As the birthplace of the ice cream sundae back in 1892, it is no secret that Ithaca handles its ice cream business very seriously. Opt-in for a delicious treat on a warm summer's day with seemingly endless flavor options. Cone, bowl, sundae, or milkshake, we have you covered – check out our A-to-Z glossary of ice cream in Ithaca below!

During your next trip to Ithaca, put together an ice cream tour to stay cool in the heat. Celebrate National Ice Cream Day in July by tagging us in your favorite Ithaca ice cream moments on social media!

A TO Z ICE CREAM OF ITHACA 

ALL NIGHTER

  • This specialty shake from Purity Ice Cream is served with mocha chip ice cream, paired with Gimme! Coffee. 

BAVARIAN RASPBERRY FUDGE

  • This unique, top-selling Cornell Dairy flavor combines vanilla custard ice cream with old-fashioned fudge pieces and a raspberry swirl.

CORNELL DAIRY BAR

  • The famous Cornell Dairy Bar is in Stocking Hall on the east end of Tower Road of Cornell's campus, a great place for breakfast, coffee, and of course, sweet goodies like Cornell ice cream, sundaes, and floats.

DEWITT MALL CAYUGA LAKE CREAMERY 

  • Grab yourself homemade ice cream while you are downtown from the Cayuga Lake Creamery location in the Dewitt Mall. Plus, they make their own sorbet!

EZRA'S MORNING CUP

  • In honor of the founder of Cornell University, Ezra Cornell, order this premium coffee ice cream from the Cornell Dairy Bar.

the FROSTY cow

  • Near TC3, this Dryden ice cream stand has Perry’s hard ice cream, Upstate Farms soft serve and Coffee Mania coffee.

GROTON RED CABOOSE

  • The name says it all! Check out Groton’s seasonal ice cream stand, serving frozen sweet treats from a red caboose.

dennis’ HOMEMADE ice cream

  • You can find them at the Ithaca Farmers Market, but did you know Dennis’ has their own location in Newfield? Swing by for some delicious homemade hard ice cream offerings.

ICE CREAM BAR

  • Formerly Not My Dad’s, new ownership this season changed the name to Ice Cream Bar, and added a slew of family-friendly activities to enhance the frozen offerings at the Trumansburg seasonal stand.

JUNIOR SHAKE

  • Not looking for a massive milkshake – Purity has you covered, order a junior shake for a smaller size!

KAHLUA ALMOND AMARETTO

  • Scoops of Lansing serves Perry's Ice Cream, including a Kahlua almond amaretto flavor. This Kahlua Amaretto ice cream has roasted almonds in the mix!

LEMON RICOTTA

sweet MELISSA’S

  •  A family-owned ice cream shop located in downtown Ithaca making homemade ice cream and fun flavors.

NON-DAIRY OPTIONS

  • Like their dairy-full offerings, Tompkins County’s ice cream places offer a variety of non-dairy options, including vegan, oat- and almond-milk creations, and Dole whips.

ORANGE/VANILLA TWIST

  • Try this summertime soft serve combo at Sweet Melissa's! 

PURITY ICE CREAM

  • The "Ice Cream of the Finger Lakes" since 1936. Founded by Cornell grad Leo Guentert, Purity has remained a locally owned business ever since. 

QUARTS FOR SALE

  • Love our ice cream in Ithaca? Buy some to bring home with you! Ask our shops about quarts or pints that they might have for sale.

RED RASBERRY SHERBERT

  • Another delicious soft-serve option available at Sweet Melissa's!

SCOOPS

  • This seasonal ice cream stand in Lansing has hard ice cream and soft serve custard, and is conveniently located at one of the access points to the Lansing Center Trail. NOTE: They only accept cash!

TRIMMERS ICE CREAM

  • Family-owned and operated in Trumansburg. Trimmer's serves Hershey's and (local favorite) Purity hard ice cream, plus a nice selection of non-dairy choices. They also carry soft serve and frozen yogurt.

UPSIDE DOWN CONE

  • Want to take your sweet treat on the go but still have a cone? Order your ice cream in a bowl and add the cone on top! 

VANILLA

  • Soft-serve or hard ice cream find this classic flavor at any ice cream shop around! Make this treat fun by adding different toppings or dips to your ice cream. 

WINE ICE CREAM

  • These Cayuga Lake Creamery sorbet options highlight wine produced by Finger Lakes region wineries.

eXpedition SUNDAE

  • From Purity get 2 warm brownies, and one warm cookie topped with 8 scoops of your choice of ice cream, 3 sundae sauces, and 4 candy toppings, finished with whipped cream and cherries. 

frozen YOGURT

  • Opt-in for frozen yogurt during your next trip to Purity Ice Cream. 

ZWEIGLE’S hot dogs at Not My Dads

  • A tough letter for ice cream, we landed on Zweigle’s hot dogs for this entry, found at the Ice Cream Bar in Trumansburg.