7 Awesome Ice Cream Shops in Downtown Chicago

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Craving ice cream in downtown Chicago? You’re not alone. Maybe it’s the fresh air off Lake Michigan, the calories you’ve burned walking the Mag Mile, or the fact that Chicago just does frozen treats differently. From a nearly 100-year-old ice cream institution to rolled ice cream made before your eyes in Chinatown, downtown Chicago and its surrounding neighborhoods deliver serious options for every kind of ice cream lover.

Best Ice Cream in Downtown Chicago

Chicago is a frozen treat lover’s paradise — from soft serve and classic custard to artisan scoops, rolled ice cream, and completely dairy-free creations. Here are the spots worth seeking out in and around downtown, whether you’re a visitor looking for a post-sightseeing treat or a local who takes ice cream as seriously as deep dish.

Original Rainbow Cone

You’ve seen the photos on social media, but seeing — and tasting — the Original Rainbow Cone in person is something else entirely. A Chicago institution since 1926, Rainbow Cone is approaching its 100th anniversary in 2026, and the recipe hasn’t changed. Five flavors — Orange Sherbet, Pistachio, Palmer House (New York vanilla with cherries and walnuts), Strawberry, and Chocolate — are sliced, not scooped, and stacked on a cone or served in a cup. That slicing technique is part of the magic.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

Jeni’s has 11 locations throughout Chicago and the surrounding area, and there’s a reason it keeps expanding. The Columbus, Ohio-born brand is beloved for creative flavors made with high-quality, locally sourced ingredients — these aren’t your standard chocolate-and-vanilla offerings.

My go-to is the White Chocolate Peppermint (seasonal, so grab it when you can). Year-round standouts include Brambleberry Crisp — oven-toasted oat streusel and sweet-tart brambleberry jam layered through vanilla ice cream — and Gooey Butter Cake, which tastes exactly like it sounds. You can get a cone, a cup, or grab a pint to take back to your hotel. The Old Town location on Wells Street is the most convenient to downtown.

Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop

The cozy, European-feeling Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop near the Water Tower on Michigan Avenue is the perfect pit stop after a long day of shopping. My go-to is the Marshmallow Sundae with creamy Chocolate Ice Cream — rich without being overwhelming. You can also grab their signature filled chocolate squares, bars, and other sweet treats. It’s a chain, yes, but the quality of the chocolate elevates everything, and the location couldn’t be more convenient to the Mag Mile.

Museum of Ice Cream

This isn’t just an ice cream shop — it’s a full immersive experience inside Chicago’s iconic Tribune Tower. The Museum of Ice Cream offers unlimited ice cream tastings (including dairy-free options) as you move through colorful, Instagram-ready installations. The world-famous sprinkle pool is the highlight, but there’s also dessert-themed mini golf and rotating seasonal exhibits.

Whether you bring the kids or not, you’ll feel like one again. After exploring, visit the café, speakeasy, and gift shop. It’s a ticketed experience — book online in advance, especially on weekends — but the unlimited tastings and interactive rooms make it feel like more than just eating ice cream. Open year-round; closed Tuesdays.

Legend Tasty House

If you haven’t tried rolled ice cream, Legend Tasty House is the place to start. Frozen layers of creamy ice cream are rolled out and mixed with your choice of toppings — fudge, fresh fruit, Nutella, berries, mochi — all made right before your eyes on a cold plate. The showmanship is half the fun.

Choose from 21+ flavors including Taro, Matcha Green Tea, Mango, and Banana, then add toppings like dragon fruit, coconut, or Fruity Pebbles. Portions are generous — two people can easily share one order. The Chinatown location is a quick Red Line ride or short drive from downtown, and the late-night hours (open until nearly midnight on weekends) make it a great post-dinner destination. The blue LED lights and thumping music give it a club-like vibe — except everyone is here for ice cream.

Kilwins

Kilwins is a Michigan-based chain famous for their Mackinac Island fudge, but don’t sleep on the ice cream. Made from their own original recipe, it’s seriously creamy — the plain vanilla might be the best you’ve ever had, and I don’t say that lightly. Other standout flavors include Superman (a Michigan classic), Chocolate Toasted Coconut, and Blueberry Waffle Cone.

The Loop location sits right across from Millennium Park, making it a perfect stop after visiting the Bean or the Art Institute. Grab a cone and a bag of their salt-water taffy for the road.

Margie’s Candies

This one requires a short trip from downtown, but Margie’s is arguably the most legendary ice cream parlor in Chicago — and it absolutely belongs on this list. Open since 1921, the Bucktown original is a time capsule: original Tiffany lamps, a marble soda fountain, vintage jukeboxes in the booths, and newspaper clippings on every wall. The Beatles famously ate here after their 1965 Comiskey Park concert (there’s a display of memorabilia to prove it).

The sundaes are enormous — served in signature clamshell bowls with a gravy boat of homemade hot fudge on the side. The Turtle Sundae with vanilla, hot fudge, caramel, and chopped nuts is a classic. The ice cream is homemade with a higher fat content that makes it richer and creamier than anything you’ll find at a chain. Yes, you’ll wait after dinner — the line stretches out the door on weekend nights. It’s worth it.

Vaca’s Creamery

Yes, the name means “cow” — and yes, everything here is completely dairy-free. Vaca’s has built a cult following by serving oat-milk-based soft serve that’s so creamy, rich, and satisfying that most people can’t tell it’s vegan. The Candy Bar in a gluten-free waffle cone — with miso caramel drizzle, chocolate shell, and peanuts — is the order that converts skeptics. They also do magic shells, sundaes, and rotating seasonal flavors.

Whether you’re vegan, dairy-free, or just curious, Vaca’s delivers. It consistently ranks among the best ice cream in Chicago on every critics’ list — no qualifiers needed.

Cold Stone Creamery

Sometimes you just want the familiar, and this River North Cold Stone (tucked into the ground floor of the Embassy Suites) delivers exactly what you’d expect — hand-mixed creations on a granite slab, shakes, and design-your-own combos. It’s not a uniquely Chicago experience, but it’s reliable, open late-ish, and convenient if you’re staying in River North. The Birthday Cake Remix (cake batter ice cream, brownie, fudge, and rainbow sprinkles) is an indulgent crowd-pleaser.

BONUS: Jojo’s Shake Bar

These aren’t milkshakes — they’re architectural achievements. Jojo’s colossal creations are piled high with donuts, cookies, pretzels, marshmallows, and whatever else the kitchen can balance on top of a glass. The Gold Digger (caramel toffee shake with a toffee donut hole, gold star marshmallows, toffee pretzels, and a macadamia nut cookie) is the signature. The Girl Scout (Andes mint chocolate shake with toasted marshmallow, chocolate pretzel, and a double chocolate cookie) is another showstopper.

Beyond the shakes, Jojo’s serves food — fries, mozzarella sticks, and other snacks — plus cocktails for the adults. The River North location has the full experience; the Water Tower Place outpost is great for a quick Mag Mile stop.

Your Downtown Chicago Ice Cream Plan

Downtown Chicago’s ice cream scene has something for everyone — from a nearly 100-year-old sliced cone at Navy Pier to dairy-free soft serve that rivals any traditional scoop shop, to milkshakes that need their own Instagram account. Whether you stick to the Mag Mile or venture a few stops on the L for something special, you won’t run out of excellent frozen treats.

Have a favorite ice cream spot I missed? Drop it in the comments — I’m always adding to the list.

More to Explore in Chicago

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