YORK, Pa. — Editor's note: The above video is from July 2020.
Central Pennsylvania ice cream lovers have no shortage of options when it comes to satisfying their cravings.
With the region's first official heat wave of 2021 upon us, it's the perfect time to get out there and cool down with a frozen treat.
Here are some of the best places to find ice cream, milkshakes, sundaes, or other delights in Central PA.
Note: For the purposes of this list, we tried to avoid chains or other franchises. It's not that we don't enjoy a good Blizzard every now and then -- it's just that we're looking for those gems unique to Central Pennsylvania. If we've neglected to mention one of your favorite spots, email news@fox43.com with your suggestion!
Adams County
Sunset Ice Cream Parlor: An old-fashioned ice cream parlor serving up frozen delights from the heart of Gettysburg's Historic District, Sunset Ice Cream Parlor's colorful storefront is located at 33 Steinwehr Avenue.
Mr. G's Ice Cream: Serving up homemade ice cream, milkshakes, sundaes and more from the historic Twin Sycamores home on 404 Baltimore Avenue in Gettysburg.
Lulu's Finest Ice Cream: Handmade using pure ingredients, Lulu's says its magically creamy ice cream is rich, smooth and "intensely-flavored." Located at 11 York St., Gettysburg.
Cone Sweet Cone: Homemade unique ice creams, Gelato, and Italian Ices in the heart of Gettysburg's historic district. Located at 433 Baltimore Street.
Dani Rose Crafted Ice Cream: An ice cream truck that operates out of Littlestown, Dani Rose serves up a variety of frozen delights. Located this summer at 530 N. Queen St.
Half Pint Creamery: With locations in McSherrystown, New Oxford, and Gettysburg, Half Pint Creamery offers up ice cream by the scoop along with cakes, cupcakes, and other sweet treats.
Cumberland County
Rakestraw's Ice Cream: A Mechanicsburg institution since 1903, Rakestraw's Ice Cream serves up inventive and classic ice cream flavors, plus milkshakes from its location on 313 S. Market St.
Hannah's Ice Cream Shoppe: Hand-dipped ice cream, milkshakes, shaved ice, sundaes, and more served from a 1950's-style ice cream parlor located at 321 Bridge St. in New Cumberland.
Shirley Rae's: In addition to paninis, sandwiches and salads, you can cool off with more than 20 flavors of ice cream, milkshakes and sundaes. Located at 1347 Saxon Way in Mechanicsburg.
Leo's Homemade Ice Cream: Serving fresh flavors made on-site, Leo's has almost 100 unique and classic ice cream varieties on its rotating menu. Located at 816 W. High St. in Carlisle
Goose Bros. Ice Cream: Serving more than 20 flavors of ice cream along with milkshakes and sundaes from its location at 81 Walnut Bottom Road in Shippensburg, Goose Brothers was founded by siblings Andy and Matt Ulmer, who turned a summer job in the hometown of Montoursville into a full-time profession.
Meadows Original Frozen Custard: Old-fashioned chain established in 1950 specializing in frozen custard cones, sundaes & shakes. Located at 1075 Harrisburg Pike, Carlisle.
Massey's Frozen Custard: Serving a variety of frozen custard flavors and other treats from its location at 600 W. High St., Carlisle.
Dauphin County
3B Ice Cream: With two locations in Harrisburg and another in Dauphin (plus one more in Perry County), 3B Ice Cream serves soft-serve and hand-dipped ice cream, sundaes, milkshakes, and other frozen delights along with a food menu.
Dairyland Ice Cream: Serving premium Hershey's hand-dipped ice cream along with soft-serve and other delights from its location at 503 E. Emmaus St. in Middletown.
King Kone Creamery: This Hummelstown institution serves more than 40 flavors of Hershey's hand-dipped ice cream, 30-plus flavors of soft-serve, milkeshakes, sundaes, mix-ins, smoothies and more -- including the famous Gorilla Split. Located at 182 Hershey Road.
Nittany Scoops: Serving hand-dipped ice cream straight from the Penn State Creamery, Nittany Scoops offers pints for online ordering as well. Located at The Shoppes at Susquehanna Marketplace, 2537 Brindle Drive, Harrisburg.
