Fairly busy location looks like there is always a line, but this is the location that is open the latest and next to great water & seating. The ice cream is creamy, sweet, and thick. Orange custard has the hint of fruitiness paired perfectly with the chocolate chips. Blueberry swirl has vanilla ice cream base with blueberry swirled in that is classic. read more

Babcock Dairy Store - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The best ice cream in the Midwest. The shop is located inside the UW Student Union where outside concerts are held. The line was at least 45 min long on a summer Saturday night. Other venues were also understaffed. The student workers were overwhelmed; they need more help. Ice cream gets a 5; service gets a 1. read more

Yummy ice cream with a quick self-guided tour about the science of ice cream making. Sweets plus science = yummy combo that's good for the brain. We waited behind a line of students, but didn't realize they were there for orientation and free ice-cream. So now you know to ask before waiting behind a line here. Didn't get a chance to try the sandwiches but mother-in-law recalled them being tasty. Will be back when I'm in the area again. Sorry no photo of ice cream or inside.. got too excited with ice cream and the tour.. read more

Babcock Dairy Store - Outside. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Can't believe I've never been here! Trouble is that it's not easy to get to unless you're on campus. But if you can make your way deep into the UW Campus, it's worth a stop. Find a parking spot and check it out! Not a huge selection, but what they have is pretty darn good. I had the strawberry and enjoyed it. read more

Babcock Dairy Store - Single Dish - Strawberry - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I would argue easily that this is the best ice cream in Madison. Forget Chocolate Shoppe, Kilwins or Michaels. This place goes hard, but the hardest part is catching it during open hours. Thankfully you can always grab their ice cream at the Daily Scoop on the terrace, but coming here you get all the optimal and new flavors that they are testing out! The staff are super friendly and its a very casual place to grab a sweet treat and relax outside on the patio. Love it, wouldn't have this any other way and always excited to go back. read more

**July 2025: Monday Late Afternoon Visit** Wisconsin is known for dairy and at Babcock you can get ice cream and cheese products proudly made from the University of Wisconsin. The shop name is named after Dr. Steven Babcock who was a professor at the university who developed the Babcock test - a test used to determine butterfat content in milk and cheese processing. His innovation revolutionized the ice cream and cheese making processing and this shop continues his legacy. On my visit there were over a dozen or so flavors and it was difficult to choose so I picked three! The flavors of all three were good, but I think for two of them they weren't frozen long enough because it has an icy texture to it versus a more creamy smooth finish. The peaches and cream seasonal flavor was outstanding though! Nevertheless, I still devoured all three flavors especially since it was a hot summer day. I'd say this probably a 3.5 star review but bumped up because it's an education institution. I think it's worthwhile to check out and honor the guy who basically revolutionized the ice cream and cheese industry! read more

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A can't miss for anyone on or near UW campus. The vegan cookies and cream tasted like regular ice cream. We also got a mini cup from the freezer of the blueberry ice cream which was both very affordable and still delicious and fresh despite sitting on the shelf. Recommend both types of ice cream for folk with sensitive stomachs given how fresh the ingredients are--you can taste it. You can also walk around a bit around the agriculture wing of the campus which is connected to the store. read more

Babcock Dairy Store - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Blast from the past. I have super clear memories of being like 4 years old standing in front of the ice cream display choosing what scoop go get. I remember moving to california and no one knowing what blue moon ice cream was. Somehow coming back here felt like I was validating my childhood. And bringing my bf felt like giving him a window of my life growing up. So much love read more

Babcock Dairy Store - Blue moon and union utopia - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

This is a great place to stop for a sandwich & cup of soup. Service is quick & there is plenty of seating. Bright & clean inside with lots of cool things to see. Amazing ice cream for dessert! read more

Just a Madison thing. Truly mediocre at best. But, if your a UW grad. It's the best thing since sliced bread.

The ice cream is so wonderful nothing needs to be said. All the flavors are great, my favorites being orange chocolate chip, union utopia, and mocha macchiato. Something not as well recognized at Babcock is their food including the BYO sandwiches! These are super customizable and made with the freshest ingredients. Best of all, you get to add the in house Wisconsin cheese to it! I love to get a chicken wrap in a cheesy jalapeño tortilla with veggies and garlic aioli. Such a filling lunch! read more

Babcock Dairy Store - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I wanted to try this place when I came to Madison because a friend recommended it, but hadn't gotten around to it yet, when lo and behold, they served it on the snack bar at the conference I was attending at the University. It saved me a trip to the actual store, so that was nice. The ice cream was good, but I have to say I liked the whipped cream even better. Could have eaten a whole bowl of that stuff!!! I noticed later on that they have a little Babcock ice cream shop on campus, too. Good stuff!!! read more

