Le Mars, Iowa: Ice Cream Capital of the World Museum
Large, old-fashioned ice cream parlor expanded in 2019 with bright and goofy Instagram-bait backdrops and interactive stations. 40 flavors of ice cream; free samples.
Wells Dairy Ice Cream Parlor and Visitors Center
- Address:
- 115 Central Ave. NW, Le Mars, IA
- Directions:
- Wells Dairy Ice Cream Parlor and Visitors Center. Downtown. On Central Ave. just north of First St. Look for the big ice cream sundae standing on the sidewalk.
- Hours:
- April-Sep. M-Sa 9-10, Su 12-10; Oct-March M-Sa 10-9, Su 12-6 (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 712-546-4522
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The former Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor has been remade into the Wells Dairy Ice Cream Parlor and Visitors Center. You can still buy ice cream to eat -- 40 flavors, with free samples of all of them -- but the old museum now sports bright and goofy Instagram-bait backdrops, and interactive stations such as a "flavor personality quiz" and one where you "race freezer robots" to pick and pack frozen product for delivery. Le Mars' ice cream plants pump out over 150 million gallons of the stuff every year, more than any other municipality on earth.
[RoadsideAmerica.com Team, 06/12/2019]I just found out it is closed for remodeling Oct. 1 - Nov. 19, 2018. Open for the holiday season, then closed again February - June 2019 to complete the remodel.
[Bob, 10/17/2018]
The Ice Cream Capital of the World Museum is a great stop for the whole family -- great ice cream and interesting information.
[Montie, 07/02/2018]The Ice Cream Capital of the World Museum, now officially the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor and Museum, has moved into a vintage building in downtown Le Mars. With its grand staircase and antique soda fountain, the emphasis is heavily on eating ice cream, but the museum is now more centrally located on the second, balcony, floor. And it's still free.
[Roadsideamerica.com Team, 06/19/2011]
The Wells Blue Bunny Ice Cream Museum is a "must see" for ice cream lovers. The museum is modern and very nice. Very interesting to see how the company got started. The souvenir shop is nice and the ice cream shop is totally incredible. The desserts we had were fanshamalamadingdongtastic! I think we were a bit disoriented when we left due to a mild sugar overdose.
[Shari Buehler, 12/10/2006]Page of 2 [Next 1 items]
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Wells Dairy has been in Le Mars since 1913. In 1994, the Iowa General Assembly officially proclaimed Le Mars as the "Ice Cream Capital of the World," and the town promotes itself as such. The ice cream museum is part of the Wells' Dairy Visitor Center.