The Great Connecticut Ice Cream Trail | Connecticut Charm


282 Miles, 12 hours, 8 ice cream stands, 4 friends, and 1 mission. The idea for The Great Connecticut Ice Cream Trail began two summers ago when I thought of the idea to make a road map of the best Connecticut ice cream stands and call it “The Great Connecticut Ice Cream Trail.” I never made it to every ice cream stand on that list and the following summer I had my wedding and honeymoon so it got pushed aside again. At the end of this spring I told Matthew that I wanted to complete it this year and his response was, “Why not do it all in one day?” 

One month later we piled into a car with a couple of good friends and took off for our mission to find the best Connecticut ice cream. I created a map starting in the East, going down to the shoreline, then back up to the West. The journey was over 250 miles round trip. Because we had to travel in a somewhat cohesive line, we did not make any stops in the center or very northern regions of Connecticut. There were also multiple well known ice cream stands in the same towns so we chose based on ice cream reputation. Because of these discrepancies in our ice cream trail, I have made a list of honorable mentions at the end of this post, listing the most well-known and adored ice cream stands that we missed along the way.

At the end of our day we ranked each ice cream stand with a “scoop” instead of a “star” rating. One scoop being bad and five scoops being the best. We based our ratings on taste, texture, flavor, creativity, location, and atmosphere. 

The Ice Cream Trail Taste Testers:

From left to right: Matthew, Courtney (yours truly), Mary Catherine, and Robby. 

The Great Connecticut Ice Cream Trail: 

You can download and print out our map with this Google maps link. 

Stop One: UCONN Dairy Bar

Voted the best in Connecticut by Connecticut Magazine and also being highly recommended by everyone who heard of our ambitious trail, UCONN Dairy Bar became our first destination. Across from the UCONN college campus, the Dairy Bar is located in the farming town of Storrs. 

First impression:

The building was modern and reminded Robby and Mary Catherine of the Ben and Jerry’s Factory in Vermont. It was the most commercialized ice cream stand of our trail and had some unique flavors, including the UCONN Huskies inspired “husky tracks.” Matthew noted that the texture was very creamy. Over-all, we felt the ice cream was good and refreshing on a hot day, however, we did not think it was worth the big hype as being the best ice cream in Connecticut. It was still very good though. 

My flavor of choice: Husky Tracks

Scoop Ratings:

Mary Catherine: 3

Robby: 2.5

Matthew: 3.5

Courtney: 2.5

 

Stop Two: Buttonwood Farm Ice Cream

Located in Griswold, Buttonwood Farm Ice Cream is more than just a farm fresh ice cream stand. Buttonwood Farm is best known for their incredibly large sunflower field that is open to the public! Every July you can celebrate the sunflowers by buying a handful to support Sunflowers For Wishes; their charity that benefits the Make A Wish Foundation. 

First Impressions:

The sunflower field was just beginning to bloom. Even with a portion of the flowers still growing, the field is quite magnificent. The location is incredible and it is a wonderful place to bring families in the summer. However, Buttonwood Farm Ice Cream had the most expensive ice cream out of all of the places we visited on our trail and the ice cream itself was only “so-so,” with all four of us in agreement on that assessment. The ice cream is not very creamy and the taste can be a little bland, which is fine on a hot day. Both of our orders were also wrong, which we did not notice until we were all the way in the sunflower field. Matthew ordered cookie dough and got vanilla chocolate chip instead. The overall scoop rating was somewhere in the middle because the atmosphere was so incredible. The ice cream here is not the best on our trail, but it is good ice cream and it has one of the best locations out of the ice cream stands on our list. Because of the sunflower field alone, it is one of our favorites. 

My flavor of choice: Cookie dough

Scoop Ratings:

Mary Catherine: 3.5

Robby: 3.5

Matthew: 4

Courtney: 4

Stop Three: Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream

Located right on the Drawbridge in downtown Mystic, Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream is the best in Mystic. Although there is another ice cream shop right across from it (that sells amazing fudge), there is no comparison to Drawbridge. 

