About

Nestled in the heart of Watkins Glen, our unique ice cream parlor is a must-see when visiting. A family-owned and operated business for over 38 years, we’re proud to serve homemade ice creams, novelties, cakes, and Italian gelato, as well as a variety of popular vegan and non dairy options. Hard to miss, we are fondly known as the 'Big Yellow Building' and located on the main street of town, just one block from the famous Watkins Glen State Park entrance. We first opened our doors in 1982, originally serving two soft serve flavors and eight flavors of hard ice cream from our small walk-up window. Since then, we have grown to making our very own variety of vegan, sorbet, gelato, and hard ice cream flavors and now offer soft serve in over 28 flavors! In addition to our ice cream, you can also find homemade cookies, brownies, cakes, pies, and our fresh baked waffle cones that create an irresistible aroma. The Great Escape Ice Cream Parlor is a delightful glimpse of bygone days but with modern twists of flavor, and, of course, great customer service. The Honsberger family is happy to welcome new and returning friends to the best ice cream spot in town. Leave a flavor suggestion on your way out and we look forward to seeing you soon!