Nelson's Ice Cream facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nelson's Ice Cream |
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Restaurant information | |
Established | 1923 |
Current owner(s) | Dave Najaria |
State | Minnesota |
Website | nelsonsicecream.biz |

Nelson's Ice Cream is a super popular ice cream parlor located in Stillwater, Minnesota. Stillwater is a fun tourist town right on the St. Croix River. This famous ice cream shop first opened its doors way back in 1923!
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Nelson's Ice Cream: A Sweet History
Nelson's Ice Cream started as a grocery store! It was called Seven Corners and was run by John Lustig in the 1920s. Besides selling groceries, the store also sold "Supreme" brand ice cream.
How It All Started
John Lustig made the grocery store bigger in the 1930s. After he passed away in 1947, Art Nelson took over the business. Many people in Stillwater still call the place "Art's" because of him! The Nelson family also owned another ice cream business called Brown's Ice Cream in Minneapolis.
When Art Nelson died in 1964, his nephew Wade bought the store. Wade decided to add something special: really big ice cream cones! This happened in the 1960s. Eventually, the store's name changed to Nelson's Dairy Store.
New Owners, Same Big Scoops
In 1992, the store was sold to Bob Pasket and Chuck Kummeth. They kept the tradition of serving huge portions of ice cream. Then, in 2006, two people from Stillwater, Dave Najarian and Bill Bergstrom, bought Nelson's. Today, Dave Najarian is still running the shop.
Nelson's Today: Big Scoops and Fun
Nelson's Ice Cream is open every year from April to October. They have many different flavors to choose from. Some fun names include Pirate's Booty, Snowflake, and Rocky Road. The ice cream they sell comes from "Brown's Ice Cream," which was once owned by the Nelson family!
What to Expect at Nelson's
Since Nelson's used to be a grocery store, it doesn't have much space inside. This means there's no indoor seating. But don't worry, they have picnic tables outside where you can enjoy your treat!
Nelson's is still famous for its giant portions. The biggest and most amazing one is called the "Lumberjack." It has five scoops of ice cream and lots of toppings! Inside the store, there's a wall with pictures of people who managed to finish the whole Lumberjack. It's a fun challenge!