Gelato Di Babbo: Owner Kim Zanni spent over a decade perfecting the authentic gelato served at her Hummelstown shop. She even went as far as traveling to Italy to find the best pistachios around. Located at 16 East North Alley, Hummelstown.
Franklin County
Windy Knoll Farm Market and Creamery: You can find everything from produce and deli items to hot food, but most importantly, Windy Knoll serves up homemade ice cream from its location at 2685 Spring Road in Chambersburg.
The Ice Cream Station: Located at 105 Lincoln Way West in Chambersburg, the historic Ice Cream Station serves up cones, frozen yogurt, sundaes and milkshakes.
The Igloo: A family favorite in Chambersburg for more than 65 years, The Igloo serves soft scoop ice cream made daily on-site. There's also plenty of milkshakes, sundaes, and other frozen delights on the menu, too. Located at 2395 Philadelphia Ave.
Trickling Springs Creamery: Offering a "one-of-a-kind experience you won't forget," the Trickling Springs organic market, located at 2330 Molly Pitcher Highway, Chambersburg, offers single, double, or triple scoops of ice cream in a cone, dish, or homemade waffle cone. There are also sundaes, floats, and "extreme" milkshakes to sample, made with products provided by local bakers and chocolatiers.
Warners Old-Fashioned Soda Shoppe: Located at 88 W. Main St. in Waynesboro, Warner's serves up ice cream by the scoop and Stuffed Shakes.
Annie's Ice Cream and Donuts: Serving up 24 ice cream flavors created by the Windy Knoll Creamery from its location at 211 W. 9th St. in Waynesboro.
Double Dip Drive-In: Ice cream and frozen yogurt treats served in an old-fashioned setting at 12287 Path Valley Road in Fannetsburg.
Lancaster County
Lancaster Sweet Shop: Ice cream cones, milkshakes, floats, and more are on the menu at this downtown Lancaster location, but you might consider trying the Stroopie Sandwich -- your favorite ice cream flavor served between two homemade Stroop waffles. Located at 141 N. Duke St.
Rolled Cold Creamery: A popular stop at 24 E. Orange St. in Lancaster, Rolled Cold pours heavy cream onto a minus-19-degree frozen steel pan, then adds fresh fruits, cookies, candies and other items to the mixture to create a unique flavor right before your eyes.
Splits and Giggles Cafe: Another downtown Lancaster shop -- this one located at 500 W. Lemon St. -- Splits and Giggles serves up a unique variety of flavors by the scoop, in a milkshake, or as part of a sundae.
Son's: With locations in East Petersburg, Quarryville, and Strasburg, Son's has Lancaster County covered with a large menu of frozen treats, including milkshakes, soft serve, Italian ice, sundaes, avalanches, and more.
Freeze & Frizz: A Lancaster County staple, Freeze & Frizz has a full food menu accompanied by some of the best ice cream in the county. Soft serve, hand-dipped, sundaes, milkshakes -- you name it. Located at 2550 New Holland Pike, Lancaster.
Fox Meadows Creamery: Located at 2475 W. Main St. in Ephrata, Fox Meadows features "hand-crafted ice cream made on-site with milk from (a) small dairy farm just across the field."
Pine View Dairy: Operating next to its dairy on 2225 New Danville Pike since 1971, Pine View offers fresh ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sherbet in cones and cups and hand-packed in half-gallons for you to take home.
Scoops Ice Cream and Grille: They have your standard cones, sundaes, and milkshakes, but if you're in the mood for a REAL challenge, perhaps you could try to eat your way through the "Mountville Meltdown" -- 12 scoops of ice cream, plus four toppings, whipped cream, and cherries. Located at 312 Primrose Lane, Mountville.
Strasburg Country Store & Creamery: Located in the heart of historic Strasburg, you'll find delicious homemade ice cream served in waffle cones made every day in the store. Find it at 1 W. Main St.
Lickity Split: Located at a former hardware store in downtown New Holland, this old-fashioned ice cream shop serves ice cream, milkshakes, and over 15 sundae options.
Oregon Dairy: The O.G. of Lancaster County ice cream shops, Oregon Dairy's Milkhouse offers a variety of signature sundaes and milkshakes in addition to fresh-made ice cream by the scoop. 2900 Oregon Pike, Lancaster.
