Gary's Ice Cream
Chelmsford, MA
Photo courtesy Gary Frascarelli

There's been ice cream served at this little roadside spot on Route 3A since the 1950's, but Gary's Ice Cream is the name most folks around Chelmsford probably remember. Gary Frascarelli took over in 1973 and spent the next 48 seasons serving up homemade ice cream from this familiar stand. With a roadside marquee like this, it was pretty hard to cruise down Gorham Street without thinking about stopping for a cone.

The property actually has quite a history of dishing out the cold stuff. The ice cream stand was built in 1957 and went through names like Firth Farms, Pine Valley Farm, Crowley Farm and Little Maggie's before Gary took over. His homemade recipes eventually became a local tradition, keeping generations of Chelmsford ice cream fans coming back for another scoop.

UPDATE: Gary retired following the 2020 season and turned the business over to three longtime employees. They reopened the stand in 2021 as Chelmsford Creamery and continue making homemade ice cream using Gary's recipes. The old Gary's Ice Cream sign has been replaced, but more than 65 years after the first ice cream stand opened here, the cones are still being served at 131 Gorham Street. 08-26

Days Ice Cream
Ocean Grove, NJ
Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf

Check out the ice cream lady hanging around outside Day's Ice Cream in Ocean Grove, NJ. With an ice cream cone for a body, a bonnet on her head and a big smile, she certainly looks like she's had her "fill." It's the kind of oddball advertising that makes an old ice cream stop that much more interesting.

Day's has been serving the cold stuff since 1876, when brothers William Fisk Day and Pennington Day opened the business. That makes it Ocean Grove's oldest continually operating business and one of the oldest ice cream parlors in the country. Over the years, everyone from F.W. Woolworth to heavyweight champs Max Baer and James J. Braddock reportedly stopped by.

UPDATE: Day's changed hands in 2026 when longtime owners Dave and Tom retired and Jay and Tiffany Vigilante took over. The new owners kept the tradition going, reopening May 1 for Day's 150th summer season. Best of all, the familiar DAYS sign is still there greeting customers. 08-26

Olympia Dairy Bar (Demolished)
Carneys Point, NJ
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

Here's a shot of the Olympia Dairy Bar marquee along Route 40 in Carneys Point. "Famous Shakes & Burgers" pretty much says it all. With the big roadside sign out front, this was one of those places that looked like it had been waiting all day for somebody to pull in for a burger and a shake.

The Olympia opened in 1956 and served up burgers, fries, frozen custard, and some mighty thick milkshakes. The building had separate sections for ice cream and hot food, with a walk-up window on one side and the burger operation on the other. Pretty much the perfect setup for a warm summer night along the highway.

In 2010 the place became Lapp's Olympia Dairy Bar, but the old Olympia name and roadside character stuck around. One of the later menu attractions was the "Stellanator," a monster burger challenge that sounded a little more serious than the usual cheeseburger stop.

UPDATE: The Olympia closed in October 2021 after more than 60 years along Route 40. The building was demolished around 2025 as part of a larger warehouse redevelopment, and the old roadside sign is gone. 08-26

Carvel Ice Cream
Photo courtesy Louis Di Fazio

When you think of ice cream cakes, do you think of Carvel? If not, I guess their advertising campaign didn't pay off. But if you do, here's a photo of one of the Carvel Ice Cream Stands. Carvel got its start in Hartsdale, NY and is similar to a Dairy Queen without the hot food with soft serve and cakes a specialty. Many thanks to Louis Di Fazio for photos and info.

Carvel traces its beginnings to 1934, when Tom Carvel’s ice cream truck got a flat tire and he began selling the softening ice cream right where he was stranded. Customers apparently liked it that way. Two years later, the first permanent Carvel stand opened in Hartsdale, New York. The old roadside Carvels were pretty simple places. Ice cream, shakes, sundaes and those unmistakable cakes like Fudgie the Whale and Cookie Puss. No burgers or fries needed here.

UPDATE: No idea of the status of this specific location. 08-26

Richman's Ice Cream (Closed)
Pilesgrove, NJ
Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf

Here’s Richman’s Ice Cream along Route 40 near Woodstown, and this one was quite a roadside stop. The big Art Deco building opened in 1947 with its tall roadside sign out front, looking more like a destination than just another place for a cone.

Richman’s had actually been around since 1894, when William “Billy” Richman started making ice cream in South Jersey. By the time this Route 40 plant was humming, it was turning out more than a million gallons of ice cream a year in dozens of flavors. Upstairs was even an auditorium used for dances and community events. Not something you’d expect to find over an ice cream factory.

The building also served as a training spot for Richman’s dealers, so there was more going on here than sundaes and milkshakes.

UPDATE: The Route 40 location closed in 2010 and has been sitting vacant ever since. The old building and roadside sign still survive, though both have seen better days. 08-26

Du Bois Ice Cream
NJ
Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf

Check out the little roadside sign for Ann Du Bois French Ice Cream at this old New Jersey shoppe. Nothing too fancy here, just one of those small signs that probably did a pretty good job of getting a passing motorist thinking about ice cream.

Ann Du Bois was a regional premium ice cream brand rather than a big chain of its own stores. Its ice cream was sold through independent drug stores, diners, candy shops and other local businesses around New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Those little branded signs helped let everyone know what was being scooped inside. The brand even advertised itself as “French Ice Cream,” which sounds a little more upscale than your average roadside cone.

UPDATE: The exact location of this New Jersey shoppe is unknown. 08-26

Freeze and Frizz
Lancaster, PA
Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf

Check out the Freeze and Frizz in Lancaster, complete with a couple of little piggies pushing a wheelbarrow full of ice cream out front. Not sure if they’re Freeze and Frizz, but they certainly look happy about whatever is in that cart.

Turns out the pigs were actually part of an old Richman’s Ice Cream advertising sign, not mascots named after the drive-in. The place itself dates back to 1969 and has long been a local stop for cones, shakes, burgers and fries. Black raspberry soft serve seems to be one of the favorites.

The New Holland Pike location still has that old-fashioned roadside feel, with picnic tables and plenty of room to sit outside with an ice cream.

UPDATE: Freeze and Frizz remains open along New Holland Pike, and the old piggy ice cream sign is still on display. 08-26

Oliver's Candies (Rem.)
Batavia, NY
Photo courtesy Steve Felder

“Own Make” says the sign at Oliver’s Candies in Batavia. Must be homemade... and in this case, pretty much so.

Oliver’s has been making candy since 1932, when Joseph Boyd Oliver started out blanching peanuts in his home kitchen during the Depression. The shop later became known for its sponge candy, that crunchy chocolate-covered treat that seems to turn up everywhere around western New York.

The chalet-style building is pretty hard to miss along West Main Street, and that old “Own Make” sign was a nice little roadside touch letting everyone know the candy was made right there.

UPDATE: Oliver’s Candies is still going strong in Batavia, although the old “Own Make” sign has been replaced by newer signage. Candy production has also expanded to a facility in nearby Elba. 08-26