10 Reasons to Visit Ye Olde Mill, that Don’t (Necessarily) Include Ice Cream

Ice Cream may be the most obvious reason to visit Ye Olde Mill but ice cream is not the only draw to this great family friendly attraction in Central Ohio.

Here’s my llist of 10 Reasons to Visit Ye Olde Mill, that Don’t (Necessarily) Include Ice Cream.

1. Ye Olde Mill is one of the Top Attractions in Licking County, second only to nearby Dawes Arboretum. Since both are only a short drive from each other, you can easily plan to see both in one day.

2. Ye Olde Mill boasts one of the State of Ohio’s only ice cream museums.

With an old fashioned soda fountain, vintage signage, a collection of scoops and interactive exhibits, you (and your child) can learn about your personality based on your favorite flavor of ice cream and learn which flavors are classified as the weirdest ice cream flavors. Does the thought of Fried Pork Rind ice cream make your mouth water? It does mine, but not in a good way.

3. You can feed the ducks…and we’re told that the ducks have come to expect food from visitors.

4. Ye Olde Mill has preserved a piece of history. The grounds were once the site of one of the largest mills in the Ohio Frontier and a popular stop for slaves escaping to Canada along the Underground Railroad.

5. Ye Olde Mill Restaurant ( & Ice Cream Parlor) offers a selection of salads, soups and sandwiches in a charming, rustic eatery with costumed servers. Of course, one could also choose to add a scoop or two of ice cream to their order.

6. The Museum of Milling only takes a few minutes to walk through and does a great job of explaining how water wheels work as well as walking you through the process of grinding grain into flour.

7. Ye Olde Mill host weekend entertainment (including a small petting zoo) as well as awesome special events and festivals! If you ever get the chance to visit in May during the annual ice cream festival, you’ll realize that Ye Olde Mill didn’t earn the title “Ice Cream Capital of Ohio” for nothing!

8. Local Amish arrive a couple times a week during the summer to sell a selection of handcrafted items, baked goods and fresh produce. I picked up a blackberry pie and cherry pie on my visit and they were both delicious- and go perfectly with the Vanilla Lover’s Trio ice cream produced by Velvet. Just sayin’.

9. The 20+ acres that comprise Ye Olde Mill grounds provide the perfect backdrop for a picnic in one of the picnic shelters. You can also enjoy the day playing with the kids on the playground, fishing in the pond or taking a walk along the nature trail.

10. The viewing gallery allows guests to get a glimpse of production (during manufacturing hours).

Children can also learn that the milk needed to make ice cream comes from cows. Then they can pose with the cow and get their picture taken so they’ll have a new Facebook profile. Yep, just like mine who are working to spread “Cows make Milk” awareness.

Seriously and sadly, you’d be surprised how many city kids think their milk comes from the grocery store with no thought of how it got there in the first place.

Remember, you can also take a behind the scenes glimpse of the Velvet Ice Cream Factory with a tour (when available) to see where and how the ice cream is produced. I have three teens that highly recommend it!

Plan Your Visit

Website: www.velveticecream.com

Location: About 40 minutes east of Columbus at 11324 Mount Vernon Road Utica, Ohio 43080

Phone: 1-800-589-5000

Hours: Open Daily May through October, hours vary. Check the website for the most up to date hours.

Cost: Free admission. Free parking with plenty of space for tour buses and RV’s.

Social Media: Follow Velvet Ice Cream on Facebook and on Twitter.

Have you been to Ye Olde Mill? Tell me why you love to visit.

This post is linked to Top Ten Tuesday hosted by Angie at Many Little Blessings.

Disclaimer: My family was invited to Ye Olde Mill for a private tour of the Velvet Ice Cream Factory and the grounds. I was not monetarily compensated for this post.