 1919. At Leopold\u2019s one truly sees the circle of life, states Director of Marketing and Communications Carey Ferrara. \u201cSoda fountains and ice cream parlors were a gathering place for the community,\u201d she says. \u201cWe have watched kids grow up, become parents and bring their own kids. Married couples who had their first date at Leopold\u2019s come in for ice cream after the wedding ceremony. The community considers us a family tradition.\u201d<\/p>\nPetersen\u2019s Ice Cream, Oak Park, IL: <\/strong>Since 1919<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"Petersens](\"https:\/\/www.travelocity.com\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Petersens-Ice-Cream-1024x640.jpg\")
Petersen\u2019s Ice Cream<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cConsistency is easy,\u201d says Petersen\u2019s<\/a> owner Jason Skiouris, citing a couple of national restaurant and ice cream chains that serve up the same old-same old. The challenge, he said, is not sacrificing quality. Petersen\u2019s, just outside of Chicago, has been dishing out the same rich and creamy ice cream with 16\u201318% butterfat since its inception a century ago. \u201cIf it\u2019s not broke, don\u2019t fix it,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019ve stuck to the [original] recipes and we hand-pack all our pints and quarts.\u201d The store\u2019s signature creation is the turtle pie. Among its more popular flavors are Peach (made with Georgia peaches), Cappuccino and Mackinac Island Fudge. A Chicago-native, Skiouris went to Petersen\u2019s \u201call the time\u201d growing up. So it\u2019s a real pleasure, he says, when seniors tell him their own parents went there or when couples get engaged in the charming surroundings with the restored tin ceiling, onyx counter tops and Carrara marble. Authentic ice cream parlors may be a dying breed, Skiouris says, but Petersen\u2019s has been able \u201cto stand the test of time by being true to our roots.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
St. Francis Fountain, San Francisco, CA: Since 1918<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"St.](\"https:\/\/www.travelocity.com\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/st.-francis.jpeg\")
St. Francis Fountain<\/p><\/div>\n
There\u2019s a classic \u201cTwilight Zone\u201d episode in which a run-down ad exec finds himself back in his hometown during the summer when he was 11 years old. He is delighted that the local soda fountain sells chocolate sodas with three scoops. That\u2019s how they do it at St. Francis Fountain<\/a>, the original San Francisco treat (a smaller size is also available). \u201cWe\u2019re not foodie types,\u201d says Levon Kazarian, co-owner since 2002. \u201cWe\u2019re totally traditional and authentic old-school ice cream.\u201d Taking their cue from St. Francis\u2019 previous restoration some 70 years ago, the dining room has the look of a 1940s movie set, but amenities such as the neon sign, Formica counter, wooden booths and advertising signs are original. \u201cThere used to be soda fountains on every corner,\u201d Kazarian notes. \u201cFor one generation, it\u2019s utter nostalgia. We still serve our sundaes and shakes in the fancy glassware,” he says. “But for a new generation, it\u2019s about discovery. Ice cream sodas are kind of forgotten, but they are so good. I love it when a five-year-old takes that first pull on his straw and his face lights up.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\nWilson\u2019s, Ephraim, WI: Since 1906<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Bassett’s Peanut Butter Dream<\/p><\/div>\n
Bassett’s<\/a> offers 40 flavors. Thankfully, none of them are green tomato, which was one of the first ice cream flavors produced by founder Lewis Dubois Bassett on his Salem, NJ farm in 1861. This discontinued flavor has been revived over the years for special company events. \u201cIt is not a good mover,\u201d Michael Strange, Bassetts\u2019 great-great-grandson, says with a laugh. \u201cWe have members of the sixth generation involved in the business, so we\u2019re hoping to keep this going,\u201d he says. Bassett’s has been located in the Reading Terminal Market since the venerable farmers market opened in 1892. The original marble counter anchors the soda fountain. A popular mural painted in the 1970s, and considered a local icon, has also been retained. The ice cream is made off-site, but with original family recipes. With the exception of green tomato, Strange has found that when a flavor is discontinued, it ignites a huge groundswell. \u201cPeople are very passionate about their favorite ice cream,\u201d he says. Case in point: banana. Not a bestseller, Strange says, but once we discontinued it, people lobbied for it and we relented and brought it back.