First Impressions:

Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream has the most unique setting out of all of the ice cream places on our trail. If you visit at the right time, you can watch the drawbridge go up as you eat your ice cream. Year round, it is a lovely place to visit and you can watch the boats go down the Mystic River. The ice cream was really good and also very creamy, creating an overall wonderful experience. The wall mural inside is also very eye catching. Lines here will be really long on weekends, but it is so very worth it! 

My flavor of choice: Mint Chocolate Chip

Scoop Ratings:

Mary Catherine: 3.5

Robby: 4

Matthew: 4

Courtney: 4

Stop Four: Gumdrops & Lollipops

Located in downtown Niantic along the shoreline, Gumdrops & Lollipops is only well known to locals, but it should be on everyone’s radar. We stopped here for lunch during our trail because we needed some real food with our ice cream. It used to be just a candy and ice cream store, but Gumdrops & Lollipops is now a diner selling delicious American food.

First Impressions:

Gumdrops & Lollipops is simply cute. With it’s bright and colorful exterior and equally bright 1950’s inspired interior, what is not to love? This is one of my “happy places” in Connecticut and I often drop by when I’m in the area to visit the Book Barn in town and to order a corn dog, but I have never had their ice cream before embarking on our trail. I never realized that their ice cream was homemade, but it was amazing and everyone absolutely loved it. Paired with their location right in front of Hole In The Wall Beach, where you can take your ice cream for a stroll in the park or along the boardwalk, Gumdrops & Lollipops had great ice cream and a great atmosphere. It quickly became a group favorite because of the rich flavors and creamy texture. 

My flavor of choice: Strawberry

Scoop Ratings:

Mary Catherine: 4

Robby: 4.5

Matthew: 4.5

Courtney: 4

Stop Five: Scoopy Doo’s

Scoopy Doo’s is hidden in Milford Connecticut down past the flower pedestrian bridge. 

First impressions:

We all loved the location with the marina, the sea life that we watched from the flower bridge, and the walking distance to downtown Milford. Unfortunately, no one in our group liked their ice cream, except for me. I thought it was ok, but no one else was impressed. Our group of taste testers said that the ice cream is not very creamy, nor does it taste amazing, but can ice cream actually be bad? I wouldn’t go so far as to say it was terrible. Their atmosphere as well as their special ice cream for dogs (like this dog, Molly, that we met during our visit who was being treated for her birthday) helped improve its rating. I feel bad giving this place a negative review, because it is so cute and I have had some good ice cream here in the past. However, the group is probably more honest with their reviews than I can be. I simply love ice cream! Over all, it is a cute place with a cute location. 

My flavor of choice: Black Cherry Vanilla

Scoop Ratings: 

Mary Catherine: 2.5

Robby: 1.5

Matthew: 2.5

Courtney: 2.5

Stop Six: Rich Farm 

Perhaps one of Connecticut’s best kept secrets, Rich Farm in Oxford is a crowd pleaser. As a local, I might be biased. Thankfully, I brought a couple of friends who have never been to Rich Farm to get their honest feedback. 

First Impressions:

Matthew and I have been here plenty of times before, but this was Robby and Mary Catherine’s first visit and they absolutely loved it. Their ice cream serving sizes are huge, so we always order the “kiddie” size. I remember when this farm stand was quite small, but even back then the line for their ice cream would trail down the road. They have recently remodeled with a new parking lot, paint job, and a indoor room for the colder winter months. The only complaint our friends had was that it was in the “middle of nowhere” and that it was cash only. Other than that, they said the ice cream was “easily a six out of five scoops” in our rating system. Rich Farm represents quintessential small town New England and their ice cream is so creamy and delicious. One of our absolute favorites. The line here can easily last two hours if you arrive on a hot weekend day after dinner time, so you’re better off coming before 5:30PM to avoid the wait.  If you can’t avoid the lines still go, because it is worth it!

My flavor of choice: Peach (for summer) and Pumpkin Spice (when their autumn varieties become available) 

Scoop Rating:

Mary Catherine: 4

Robby: 4

Matthew: 4

Courtney 5 

Stop Seven: Ferris Acres Creamery

Located in the small beautiful town of Newtown, Ferris Acres Creamery is the most rustic of the ice cream stands on our list and you can watch the cows roam the countryside as you eat your ice cream.

