It’s summer in Fort Collins and while we’ve had our fair share of rain and thunderstorms this year, they’ve been interspersed with some gorgeous sun-filled afternoons. The type of sunny, summer afternoons that lend themselves to walking down to the corner ice cream store to grab a scoop or two. Fortunately for the residents of Fort Collins, there are several tempting ice cream shops to choose from. The largest concentration of ice cream shops can be found in the vibrant Old Town area, just steps from the front door of Cohere Coworking.
Book a tour of Cohere Coworking during your next visit to Old Town, Fort Collins!
Each of these downtown fixtures has a unique atmosphere and a wide variety of flavors and toppings for their customers. Whether your tastes run more toward the traditional or the eccentric, if you’re looking for fantastic ice cream in Fort Collins, you’ll find it in Old Town.
Here’s a quick rundown of the ice cream shops located in Old Town, Fort Collins:
Walrus Ice Cream
125 Mountain Street
11 am–10 pm Monday through Saturday
Noon-10 pm Sunday
Walrus Ice Cream has been a fixture in Fort Collins since 1987, creating and serving premium ice cream and other treats to Fort Collins residents for over three decades. This locally owned and operated shop has a friendly, small-town atmosphere, with a giant Jenga game and colorful walls inside, and a comfy seating area outdoors to enjoy the sunshine. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of their resident ghost, Charlie Dinnebeck, owner of the former business and a well-liked family man and member of the community during his living years. Walrus uses all-natural ingredients to make their 29 ever-changing flavors of ice cream and serves sherbet, low-fat frozen yogurt, and dairy-free sorbet.
Walrus also offers a daily “joke flavor” for the brave at heart to try. Sometimes it’s delicious, sometimes it’s not, but it’s always a taste adventure.
Ben & Jerry’s
1 Old Town Square, Suite 104
11 am- 11 pm Sunday through Wednesday
11 am-12 am Thursday through Saturday
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield were school friends who opened their first scoop shop out of a renovated gas station in 1978. Since then, the franchise has grown to well over 600 shops and can be found in 38 countries around the world. One of those Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shops opened up right in the heart of Old Town Square in 1996. This popular ice cream company boasts nearly 100 creative flavors, including uniquely named favorites like Phish Food, Chunky Monkey, and Cherry Garcia, as well as vegan alternatives with almond milk or sunflower butter. The Old Town location has huge windows to let in the light and a bright, airy feel. There are a few well-spaced tables inside, as well as several places out in the square to sit and savor your summer treat.
Old Town Churn
234 N College Ave
11 am-10 pm Sunday through Thursday
11 am-11 pm Friday through Saturday
Old Town Churn is the Fort Collins arm of the Little Man Ice Cream Company based out of Denver. It’s located in the Exchange, a vibrant community plaza in the north part of Old Town. The Churn, housed in a building shaped like a giant ice cream churn, is often the first thing that people notice in the Exchange. Little Man is known for their innovative buildings, including the original 28-foot-tall milk can in Denver.
But their innovative buildings are just the lure. The delicious, creamy ice cream that they serve is the hook. Whether you’re a scoop of ice cream in plain cone type of person, or you prefer a full-on sundae, the Churn will have what you are looking for.
Kilwins
114 S. College Avenue
11 am-9 pm Monday through Wednesday
11 am-10 pm Thursday through Saturday
11 am-9pm Sunday
Kilwins Ice Cream originally came to Fort Collins in 1996 and quickly became a staple in Old Town, standing in the same spot for nearly thirty years. In August 2022, the store closed when long-time owner Nora Hill retired, disappointing many. In April of 2023, however, a new owner, Colorado State University Alumni Holli McElwee, took over the franchise. Kilwins in Fort Collins offers a wide variety of ice cream flavors, from the traditional to the exotic, an amazing assortment of fudge, and many other sweet treats, including Holli’s favorite, peanut brittle.
Inside the store is a cozy but fun candy store vibe, with lots of bright colors interspersed with old-fashioned candy shop decor. There are only a couple of tables for sitting and eating your ice cream or fudge inside, but there are two long benches under the awning outside of the store, offering a nice, shaded place to enjoy your treats.
Learn more about Old Town Fort Collins from the people at Cohere Coworking. Book a tour today!
Anytime is a good time for ice cream, but it can taste especially sweet on a hot summer afternoon. From small, family owned and operated shops to national chains, there is bound to be an ice cream shop or two that tickles your tastebuds in Old Town Fort Collins. We suggest you try all four!
Penny Leigh Sebring is a Cohere member, experienced freelance writer, neophyte speculative fiction author, and gatherer of information and imaginary friends.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash