Old Town Churn Ice Cream

Wonderful ice cream shop that's always busy for a reason! Great taste, great service, and even better staff! I work at one of the shops located within the Exchange and I captured these beautiful photos that'd I'd love to share!

The Churn in Old Town Fort Collins is a beautiful shop with a great vibe and friendly staff, but for me, the ice cream itself doesn’t quite live up to the hype. Don’t get me wrong—it’s good, and you’ll enjoy it—but if you’ve tried some of the top-tier ice cream spots in Colorado, you may notice it’s not quite as creamy, rich, or flavor-balanced as the very best out there. The texture can be a little icy at times rather than ultra-smooth, and a few flavors seem to rely more on being sweet than on having a deep, complex taste. For example, while the salted caramel looked fantastic, it leaned more sugary than savory, and the chocolate was solid but not as bold as I’d hoped. The creative seasonal flavors are fun, but the execution sometimes feels more about novelty than perfecting the base recipe. That said, the overall experience of visiting The Churn is still enjoyable. The staff is warm, helpful, and patient, the location is perfect for a stop while exploring Old Town, and the shop itself has a wonderful atmosphere that makes it worth visiting. While the ice cream might not be the best in Fort Collins, it’s still a quality treat—and paired with the friendly service and inviting space, it earns a solid 4 stars from me.

The ice cream was just okay, and while the seating area is a nice spot to relax, it probably won’t be our first choice next time. The cones definitely seemed store-bought, and for the price, I think they should be homemade.

Attendant was nice, but after dropping $12 for a milkshake, it was really a chocolate milk. I would recommend standardization with a scale, to weigh ice cream and milk to achieve the right ratio.

We stopped for some desert. Overall we thought the ice cream was good. One kiddo got the lemon lavender poppy seed. It was very tart with almost no lavender to it. The foco Choco was delicious. It was not overpowering chocolate and some nice chunks of brownie in it. The salted caramel peanut butter cup was good but more salty than we would have liked. The banana pudding was very good. We were surprised with the chunks of wafers in it. We will be back for sure.

WHERE ELSE CAN YOU GET ICE CREAM OUT OF A HUGE CHURN??? In the heart of the exchange, this place is an amazing spot to grab a scoop and hangout. Matt was very friendly, although I don't agree with his football team of choice, he made up for it with some amazing guest service haha

I would have left these guys a 5 star but as a long time customer, I was disappointed in the fact they no longer do homade ice cream cones yet charge you the same price as before. As usual though they have great flavors but the waffle cones they now order are absolutely garbage. Great and friendly staff and really they have one of the best flavors of ice cream in the fort collins area! Bring back your waffle cones!

There were 6 of us that went there after work for some ice cream. The 2 women who were working were more than happy to help us and give us samples. Their positive attitude was infectious and we will definitely be going there again.

We finished dinner at Penrose and walked out the back to the patio and we were presently surprised to find The Exchange and Churn! Immediately, I had to check them out. It was 20° and I was NOT planning to get anything. Cayden was so welcoming and friendly, I couldn't stop talking to him! He was super sweet so we decided to keep him busy. Space Junkie - Raspberry, marshmallow & brownie - this was good Mexican Chocolate - spicy creamy chocolate - OMG this was soo delicious, I could have ate 2 more scoops but it was literally freezing out. Service from Cayden was amazing! The building is just too cute! It's a huge churn! Definitely recommended!

