5 Best Local Ice Cream Shops (On Both Sides of the Mountain)

Summer and ice cream. They go together like a hand-in-glove. You just can’t think of one without the other.

The good news is because Afton Mountain Bed and Breakfast is uniquely located, we can send you to some great ice cream places both in Charlottesville and in the Staunton/Waynesboro area.

Double yum! Let’s start with the Shenandoah Valley.

In Waynesboro, you’ll find a long time favorite ice cream shop to satisfy your sweet tooth.  Kline’s Ice Cream has been around since 1949, and uses an old-fashioned method to make their custard ice cream.

In fact, the method is almost obsolete! Kline’s uses a continuous freeze method that does not add extra air to the product. It’s a slow and laborious process, but boy, is it worth it! Kline’s makes their ice cream fresh every morning.

In Staunton, you’ll find the beloved Split Banana, although it is not an ice cream shop. The Split Banana specializes in gelato and sorbets. We guarantee you’ll never find gelato like this anywhere. It’s made daily in small batches every day, and has a rotating schedule of flavors.

Made with fresh cream, milk, and other natural ingredients, the flavor bursts in your mouth. Don’t miss it!

If you’re heading to Charlottesville, make a day of it and enjoy the historic downtown mall. That’s where you’ll find Chap’s. They, too, make gourmet ice cream right on the premises. And, they’ve been doing it for 75 years! Chap’s also serves frozen yogurt.

If you’re leaning toward gelato, the downtown mall also has Splendora’s, which offers between 24 and 36 flavors daily. They make their gelato the way it was made by families in Italy for hundreds of years.

Only milk from dairies that do not use growth or production hormones is used to make this delicious treat.

On Albemarle Square, you’ll find Kirt’s Homemade Ice Cream. Kirt’s gets rave reviews for his homemade ice cream. Customers swear it’s the best in town, but we’ll let you decide. With flavors like Kirt’s Combo, (dark chocolate ice cream, brownies, chocolate sprinkles and chocolate syrup), key lime pie ice cream, and cinnamon and chocolate cake ice cream, you can see why it’s a local favorite.

Right here in our own backyard is the up and coming Crozet Creamery. A new ice cream store in Crozet, Crozet Creamery makes small batches of ice cream on the premises. What’s even cooler is that they offer dairy-free alternatives for those who love ice cream but can’t enjoy it.

We encourage to check it out first!

If you need a summer getaway, look no further than Afton Mountain Bed and Breakfast. Not only do we have excellent ice cream shops, the inn’s breakfasts get rave reviews, too. Find out for yourself. Book your stay here.