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Doumar’s strawberry<\/p><\/div>\n Abe Doumar invented the ice cream cone, an entrepreneurial inspiration when the former souvenir salesperson came upon an ice cream vendor who had run out of bowls at the 1904 St. Louis World\u2019s Fair. According to current Doumar\u2019s co-owner Randy Windley, Abe, noticing another vendor who made waffles on a single iron wafflemaker, suggested he roll up his waffles in a cornucopia (or is that cone-ucopia) shape and merge with the ice cream vendor. Abe, according to family lore, sold the world\u2019s first ice cream cones at the fair and seeing the possibilities, went to a foundry to custom-build his own waffle cone machines. That machine is still in use at Doumar\u2019s<\/a>, which makes roughly 600-800 cones daily. A crushed cone is the topping for a signature Doumar\u2019s hot fudge sundae called the Ringo. It is also the little something extra in the Reggie, a chocolate shake, which is no longer on the menu but is a kept-secret for more seasoned Doumar\u2019s visitors who remember the treat from 50 years ago. Doumar\u2019s is still family-run. \u201cThere is a Doumar here every day,\u201d Windley says.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fair Oaks Pharmacy<\/p><\/div>\n Pasadena native Brandon Shahniani reports that he was the most popular kid in his school after his family bought Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain<\/a> in 2005. Here, vintage ice cream parlor and Route 66 nostalgia intersect (it\u2019s a favorite stop for travelers on the Mother Road). Fair Oaks originated as a pharmacy, but a soda fountain was installed for customers to chase down bitter-tasting medications with the sweet stuff. Signature ice cream offerings are the classic banana split and the locally-inspired Huntington Heath Sundae, named after Pasadena\u2019s major thruway (it\u2019s got a hot caramel sauce base and two scoops of vanilla ice cream topped with hot fudge and Heath Bar pieces). All the interior wood is original, as are the marble counter, stools and tile. There are iconic treats such as Rickey\u2019s (lime or cherry syrup in soda water) and phosphates but the family has adapted with the times with an expanded sandwich menu and even milkshakes made with fresh fruit. \u201cBut at heart,\u201d Shahniani says, \u201cwe are an old-fashioned ice cream parlor.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fenton’s Black & Tan<\/p><\/div>\n How does Fenton\u2019s Creamery<\/a> keep packing them in? It\u2019s simple, says Keith Ortega, a manager for 17 of Fenton\u2019s 125 years. \u201cIf you put out a premium product, you will continue to have customers.\u201d Fenton\u2019s makes its own handcrafted ice cream, which is between 14-16% butterfat and made with local or California ingredients. Take its most popular creation, the Black & Tan sundae, created in the 1920s by founder E. S. Fenton\u2019s grandson, Melvin. It was Melvin who convinced his grandfather to add ice cream to the company\u2019s dairy offerings and to open a soda fountain. The toasted almond ice cream used in the sundae contains almonds that are dry roasted especially for Fenton\u2019s by Henderson Nut Factory in Lafayette, CA. The caramel and chocolate sauces used in the sundae are also housemade. Production tours allow customers to watch the ice cream being made. Ortega is happy to share with visitors Fenton\u2019s history. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the best parts of my job,\u201d he enthuses.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Goolrick\u2019s Pharmacy<\/p><\/div>\n Christopher Condor, about 30 and only the fourth owner in Goolrick\u2019s Pharmacy<\/a>\u2019s more than 150-year history, did not have a Goolrick\u2019s growing up. \u201cMy family moved around every two years,\u201d he says. \u201cI don\u2019t recall places like this; an old-fashioned pharmacy and soda fountain with a charm that harkens back to a simpler time.\u201d Condor is not just the owner, he is also the pharmacist. Goolrick\u2019s is said to be America\u2019s oldest continuously operating soda fountain, and perhaps that\u2019s why he feels keenly the \u201chuge responsibility\u201d in keeping Goolrick\u2019s going to make sure it will continue to make memories for visitors that span the generations. \u201cWe get babies tasting their first ice cream cone, teenagers discovering their independence and hanging out with friends and college students on dates and grandparents who tell us they came here as kids.