I was in Denver, CO for a few weeks, so I took a short road trip to Fort Collins. On the way into town, I drove by The Gateway Mural, AKA the "Greetings from Fort Collins, Colorado" mural. There seemed to be only metered parking throughout this area. I parked on the Harper Goff Aly. As you enter The Exchange, a courtyard with all the shops, right in the center is a huge Wooden Ice Cream Churn Bucket! Can't miss it! The shop is housed in the 26 foot tall Ice Cream Churn! { https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/old-town-churn-fort-collins?select=JxcuKAMACYWtYq-op2Drfw } The bucket is made out of Fir Wood and has a one-ton steel hand crank you can see hanging off the side. It was very cool to view this novelty building! There are some other vintage pieces out front like regular sized churn buckets and a beverage cooler. I didn't look inside the cooler, but it seems like it might have some merchandise in it... or it could just be a prop. { https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/old-town-churn-fort-collins?select=N5bHXmd4TR4UK1DuZVY5Ow } Churn serves up Little Man Ice Cream. There are multiple windows that can be used for service, but only one was open. There wasn't a long line, but there was a steady flow of customers. I like the colorful wooden signs posting the flavors for all to see. { https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/old-town-churn-fort-collins?select=ZWwB0jcGPPMvCcScCPMUfQ } They do have a couple of vegan flavors, too. This location has a three locally inspired flavors: Boilermaker, Matcha Honey, and All-Nighter. I asked about some of the flavors and tried a few samples. I ended up choosing the Space Junkie and Peach Cobbler Ice Cream. The Space Junkie was so delicious with its black raspberry ice cream & homemade brownie bites and marshmallow swirl. This was my favorite flavor! It paired well with the Peach Cobbler Ice Cream, so I was happy with my choices! Doing good: They (All Little Man Ice Cream Shops) have a Scoop for Scoop program where, for every scoop of ice cream bought, a scoop of rice, beans, or other essential items are donated. In 2023, over 851K scoops were purchased which equaled $92,220+ donated to 130 organizations locally and globally. { https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/old-town-churn-fort-collins?select=GXL45dhjBsBow4olQ188Mg } Be sure to support Old Town Churn as they support other entities! If I'm ever back in FoCo, I will definitely stop by!

A great ice cream spot right in the center of The Exchange. The building itself is fun and gives your inner child a nostalgic sense of delight! The staff were all friendly and moved quickly. I chose the Space Monkey which was blackberry with marshmallow and brownie - fantastic combination! A little pricey for sure, but worth it for the creaminess and flavor!

The strawberry and the boilermaker were pretty good. Classic ice cream with average prices. The salty Oreo was a bit too salty for my liking

My spouse and I went to Old Town Churn last night. We saw they were open late and wanted some ice cream after we went to a movie. My spouse got the birthday cake and I got the pistachio orange blossom. They were both really good; I tried a bite of my spouse's and it wasn't too sweet which is often a problem with birthday cake things. The pistachio orange blossom was SO good! I was surprised by how much I liked it. No pictures 'cause mine was trying to make a mess but trust that it was beautiful and tasty. We hope to go back soon.

Every Fort Collins itinerary on Tiktok featured Old Town Churn, so we just had to check it out! I immediately loved the Churn Bucket structure, string lights, and overall lively ambiance of the square. On a Friday night, the line to order was long, but moved quickly. I chose Mint Chocolate Chip with Hot Fudge and my sister got the Salted Maple Pecan, both in the smallest size cup. Service was friendly, although the teenage employees looked a little stressed out by the volume of patrons. We ate our ice cream on the benches in the square and both flavors were delicious. Worth the visit!

Want ice cream after a meal in Old Town Fort Collins. Look for the huge ice cream bucket in Old Town Square and the look for the LONGEST line! The ice cream is great and there are lots of options. I had All-Nighter Expresso Fudge and my wife had Vanilla Bean. She said it was the BEST vanilla she ever had. I was a bit disappointed by my Expresso Fudge - kinda expected more coffee flavor. It was just okay to me. My son said the line really wasn't that long but it took us almost 20 minutes to get ice cream. Only 1 of 3 service windows was working. Staffing issue?

most of the time they have a great selection! they carry a few vegan options which is what i go for so i appreciate that. i always check what's rotating when im in the exchange and my kids love it all too

Outstanding vegan options. It's not easy to make rich and creamy vegan ice cream and they have done it well. Salted chocolate Oreo is Devine.

Old Town Churn has really good ice cream. It also has it in some unusual flavors, like Mexican Chocolate. Recommended. It's popular, so there may be a line. Outdoor seating is available in the Exchange plaza. Parking is probably best along College Ave. The really intriguing thing about Old Town Churn is the programmatic architecture giant ice cream churn that houses the stand.

The ice cream is good. However the salty oreo cookie flavor is too salty in my opinion. Also, the serving sizes are a little small for how much you are paying. The waffle cone is amazing though. The building is super cute and the staff are friendly. I recommend the cookie dough and cookie monster flavors, very yummy. I'd improve the salty flavors and either reduce price or increase serving sizes.

Tried out a little ice cream spot in the heart of Old Town Ft Collins at the Exchange. The line to get an Ice cream cone was insane at 8pm. The prices.. $4.50 for a small chocolate Ice Cream on a cake cone was also insane to me. The ice cream was good and all but not sure of what the fuss is about.

