The best ice cream day trips from Cleveland start with somewhere to go first: a hike in the Cuyahoga Valley, a walk through downtown Chagrin Falls or an afternoon at the lake in Fairport Harbor. The shops below sit south and east of the city, and each one is close enough to an outing to make the drive part of the plan.
If you only want a scoop close to home, the full Cleveland ice cream guide covers Ohio City, downtown and the inner suburbs. Several of the shops here are seasonal or keep limited days, so check before you drive.
South and east of the city
Ice cream shops to pair with a day out
Richfield
Country Maid Ice Cream
Best for: After a Cuyahoga Valley hike
Country Maid is an old school parlor on Streetsboro Road in Richfield that makes its own ice cream with locally grown fruit. It sits close to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which makes it the natural stop after a morning on the trails.
Try the lemon chip. It is one of the best liked ice cream shops in the region, so it earns the extra few minutes of driving even if your hike ends on the other side of the park.
Northfield
Rosati's Frozen Custard
Best for: Frozen custard on the way home
Rosati’s is a retro frozen custard stand on East Aurora Road in Northfield, with a daily special flavor alongside shakes and malts. Northfield sits between the city and the valley, so Rosati’s works as a stop on the drive back north after a day in the park.
It is a seasonal stand, so confirm it is open before you plan around it.
Twinsburg
Ebony's Ice Cream
Best for: House-made ice cream in Twinsburg
Ebony’s is a small shop on Vail Drive in Twinsburg where the owner makes the ice cream in house. It is small and very well loved, and ice cream made in house by the owner is a good reason for the drive.
It keeps limited days, so check before going. Twinsburg is east of the national park, which puts Ebony’s on the way home for anyone heading back from the valley toward the eastern suburbs.
Chagrin Falls
Chagrin Falls Popcorn Shop
Best for: A walk through downtown Chagrin
Chagrin Falls Popcorn Shop is a popcorn and candy shop on North Main Street in the village of Chagrin Falls that also scoops ice cream. It is a classic stop on a walk through downtown Chagrin, and the falls the village is named for are right in the middle of town.
Get a scoop, pick up a bag of popcorn for the ride home, and walk the shops along Main Street. Chagrin Falls sits well out on the east side, so give it its own afternoon.
Willoughby Hills
Foster's Homemade Ice Cream
Best for: Picnic tables and a malt
Foster’s is an old fashioned homemade ice cream shop on Chardon Road in Willoughby Hills with outdoor picnic tables. Order a sundae or a malt and eat outside at the tables, which makes it an easy stop with kids in the back seat.
Willoughby Hills is in Lake County, east of the city, so Foster’s is an easy add on the way to or from Fairport Harbor, which sits farther east on the lake.
Fairport Harbor
Fairport Harbor Creamery
Best for: Ice cream flights near the lake
Fairport Harbor Creamery is an ice cream shop and bakery on High Street in Fairport Harbor, a small lakeside village in Lake County. It is known for ice cream flights and boozy flavors, so it suits a group of adults who want to share a few tastes.
Fairport Harbor has a beach and a lighthouse on Lake Erie, so plan a lake day there and finish at the creamery.
Old Brooklyn
Honey Hut Ice Cream
Best for: Closer to home, near the zoo
If a full day trip is more than you want, Honey Hut on State Road in Old Brooklyn is a longtime Cleveland stand near the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. It is known for flavors like honey pecan, orange blossom and dark chocolate cayenne, and for turtle sundaes.
Pair it with a morning at the zoo for a shorter version of the same plan, without leaving the city. It is also an easy stop for anyone coming up from Parma or Brooklyn on State Road.
Planning
Two routes to plan around
South, around the national park. Country Maid in Richfield, Rosati’s in Northfield and Ebony’s in Twinsburg all sit around Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which begins just south of the city. Pick a trail or a stop in the park first, then choose the shop closest to where you finish.
East, toward Chagrin and the lake. Chagrin Falls works as a half day on its own, with the falls, the shops and the popcorn shop all within walking distance. Foster’s in Willoughby Hills and Fairport Harbor Creamery combine into a longer Lake County afternoon that ends by the water.
Custard
If you would rather have frozen custard
Rosati’s is the custard stand in the valley. Closer to the city, East Coast Frozen Custard on Pearl Road in Parma Heights serves vanilla, chocolate and a flavor of the day, plus concretes like the buckeye. Both are in the ice cream guide with the rest of the scoop shops and stands around town.
Good to know
Questions before you go.
Where should I get ice cream in Ohio City?
Mitchell’s flagship on West 25th Street is where the company makes its ice cream, with small batch flavors and seasonal specials. Mason’s Creamery on Bridge Avenue makes its own ice cream in flavors like ube, Thai tea and strawberry marzipan sherbet, with patio seating.
Where can I get ice cream downtown?
Pammy’s Ice Cream inside the Arcade on Euclid Avenue scoops flavors like banana pudding and strawberry cheesecake and sells cookies too.
Where can I get a hot fudge sundae on the west side?
Malley’s Chocolates & Ice Cream Parlor on Lorain Road in North Olmsted. Order a sundae with its hot fudge.
Keep going
See every ice cream shop on the map
Ice cream, frozen custard and neighborhood scoop shops around Cleveland, with a map and local details for each.