Fantastic Food

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GIANT ICE CREAM
The Igloo
Everett, PA

The Igloo, located on the Lincoln Highway, looks like an oldie. For more, see this website.

Tropical Sno
Ogden, UT
Snowy
Idaho Falls, ID
Tropical Sno
Spokane, WA
Tropical Sno
Longview, WA
Tropical Sno
Yakima, WA

The Ogden Tropical Sno stand serves flavored shaved ice (aka snow cones). The company was founded in 1984 in Provo, UT and they now have locations nationwide. There is another snow cone shaped building in Star, ID. For more, see their website.

This Snowy stand is apparently a former Tropical Sno.

The Spokane Tropical Sno is installed in Riverfront Park.

In 2008, the Longview Tropical Sno looked like it had been closed up for awhile.

The Yakima Tropical Sno structure is the same style as the ones in Spokane and Longview. Apparently, these two-toned, taller-topped stands were unique to Washington. Or they might just have been built before or after the other ones shown here.

Ice Cream Cone
Panama City, FL
Hills of Snow
Smithfield, NC
Mr. Sno-Cone
Fort Worth, TX
Giant Ice Cream
Wadena, MN
Giant Ice Cream
North Judson, IN
Giant Ice Cream
Clear Lake, IA

The Panama City Cone has been closed for many years. It was known as the Dairy Dome. For more, see this website.

The Hills of Snow snow cone stand cleverly incorporates two straws into its sign. I believe this place has been here since at least 1984. Does anyone know when this place was built or more about it? I don't believe Tropical Sno had locations this far east but this structure might have been moved here.

I believe Mr. Sno-Cone predates the Tropical Sno chain but I could be wrong. For more, see this website.

The Wadena Cone was most likely used for an ice cream stand at some point. It was constructed from concrete in 1973. It stood abandoned behind a Kentucky Fried Chicken when this photo was taken around 2000. By 2008, it had been moved to a different spot in town and renovated. For more, see this website.

The North Judson Cone is installed in front of the D&S Drive-in. Does anyone know how long it has been here?

The Clear Lake Cone is located at the Barrel Drive-in.

Sweets for Sweeties
Paradise, PA
Grandma Daisy's
Boulder City, NV
Crunchi Creme
Niagara Falls, ON
PJ's Drive-in
Delaware, NJ
Ice Cream Cone
Minneapolis, MN
Napoli Pastry
Boston, MA

Sweets for Sweeties has an ice cream cone mailbox. They have been selling candies and ice cream since 1994 and moved to this location in 2003.

Grandma Daisy's is a candy store and ice cream parlor. They feature this giant cone and cow in front of their shop. I believe this cone was manufactured recently. For more, see their website.

Crunchi Creme features another giant modern cone.

In 2004, PJ's Drive-in was known as the Humpty Dumpty Drive-in when this first photo was taken.

The Minneapolis Cone is located in the Gaviidae Food Court.

Napoli Pastry features a giant gelati cone over its entrance.

Giant Cone
Brooklyn, NY
Giant Ice Cream Molds
Sparta, WI
Giant Cone
Chambersburg, PA
Giant Cone
Mason, MI
Giant Cone
Fort Pierre, SD
Country Cream
Masonville, NY
Scoops
Ice Cream Shoppe
Cutchogue, NY

The Brooklyn Cone is on top of a fast food place near the Boardwalk at Coney Island.

These Sparta Cones are molds at FAST where most giant ice creams (like apparently the Brooklyn Cone) and other foods come from.

The Chambersburg Cone is perched above The Ice Cream Station (a building which was until recently inhabited by Texas Lunch). Although this cone may have come from someplace else, I have not seen this design before. From its shape and condition, I suspect this cone is very modern.

The Mason Cone is mounted on the roof of the Super Twist ice cream stand.

The Fort Pierre Cone is located at the Cool Spot.

The Country Cream Cone is at the roadside stand next to the Hardwood Hills Golf Course.

Scoops Ice Cream Shoppe features this giant cone above its entrance.

Double D's
Soft Serve
Pekin, IL
Irish Hills
Fun Center
Tipton, MI
Sundaes Afternoon
Omer, MI
Starlight
Frozen Custard
Louisville, KY
Giant Sundae
Le Mars, IA
Debi's
Seashore Delights
Keyport, NJ
Magic Sundaes
East Setauket, NY

Double D's Soft Serve has this old-looking, giant cone which appears to have two eyes. It was originally from an ice cream stand in Peoria, IL - possibly a Tastee-Freez. It had been mounted on top of their sign. The Double D name comes from the owners' first names (Donna and Darrell). They opened their stand in 1984 and acquired the cone around 1988. The stand was sold to new owners around 2004 but it is still known by the same name. Double D's painted the eyes on the cone to simulate the candy eyes that they put on their cones for children.

The Irish Hills Fun Center features this great, pole-mounted pink Cone, as well as go-karts, bumper boats, and mini golf. It also has a giant bottle.

Sundaes Afternoon features another ice cream pole sign.

Starlight Frozen Custard features a dripping cone - something I haven't seen before. For more, see this website.