Decent ice cream. It's high-quality and well-crafted. Keep in mind that it's a stand in an area, so you don't go indoors for it. I got the dulce de leche and salted caramel peanut butter in one cup, so you can do half and half. My one complaint is that the latter was heavily salted, so much so that it made me cringe. So I wish they had cut back on that and increased the PB flavor instead. But I enjoyed the DDL flavor and it thoroughly hit the spot.

Best ice cream you'll ever have! I can't imagine I'll be going to any other place near by for ice cream. I was able to ask for a couple of samples before making a decision, unfortunately it made it more of a difficult decision! I got their Banana Pudding and it was absolutely delicious. My husband got the salted Oreo and that was the best Oreo flavored anything I've ever had in my life! The salt was the perfect touch. They have several sizes to choose from. Even if you're not too into ice cream, they have the size for you! They don't skimp on your serving, so keep that in mind. Staff was amazing! Can't wait to come back and try more flavors

Expensive for what you get. Ice cream was good but large banana split was EXACTLY the same size as the small. Flavors were great but there was very little ice cream or topping

The rotating menu keeps this place fresh and gives that wholesome first-date type of vibe. A literal cherry on top to a great day every time I go!

Tasty and fun varieties but I always choose the Salted Oreo. This time I went with Red Velvet Ice Cream Sandwich with Cream Cheese Icing. Very unique but a little too frozen for me. Great Location with fun for the family!

I wouldn't consider this ice cream. I don't think there is much if any cream involved. Whatever slick ingredients they make this from makes it sit on your tongue like a freshly hawked loogie. It's disgusting. The fact that it's rated 4+ stars says something about the populace of Fort Collins. If you know good ice cream stay away. If you like overpriced garbage like they have at carnivals this might be for you.

This ice cream shop is adorably designed and has plenty of seating and food options in the vicinity. I'm not sure if this is Ft. Collins' version of Denver's Little Man, but the flavors and style is strikingly similar. Despite a longer line, the workers were very efficient at taking orders and answering our questions about their flavors. When I went, they had March Madness, vegan chocolate salted Oreo, birthday cake, etc. However, I opted for a scoop of their lavender lemon poppy. Unfortunately, there was no hint of lavender whatsoever, and it was more like a sorbet than an ice cream (kind of like a lemon ice). Other than my choice in ice cream flavor, I had a great experience and would love to try something else!

Yum!!! The ice cream here was delicious. Service was quick and the area churn is located is family friendly in old town.

So good! The cashier was nice and our ice cream was immediately ready for us. We got a medium cookie monster, small salted oreo, and a small chocolate. I got a medium, but I feel like a small would've been a better choice for me. They definitely overfill the cups!

Creamy, cold goodness, truly welcome on a hot summer day, tried the salted Oreo and a raspberry-fudge-marshmallow concoction with "space" in the name, did NOT disappoint, did disappear :)

I think this is now my favorite ice cream joint in town! Check's all the boxes for an excellent 5-star ice cream adventure: Innovative, creative flavors Well executed & tastes delicious Friendly, helpful staff Flexible- you can get multiple flavors in any size VALUE!!!! Daughter and I came for a late morning treat. She ordered a small waffle cone of All Night Espresso (?, I think!). I ordered a lil dip on the same small waffle cone, and with two flavors: Thai tea and Matcha Honey. The thai tea & matcha honey that I ordered had a subtle but tasty flavor. Creamy and calorie-worthy. Both our orders were generous portions. Mine was the perfect small size for a treat minus the guilt. I mentioned value.... both cost only $5.19. I've written about feeling ripped off for overpriced unmemorable ice cream at some other places. Not here! My only wish is for there to be more shade in this area known as "the exchange". Hopefully those trees will grow quickly!

Such a great spot! I got the salty cookies and cream and my brother got the something out of space special. They were both delicious :) The 'salty' is for real! Try it before you order

Ice cream is my favorite food so when I came to visit my best friend in Colorado for spring break, she made sure to show me the best ice cream ever. She succeeded at Old Town Churn. First of all, how cute is the barrel it literally is shaped as!?!?!? So cute. The worker let me sample 3 different flavors like a true homie. I got PB and J ice cream in a waffle cone and it was everything I could have ever dreamed about. The peanut butter flavor was perfect. The area of FT Collins's this is in is a fun place to visit. Highly recommended!

Old Town Churn is finally in Fort Collins! Their ice cream flavors are so creative and the quality of the ice cream the serve is top notch. Also, the store itself is shaped like a giant butter churn. It's so cute it hurts! I am just so glad Little Man Ice Cream chose Fort Collins for its second location. For flavors, I highly recommend the Matcha Green Tea. The Gingersnap was a close runner up for flavor performance. Check this place out next time you're craving a taste of happiness!

