UDairy Creamery
Ice cream made on site by UD students from the university's own cows — a cheap, joyful Newark stop.
The Quick Version
- • The University of Delaware's student-run creamery — over 34 ice cream flavors made on site from milk from UD's own dairy herd.
- • Free to visit; you just pay for ice cream. The flagship sits across from the College of Agriculture's dairy farm, so you can often see the cows.
- • Heads-up (2026): the flagship at 535 S College Ave is closed for renovation and serving a limited menu out of the Fred Rust Ice Arena (Mon-Sun 11 AM-10 PM); it's expected to reopen before the fall semester. Confirm before you go.
- • A quick, cheap, joyful stop — 30-45 minutes, easy with any age.
- • There's also a UDairy Creamery Cafe on Main Street if the walk-up window doesn't fit your plan.
What's New
Flagship closed for renovation in 2026 — scooping from the ice arena for now
- • The 535 S College Ave flagship temporarily closed in late May 2026 for a renovation.
- • A limited menu is being served out of the Fred Rust Ice Arena, Monday-Sunday 11 AM-10 PM.
- • The renovation adds a second walk-up window and reorganizes the interior to showcase cheese, honey, and farm products.
- • Staff expect to reopen the renovated flagship before the fall semester — confirm current location and hours before you go.
Best Ages
All ages
Plan For
30-45 minutes
Adults
Free to visit (pay for ice cream)
Kids
Free to visit
What to Expect
UDairy Creamery is a small, genuinely delightful Newark institution: the University of Delaware's own creamery, where students make the ice cream on site using milk from UD's dairy herd. The flagship sits directly across from the College of Agriculture's farm, so on a good day you order a cone and watch the cows that (more or less) made it — a 'cow to the cone' story kids actually get. It launched in 2011 as a student-run, hands-on learning enterprise, and it shows: the rotating roster runs over 34 flavors, and the people scooping are often the students who churned it.
It's free to walk up, cheap by the cone, and quick — 30 to 45 minutes, the kind of stop you tack onto the end of any Newark outing. There's no ticket, no agenda, just good ice cream with a real local story.
One important 2026 note: the flagship building at 535 S College Avenue closed for renovation in late May 2026 and is currently serving a limited menu out of the Fred Rust Ice Arena (Monday-Sunday, 11 AM-10 PM). The renovation is adding a second walk-up window and reorganizing the space to better show off the cheese, honey, and farm products, with staff expecting to reopen the flagship before the fall semester. Until then, confirm where they're scooping before you drive over — or hit the separate UDairy Creamery Cafe on Main Street.
Who It's Best For
Ice cream is a universal win — there's no age this doesn't work for. Toddlers love a cone and (at the flagship) the cows across the road; bigger kids appreciate the rotating flavors and the 'made right here by students from our own cows' story. It's a stop, not a destination, so it slots onto the end of any Newark outing for every age.
Highlights
Made on site from UD's own cows
All agesStudents make the ice cream right there using milk from the University's dairy herd — a real 'cow to the cone' operation, not a story on a label.
Over 34 flavors, always rotating
All agesA big year-round flavor list with seasonal specials worth following on social before you go.
The cows across the road
Ages 1-8At the flagship, the College of Agriculture's dairy farm is right across the street — order a cone and go see the source.
Student-run since 2011
All agesLaunched in 2011 as a discovery-learning enterprise — the students are involved from the cow to the cone, and you can taste the pride.
What to Skip with Little Ones
- • Driving over in 2026 without checking whether they're at the flagship or the temporary Fred Rust Ice Arena location.
- • Treating it as a full outing on its own — it's a 30-45 minute stop, best paired with a Newark walk or park.
- • Going on a hot weekend evening if you're short on patience — the line is part of the deal.
Logistics
Admission
Adults
Free to visit (pay for ice cream)
Kids
Free to visit
Under
Free
No admission — you pay only for what you order. Bring a little cash or a card; the walk-up window keeps it simple.
Membership tip: Not a membership venue. Follow UDairy on social for the rotating flavor list and seasonal specials.
Getting There
Parking
Flagship (when open): short-term 15-minute spots across the road, permitted lots during business hours (or pay via the UD Passport app), with parking next to the walk-up window in the evenings and on weekends. The Main Street cafe uses metered parking or the Passport app. While the creamery operates from Fred Rust Ice Arena, use the arena's parking.
On a nice evening the flagship's nearby lots fill — the walk-up window parking on nights and weekends is the easy option. On Main Street, meters and the Passport app cover it.
Entrance
Flagship: a walk-up window plus indoor counter service (when the renovated building reopens). During the 2026 renovation, order at the temporary counter inside the Fred Rust Ice Arena.
Parent Logistics
It's an ice cream stop — easy with a stroller. The walk-up window and outdoor seating are stroller-friendly; the temporary arena location is indoor and accessible.
Restrooms on site (and at the Fred Rust Ice Arena while the creamery operates there).
Changing facilities are limited at a walk-up creamery — plan ahead with a baby; the arena and nearby campus buildings have restrooms.
Outdoor seating at the flagship has some shade; bring sun cover for a hot afternoon in line. The temporary arena location is indoor.
Food & Snacks
Ice cream is the show — over 34 flavors year-round, made on site, plus the creamery sells cheese, honey, and other UD farm products (the renovation is expanding the space to showcase them). The Main Street cafe serves additional items.
Snack strategy: This IS the snack. Pair it with a Newark outing — a Main Street walk, a campus stroll, or a park nearby — and let the cones be the finale.
Pro Tips
- ✓ In 2026, confirm whether they're scooping at the renovated flagship or the Fred Rust Ice Arena before you go.
- ✓ Follow UDairy on social for the rotating flavor list and seasonal specials.
- ✓ At the flagship, the evening/weekend walk-up window has its own parking — the easy option on a busy night.
- ✓ Pair it with a Newark Main Street walk or a nearby park so the cones are the grand finale, not the whole trip.
- ✓ They sell cheese and honey too — a nice local gift or pantry pickup while you're there.
When to Go
Best Time to Visit
Warm-weather afternoons and evenings are the classic time (and busiest). A weekday or an off-peak hour means a shorter line. While the flagship is under renovation in 2026, check the temporary Fred Rust Ice Arena hours before heading over.
Seasonal Notes
Ice cream is served year-round (over 34 flavors), but it's busiest in the warm months. IMPORTANT 2026 UPDATE: the flagship creamery at 535 S College Ave temporarily closed for renovation in late May 2026 and is operating a limited menu out of the Fred Rust Ice Arena, Monday-Sunday 11 AM-10 PM; staff expect to reopen the renovated flagship before the fall semester. The separate UDairy Creamery Cafe on Main Street keeps its own hours. Confirm current location and hours at the UD site before you go.
Rainy Day?
It's an ice cream stop — a quick treat in any weather, especially from an indoor counter while the creamery operates at the ice arena. Not a rainy-day destination on its own.
While You're in the Area
Pair it with a walk on Newark's Main Street, the University of Delaware campus, or a nearby park. White Clay Creek State Park and the Newark Reservoir are close for a longer outdoor day before the cones.