Lebanon County
The Jigger Shop: A Mt. Gretna institution founded in 1895, the Jigger Shop offers a spectacular variety of ice cream and milkshake options. But you can't go wrong by ordering its namesake, the Jigger -- two and a half scoops of French-vanilla ice cream with your choice of chocolate or butterscotch topping, whipped marshmallow, and jigger nuts. 202 Gettysburg Ave., Mt. Gretna.
The Pretzel Hut: There's a large food menu, two new specialty soft-serve ice cream flavors every week, hand-scooped ice cream, milkshakes, sundaes, and more, but what sets this Lebanon County gem apart is the large petting zoo located in the woods behind the restaurant. 224 Furnace Hill Road, Newmanstown
Yogey's Miniature Golf & Ice Cream Parlor: In addition to a top-flight mini-golf course, Yogey's has 24 flavors of premium hand-dipped Hershey's ice cream on its menu, along with sundaes and shakes. 10 S. 22nd St., Lebanon
Patches Family Creamery: Serving up homemade, dairy-fresh ice cream and other frozen delights, Patches Family Creamery has won several "Best Ice Cream in Lebanon County" votes. 201 Founderwhite Road, Lebanon
Brandt's Ice Cream Parlor: With more than 20 Kreider Farms Ice Cream flavors and a rotation of specialty sundaes on the menu, Brandt's, located at the Historic Cornwall Inn on 50 Burd Coleman Road, is sure to have something to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Rainbow Snow & Ice Cream: Offering window service and curbside pickup for online and call-ahead ordering, Rainbow Snow & Ice Cream has soft-serve and hand-dipped ice cream, sundaes, milkshakes, and more. Located at 103 N. Railroad St., Palmyra
Ice Shack: A family-friendly place to get together in Myerstown, the Ice Shack has a variety of unique sundae options, Italian Ice, soft-serve and hand-scooped ice cream, and more.
Perry County
Hall's Ice Cream: Serving Perry County for more than 70 years, Hall's Ice Cream has more than 40 homemade flavors on its menu, along with sundaes, shakes and more -- all made from the same original recipe. Located at 861 Raccoon Valley Road, Millerstown.
Red Rabbit Drive-In: Yes, it's the home of the "Bunny Burger" and other drive-in fare, but the Red Rabbit serves up soft-serve ice cream, sundaes, and milkshakes for dessert, too. It's definitely worth the trip. 60 Benvenue Road, Duncannon
3B Ice Cream: Serving up delicious frozen treats from four locations, including one at 521 N. Market St. in Duncannon, 3B Ice Cream has soft-serve and hand-dipped ice cream, sundaes, milkshakes, and other frozen delights along with a food menu.
Twin Kiss Creamery: Milkshakes, sundaes, and several flavors of ice cream are on the menu -- along with some delicious hot food favorites. Located at 5274 Spring Road, Shermansdale.
Susquehanna Soft Serve: Offering up soft-serve and hand-dipped ice cream, along with sundaes, milkshakes, and more. If you're feeling daring, you can sample one of their "Extreme" sundaes. 1430 Susquehanna Trail, Liverpool
York County
Jim Mack's Ice Cream: A York County landmark since 1958, Jim Mack's still makes their ice cream on the premises. You can enjoy your ice cream, sundae, milkshake, or other frozen treat in a large picnic area. 5745 Lincoln Highway, Hellam
Sweet Willows Creamery: Its 15-flavor homemade ice cream menu is enhanced by a rotation of specials, available at the shop on 2812 E. Prospect Rd. in York or in its mobile ice cream truck.
Carman's Ice Cream: From its humble beginnings in 1953 as a delightful treat on Ervin Carman's back porch, Carman's Ice Cream now serves a variety of homemade flavors from its shop on 24 N. Main St., Loganville.
Sarah's Creamery: Serving 45 delicious flavors direct from the Penn State Creamery, Sarah's is located at 121 N. Main St. in Dover.
I Love Ice Cream: Serving up rolled ice cream made before your eyes from its location at 3927 E. Market St. in York.
Dough and Arrows: Serving up gourmet ice cream and edible cookie dough from its location at 1452 Baltimore Street in Hanover, Dough and Arrows offers its ice cream by the pint or quart. Other menu items are also available -- all for online ordering only.