Great ice cream and staff!! Loved the salted Oreo identical to little man's in Denver

We unknowingly walked into the food court called The Exchange, because it was where Churn was on Google maps. We were confused for a moment, and I started looking for an ice cream place that was shown on the map to be right where we were standing. Then I looked up. And recognized the image of an old timey, ice cream churning machine. Dayuumm. We came to Churn mainly because my sister was needing Ice Cream, and also because Churn has vegan flavors. On a Friday night after dinner time, Churn is definitely the place to be!! We waited in a 40 minute long line, but it was totally fine. The scene around us, watching Fort Collins locals enjoying their town, playing, eating, was so much fun. The outdoor food court where Churn calls home is perfect for this lil guy - for size, and to entertain you while waiting in the longest line in town! We had a little time, once getting close enough to the front, to decide what we wanted. To my excitement, they had 2 vegan ice cream flavors, and 2 sorbets - also vegan. (Though one, I would argue, is not vegan because it uses oreos - palm oil). So crazy for an ice cream shop. Once getting to the front, I sampled the Lemon Lavender Poppy sorbet, and the vegan Horchata. My sister, being brave and not sampling a single one, ordered The Space Junkie (black raspberry with marshmallow and brownie bites), and the Beegan Key Lime Pie. I went with their Vegan Horchata and Toasted Coconut & Lime Sorbet. I enjoyed mine, as did she. We sat on some of the modern sitting set ups, and watched the people around us having fun, and feeling chill as the sun lowered. The ice cream was perfect for the evening, as was the environment around it. Enjoy the line waiting, enjoy the night, enjoy the ice cream.

The flavors were fun and delicious. Banana pudding was our universal favorite, but all were good. (My fave was the salted Oreo) There was quite a line, but the staff moved people through quickly, and still managed to be fun, friendly, and have a chat with each customer. Exactly what you want from a place like this. YUM.

This was the exact little cup of sweetness I was craving after dinner. This ice cream "stand" is a popular little place that sits right in the middle of the lounge/playground square in Downtown Fort Collins -- perfect treat for Colorado summer days. They have quite the selection of ice creams & sorbets (even Vegan options). They almost have too many options making it a bit challenging to decide on a flavor--sweet tooth problems, Right?!? BUT, they do let you try as many tasters as you'd like, before making your choice--not sure it that makes the decision making any easier, haha. I went with the seasonal favor, lavender lemon poppyseed sorbet and it was SO Tasty-- highly recommended, with the perfect amount of tart. Will definitely be back and much recommended.

The guy working there was really nice. He had great knowledge of the menu. He let us know we can add in mix-ins as well, which we loved! Definitely not a berry in my ice cream type, but his recommendation was so good!! I ate it so fast, I forgot to take a picture! Will definitely be going back!

This Banana Split made by the friendly staff at The Old Town Churn tasted homemade and flavorful . The toppings are all you desire unlimited!!! Enjoyed it to the last spoonful

Fantastic ice cream, love that you can get as many flavors as you want in what ever size you order. The medium is huge and very reasonably priced. I was only town for a couple days and enjoyed this place twice. Keep up the good work.

Whenever I went to Old Town Churn, me and my friends had such a hard time choosing for all the options. I ended up going with the Red Velvet and Cream Cheese Ice cream Samie. It was so good and very good price for what your getting. Not to mention the atmosphere around. 9.5/10!

Such a cute little ice cream shop! They have a good variety of flavors. I got the raspberry peach sorbet and it was amazing! Super tart and refreshing. Looking forward to the next time I visit Churn!

Old Town Churn is the best ice cream place in Fort Collins. Not only are the workers extremely friendly, particularly my server who was named Joe, but the ice cream is awesome. It is a must-visit if you are in FoCo! And the Exchange is a really fun area to bring your family. 5 Star worthy

Friendly staff, cute ice cream place, and nice outdoor area to sit and chat with friends. I got the salted Oreo and cookie dough in a double dip waffle cone. I would highly recommend both of those!

This place is super cute. Friendly staff and good ice cream. The honey almond has little pieces of honeycomb - so yummy! The courtyard area is nice and cozy too.

