Carl’s Ice Cream

Carl’s Ice Cream is located about two blocks south, at 2200 Princess Anne Street.  The business was founded in 1947 under the name “Carl’s Frozen Custard,” and was moved to the current structure in 1953.  Today, Carl’s still uses the original Electo-Freeze Ice Cream machines from the 1940’s to serve their signature soft-serve ice cream in vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and pineapple flavors.  Between February November, visitors to Carl’s can get delicious ice cream daily from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm Sunday through Thursday, and from 11:00 am to 11:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.  For more information, visit their Facebook page.

Carl’s was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 due to its distinctive Art Moderne style, its location on a busy street that was significant in the development of automobile transportation through Fredericksburg in the mid-20^th century, and its lasting importance as a local cultural icon.  It’s fame has extended beyond Fredericksburg, as Carl’s has been reviewed and recommended by several newspapers and media outlets.  These include USA Today, which named it the best ice cream parlor in Virginia, and  a PBS documentary by Rick Sebak entitled “An Ice Cream Show.”