First Impressions: 

So many flavors! Ferris Acres Creamery certainly has the most variety out of all of the places on our route. My cousin Ginger’s favorite flavor is “Elvis’s Dream” and I would have to agree; frozen banana with vanilla ice cream and peanut butter sauce and chocolate fudge sauce. The ice cream is creamy and delicious and easily one of my personal favorites on the ice cream trail. The line here is just as long as the one at Rich Farm, but parking here is certainly more complicated and we did not like how the cars are so close to the stand where people are waiting. They do have a couple of people directing traffic. Although I thought the ice cream was great, not everyone in our group agreed and they were not a fan of the atmosphere or lack of seating. Even so, I’m still a big fan. Ferris Acres Creamery definitely ranks high for creativity. 

My flavor of choice: Elvis’s Dream 

Scoop Ratings:

Mary Catherine: 3.5

Robby: 3.5

Matthew: 3.5

Courtney: 4

 

Stop Eight: Arethusa Farm Dairy

Arethusa is a well known farm-to-table restaurant. They also own another small restaurant in Bantam as well as their Dairy shop for homemade ice cream. This was the perfect place to end our Ice Cream Trail. 

First Impressions:

The ice cream at Arethusa Dairy is delicious, even though they only have a handful of flavors to choose from! The limited choices makes deciding that much easier. Lines here can also be quite long because everyone knows their homemade waffle cones are the best. The texture and taste of the ice cream is creamy and satisfying. Robby and Matthew also enjoyed that it was located in an old renovated fire house and it is close to downtown Litchfield. This became another one of our favorites along the CT ice cream trail and everyone enjoyed their ice cream here. The flavors, textures, and the delicious home made waffle cones are simply amazing. 

My flavor of choice: Sweet Cream Chocolate Chip

Scoop Ratings: 

Mary Catherine: 3.5

Robby: 4

Matthew: 4

Courtney: 4

 

Honorable Mentions:

Because we could not make it to all of the ice cream stands in one day, I do have several honorable mentions for other ice cream stands around the state that I personally believe have wonderful ice cream or have come highly recommended by friends and readers who commented on our trail on Instagram. 

 

A side note about our second stop that became a non-stop:

Creamery Brook Bison

I have seen this “ice cream stand” online numerous times for the best Connecticut ice cream farm stands, but this place no longer has ice cream, no matter what the website or Google says. Google still lists it as being open from 11-2 on Saturdays. Creamery Brook Bison is a Bison farm that apparently used to sell ice cream. The signs are still up for “Gourmet Ice Cream,” but signs on the door say that they’re open by appointment only. A woman came out and told us they don’t have ice cream. Their website should be updated. Needless to say, this stop was disappointing, no matter how cool it was to see the bison. 

 

The Great Connecticut Ice Cream Trail Rankings:

In order from highest scoop score to lowest, here are the eight ice cream stands on our list:

  1. Tied for first: Gumdrops & Lollipops and Rich Farm
  2. Arethusa Farm Dairy
  3. Tied in third: Buttonwood Farms Ice Cream and Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream
  4. Ferris Acres Farm
  5. Scoopy Doo’s
  6. UCONN Dairy Bar

The Great Connecticut Ice Cream Trail Awards:

 

After we added up our scoops scores, I asked each taste tester to vote on their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for the best ice cream, cones, and atmosphere. These are the winners:

 

Best Ice Cream:

1st: Rich Farm

2nd: Ferris Acres Creamery

3rd: Arethusa Farm Dairy

Best Cone:

1st: Arethusa Farm Dairy

2nd: Rich Farm

3rd: Ferris Acres Creamery 

Best Atmosphere:

1st: Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream

2nd: Gumdrops & Lollipops

3rd: Buttonwood Farm Ice Cream 

 

At the end, we each voted on our personal top three favorites from the Great Connecticut Ice Cream Trail: 

 

 

Did we miss your favorite ice cream stand in Connecticut on our list and honorable mentions? Tell us about your favorite ice cream and what you thought about our ice cream adventure in the comments below. 

Share this Ice Cream Trail with your friends this summer!

 

 

 

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