Scoop for scoop, this is the best ice cream in Northern Colorado. Selling Little Man Ice Cream from the Denver , they offer a locally-sourced experience unsurpassed along the front range. Their creaminess, variety, and novelty puts them far in front of the competition. Their rotating menu includes the classics (strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate) but also includes designer flavors (FoCO choco, salted caramel peanut butter cup, and space junkie), and ice cream sandwiches. They also cater to those with differing diets, having vegan and gluten free options. Any of their delicious flavors can be made into a sundae or milkshake. Just don't agree to vegan whipped cream topping if they run out of the regular, that stuff's God awful. When it comes to ice cream in this town, don't let anyone talk you into anything other than Old Town Churn.

Super creamy texture. Great little location with lots of fun places to visit. The only reason I give 4 stars is I ordered their passion fruit mango ice cream and it didn't have very strong flavor. Still tasty but not as flavorful as I'd prefer.

Very yummy. I had the Space Junkie cone which was a black raspberry base with chocolate brownie crumbles and a swirl of marshmallow in it: so good! I visited midday Tuesday. No line then, just a relaxing setting with my generous small sized ice cream cone sitting on the lawn in an Adirondak chair. Bliss.

This place is so cute and outdoors with plenty of outdoor seating. I get the vanilla because I am boring and get the tiniest little scoop in the tiny cake cone and it's perfect and only like $2.50. My partner has tried their sorbet and vegan ice cream and chocolate and they were all pretty good, but not as good as the vanilla. The service is fast and friendly.

I am allergic to gluten and lactose and a friend mentioned to me that they have vegan ice cream. It sounded amazing since not many people have lactose free ice cream. When we arrived after dinner on a Saturday evening there was a few people in-front of us in line. There was a sign up with listed flavors and more flavors posted around each order window. I ordered the chocolate ice cream because it was lactose free. Take note: that I expected this ice cream to be gluten free. The ice cream was good, and tasted like I was actually eating the frosting off a German chocolate cake. Surprisingly, there was NO lactose free vanilla option for me here to go with my chocolate scoop. The chocolate was good, but overly sweet. And don't get me wrong, I have a sweet tooth, but this was even sweeter tasting than you'd expect. Because it was so sweet, it was hard for me to eat the entire large sized cup of ice cream I got with rainbow sprinkles. The staff at the windows were rude and asked me to pull my mask over my nose. I let you draw your conclusion to how educated people who ask you do do this are. I think they should mind their own business and either choose to get a vaccination or stay home. The owners also have political signs in the windows which won't be a help them making revenue. Overall, I was a bit disappointed with this place because of the following reasons: The service was rude, the options are too many and not organized in a way for me to decide easily. I was a bit confused what options were lactose free when I got to the window. And they didn't even have a vanilla flavor for me. I ended up having an allergic reaction the rest of the night and the next day from eating the ice cream here which I found out later was from them putting gluten in the ice cream. Who the heck puts gluten in ice cream? There are other types of non-gluten flour out there. How can you make a vegan item but not care to make it gluten free either? Really? To help this place make more business and make it a better experience I would reduce the amount of flavors, make a regular chocolate and vanilla that is both gluten and lactose free, make the chocolate less sweet and more like regular chocolate ice cream, tell the staff to not give medical advice on how to wear masks outside while they are all less than 6 feet from each other inside the business themselves, take down political messages, and make the menu and signs more presentable for those who have allergies. See the attached pictures.

I've had a LOT of dairy-free or vegan ice creams, and their vegan Salted Oreo was the best. I've. ever. had! It has a rich chocolate base with small Oreo cookie chunks in it. It's creamy with a chewy (rather than icy) consistency that you never get with dairy-free ice cream. It's magical.

Every single flavor is to die for. This is my favorite treat in all of Fort Collins. The salted Oreo is my go to! Recently tried carrot cake and wowza...there was chunks of actual cake in it. Does it even get any better? Go. Now. Thank me later!

Wanted to love the salted Oreo as so many reviews talk about it, but when my friend and I tried it we both agreed that it just tasted like straight salt. Not sure if it was just a bad batch or what but it killed my palate and then I thought the salted Nutella tasted just as bad.

"Great great great great great great." "Five stars." "Fun atmosphere with big scoops." "I love it so much." - from the four kids

We just ordered eight random pints off of NoCo Nosh. That will be the last time I ever do that!! My wife says her diet is ruined. The wonderful creamy goodness has gotten me a real earful. There is no way to stop eating a pint once you start.

The ice cream sandwhich is the best ever! It's actually the only place in town you can get a good chocolate chip cookie