\u201d The recently renovated Goolrick\u2019s has been at its present location for all but the first two years of its operation. Malts are of particular fascination to Millennials, Condor notes. \u201cWe get a lot of questions about what a malt is and we end up turning them on to it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Leopold’s Ice Cream | PHOTO: Chia Chong<\/p><\/div>\n Stratton Leopold has 20 credits as a film producer, including Mission: Impossible III<\/em>, The Sum of All Fears<\/em> and the Terry Gilliam cult classic, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen<\/em>. But what he really wanted to do was dispense ice cream in the family tradition. And so the prodigal son returned to the Savannah institution<\/a> his father and two uncles founded. The marble soda fountain counter, the rotary phone booth and the wooden back bar are all original. The rich ice cream is made on-site. Three of the menu\u2019s 50 rotating flavors\u2014Tutti-Fruiti, Rum Bisque and Lemon Custard\u2014 are unchanged since 1919. At Leopold\u2019s one truly sees the circle of life, states Director of Marketing and Communications Carey Ferrara. \u201cSoda fountains and ice cream parlors were a gathering place for the community,\u201d she says. \u201cWe have watched kids grow up, become parents and bring their own kids. Married couples who had their first date at Leopold\u2019s come in for ice cream after the wedding ceremony. The community considers us a family tradition.\u201d<\/p>\n Petersen\u2019s Ice Cream<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cConsistency is easy,\u201d says Petersen\u2019s<\/a> owner Jason Skiouris, citing a couple of national restaurant and ice cream chains that serve up the same old-same old. The challenge, he said, is not sacrificing quality. Petersen\u2019s, just outside of Chicago, has been dishing out the same rich and creamy ice cream with 16\u201318% butterfat since its inception a century ago. \u201cIf it\u2019s not broke, don\u2019t fix it,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019ve stuck to the [original] recipes and we hand-pack all our pints and quarts.\u201d The store\u2019s signature creation is the turtle pie. Among its more popular flavors are Peach (made with Georgia peaches), Cappuccino and Mackinac Island Fudge. A Chicago-native, Skiouris went to Petersen\u2019s \u201call the time\u201d growing up. So it\u2019s a real pleasure, he says, when seniors tell him their own parents went there or when couples get engaged in the charming surroundings with the restored tin ceiling, onyx counter tops and Carrara marble. Authentic ice cream parlors may be a dying breed, Skiouris says, but Petersen\u2019s has been able \u201cto stand the test of time by being true to our roots.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n St. Francis Fountain<\/p><\/div>\n There\u2019s a classic \u201cTwilight Zone\u201d episode in which a run-down ad exec finds himself back in his hometown during the summer when he was 11 years old. He is delighted that the local soda fountain sells chocolate sodas with three scoops. That\u2019s how they do it at St. Francis Fountain<\/a>, the original San Francisco treat (a smaller size is also available). \u201cWe\u2019re not foodie types,\u201d says Levon Kazarian, co-owner since 2002. \u201cWe\u2019re totally traditional and authentic old-school ice cream.\u201d Taking their cue from St. Francis\u2019 previous restoration some 70 years ago, the dining room has the look of a 1940s movie set, but amenities such as the neon sign, Formica counter, wooden booths and advertising signs are original. \u201cThere used to be soda fountains on every corner,\u201d Kazarian notes. \u201cFor one generation, it\u2019s utter nostalgia. We still serve our sundaes and shakes in the fancy glassware,” he says. “But for a new generation, it\u2019s about discovery. Ice cream sodas are kind of forgotten, but they are so good. I love it when a five-year-old takes that first pull on his straw and his face lights up.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\nDoumar\u2019s, Norfolk, VA: <\/strong>Since 1905<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain, Pasadena, CA: Since 1915<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Fenton\u2019s Creamery, Oakland, CA: <\/strong>Since 1894<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Goolrick\u2019s Pharmacy, Fredericksburg, VA: <\/strong>Since 1867<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Leopold\u2019s Ice Cream, Savannah, GA: <\/strong>Since 1919<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Petersen\u2019s Ice Cream, Oak Park, IL: <\/strong>Since 1919<\/strong><\/h2>\n
St. Francis Fountain, San Francisco, CA: Since 1918<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Wilson\u2019s, Ephraim, WI: Since 1906<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Wilson's](\"https:\/\/www.travelocity.com\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/wilsons-cherry-berry.jpeg\")
![\"Zaharako's](\"https:\/\/www.travelocity.com\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/zaharakos-banana-split-w-logo-IMG_8073-1.jpg\"){kind=logo}