The 10' tall Giant Sundae stands outside the Blue Bunny Visitors Center downtown. Le Mars is the self-proclaimed Ice Cream Capital of the World since Wells Dairy produces more ice cream here than any other city does. Wells has been using the name "Blue Bunny" for their ice cream since 1928. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.

Debi's Seashore Delights features a concrete cone. Debi's opened in 2007. The cone was installed here in 2006 by another ice cream shop, however, it might be older than that.

The Magic Sundaes cone is secured to the roof with guy wire.

Hunters'
Dairy Freez
Danville, PA
Dreyer's Grand
Ice Cream
San Francisco, CA
Hawkeye Dairy
Abbotsford, WI
Horn of Plenty
Kingston, NY
Mountain Mist
Custard
Lake Placid, NY
Dairy Twist
Hill City, SD

This cone at Hunters' Dairy Freez looks very similar to the Carvel cones.

This Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream cone is installed on Pier 39. It appears to be a modern creation.

The Hawkeye Dairy store sells ice cream, cheese, and other foods. It has been here since 1965. The giant ice cream cone has been here since at least 1989. For more, see their website.

The Horn of Plenty features this old rooftop cone sign. The business is part produce stand, bakery, and garden shop.

The Mountain Mist Custard stand has a giant cone style of which there are several examples in New York state. They are usually mounted on the roof. This cone was leftover from a previous ice cream stand that was here. Mountain Mist is best known for their original stand in Saranac Lake which does not have a giant cone.

The Dairy Twist has two other cones of this style. The owner says that the stand opened in the 1980s and the giant cones were built there in 2000 and that they are not related to the others shown here. This stand is located at the Creekside Country Resort.

Manheim Twin Kiss
Manheim, PA
Bar Laitier Le Délice
Saint-Fabien, QC
South of the Border
Dillon, SC
Knoebels Amusement Park
Elysburg, PA

The Manheim Twin Kiss features this concrete cone. [photo thanks Patricia Cain]

The Bar Laitier Le Délice has a giant rooftop cone that appears to be made of metal and cement. There is a similar cone in Labelle, QC.

This South of the Border cone is one of many statues at this tourist attraction. For more, see this page.

Knoebels Amusement Park has two giant cones at their concession stands. There is also a giant birthday cake pavilion.

Konehead
Oxford, ME
Wood River Drive Inn
Wood River, NE
Sweden Creme
Julesburg, CO

Konehead features a giant melting cone on its roof.

The Wood River Drive Inn has been closed for many years. The stand has been here since at least the 1960s.

This Sweden Creme seems to be part of a chain with other locations in NE and KS. I don't know if these other stands have giant cones.

Snelgrove Ice Cream
Salt Lake City, UT
former Snelgrove
Salt Lake City, UT
Snelgrove Ice Cream, aka "Snellee", was founded in 1929. The 40' wide sign was created in 1962 by Yesco. The double cone revolves and the clocks work on both sides of the sign. Dreyer's Ice Cream bought the company in 1990 and the ice cream shop closed in 2002. They operate a plant next to the sign and produced Snelgrove Ice Cream for Utah supermarkets until 2008. A truck hit the sign in 2007, bent part of the sign and broke some neon. Hopefully, the sign will be repaired soon. For more, see 1, 2, 3, and 4.

This former Snelgrove location featured another giant cone sign. When Squirrel Brothers, an ice cream store, took over this building, the cone was left in place. However, in 2008, a Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches moved in and painted this cone entirely black. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.

Ice Castle
Dalton, GA
Kay's Kastle
Knoxville, TN

Kay's Restaurant [gone]
Jefferson City, TN
Mr. T's Pizza
Chattanooga, TN
Sweet Celebrations
Maryville, TN

Kay's Kastle Ice Cream was a regional chain with most of their locations apparently in TN. Their giant ice cream signs originally had a boy climbing a ladder next to the cone. The boy had a long tongue and licked at the ice cream. I'd love to know more about the chain (e.g., when they operated and where). The first Kay's Ice Cream store and plant was built in 1934 in Knoxville. The business later split into Kay's Ice Cream and Kay's Kastle. I believe these ice cream signs are from the early 1960s. Kay's Ice Cream can still be purchased in grocery stores however the remaining locations are independent now.

The Kay's Kastle in Dalton is gone. However, this cone was saved and reinstalled at the Ice Castle ice cream store.

The Kay's Kastle in Knoxville seems to still be open and I believe it is the only location left of the chain still operating. For more, see this website.

Kay's Restaurant was the tenant of this former Kay's Kastle when these photos were taken in 2007. They had plans to restore the sign before they closed in 2008. Between the original Kay's Kastle and the restaurant, a Beer Cave occupied the building. In 2008, a Smoky's Express BBQ moved into the building and destroyed the cone. For more, see this website.

Mr. T's Pizza now occupies the former Kay's Kastle building and has kept the sign.

Sweet Celebrations has taken over the Kay's Kastle that closed in 2006. They updated the sign but kept the original cone. I have not seen this two-scoop before or this building style. I assume it predates the others shown above. For more, see this website.

More Giant Ice Cream:
Carvel (various cities, CT, FL, NJ, & NY)
Columbia, SC
Montréal, QC [vintage]
Koln, Germany

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