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Babcock Dairy was an absolutely wonderful and chilling experience (pun intended!). Despite the local Alabama-Wisconsin game ending less than an hour prior and a long line, the service was rapid and everyone got their icecream in no time. Attached to a University of Wisconsin building, there leaves a lot of cool sights and Badger-themed memorabilia laying about! Also it being Wisconsin there is plenty of cheese for sale inside as well! As for the ice cream, I got the "Badger Blast" and it was delicious! Very chilled and loaded with 'premium' chocolate and chocolate flakes! This is a great stop following a hot football day' read more

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When I visited Madison recently, I had a small window of time before I had to move on to the next thing. It was mid-afternoon, on a Friday, and I'd never been to Babcock Dairy. So I plugged it into my GPS and away I went. There is street parking and I had no trouble that day I was there. But depending on the day, it could be hard to find parking, and you might have to find somewhere else to park and walk. After walking up two flights of steps you're ushered into a small but decent-sized ice cream shop--except this one has more seating than the average ice cream store. There is more than just ice cream on the menu, but I was there for the ice cream. There were a few people ahead of me in line, so I waited about 10 minutes or so. I ordered a double decker--and the last time I had a double scoop was years ago, I kid you not. But I was there and couldn't resist. I ordered chocolate and other flavor, I think was salted caramel. (It was a month ago!) But whatever it was, it was creamy and delicious. I wasn't really sure I could eat a double scoop, but despite its creaminess, it wasn't too heavy or difficult to eat. I sat by a front window and enjoyed my ice cream! It's a family friendly place, as not only students come but families with young kids were there, too. read more

Babcock Dairy Store - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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This is such a cool store to have on campus. Serves ice cream, sandwiches, and more. The ice cream is so delicious! Several options available - it was hard to choose! I got raspberry something (oops! I forget) but I can't forget how delicious it was! Very refreshing on a hot day and for a very affordable price. Delicious! read more

Babcock Dairy Store - raspberry something ice cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

A supposedly legendary spot on campus but it didn't live up to the hype for me. The blueberry swirl is one of their super premium flavors with a vanilla ice cream base and blueberry swirls. It was creamy and smooth but I felt the blueberry flavors fell short. The rest of our group tried the chocolate, vanilla, centennial caramel swirl, and mocha macchiato. Parking on a Friday mid-morning was fairly straight-forward and simple. All three of our cars were parked right outside the store at 65 cents for 25 minutes. I don't know who comes up with these random rates but it was more than enough time for us because there was no wait. read more

We had a coupon for free ice cream but we could only redeem it at the Babcock store on campus versus any other of their outlets. Given parking is a pain on campus even in summer we stopped in on a bike ride. So what if it was 9:30 in the morning. The store opens early so we had ice cream for breakfast - nice! The store itself is a bit barren with a sandwich counter, ice cream counter, some fairly empty food cases with a small selection of Babcock cheeses and Bucky meats. Service was fast and friendly and the serving big. read more

Babcock Dairy Store - Front - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I stopped by on a Saturday monrning for ice cream. I went for a large, which can have 4 scoops. Orange custard chocolate chip was my favorite flavor here. Chocolate peanut butter, blueberry basil and lemon bar were my other flavors. They were all good. The place has some nice food items and coffee, which I should try next. read more

Babcock Dairy Store - Chocolate peanut butter, blueberry basil and orange custard chocolate chip - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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We ordered a scoop of chocolate peanut butter ice cream and after 3 bites we realized there was zero peanut butter in it. We assumed they gave us chocolate by mistake. We went up to the register and the cashier said we are having issues with the chocolate peanut butter ice cream. The mixture is wrong. So...why would they not tell you that when you place the order? We would have chosen a different flavor. When you know there is an issue with a flavor, pull the flavor! read more

No trip to Madison, Wisconsin is complete without a stop at the Babcock Hall Dairy Store. Located on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, Babcock Hall Dairy Store is a must stop. Babcock Hall is home to the University's dairy research program. This restaurant is located in the building, and they make their own fresh ice cream and frozen creations. You can also purchase sandwiches and drinks here. I got a scoop of the chocolate peanut butter ice cream (rich, chocolate ice cream with thick ribbons of creamy peanut butter), while my husband got a scoop of the 175 S'more Years (rich, chocolate ice cream with a marshmallow swirl and graham cracker crunch to celebrate UW-Madison's 175th anniversary). The flavors were rich and creamy. The scoop they give you is HUGE! They are always creating new flavors, so if you go back there is always something new to try. If you are in Madison, I highly recommend stopping by and getting some ice cream at Babcock Hall Dairy Store! read more

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Legendary place on the University of Wisconsin campus. Next level ice cream and a pretty good cheese selection too.

Love coming her for sandwiches and ice cream. You can take home lots of things that they make there at the school. Cheese, ice cream, brats. We love visiting this campus mainstay. read more

The ice cream here is exceptionally good. I was really full when we arrived but couldn't let it go to waste. I had the Union Utopia, highly recommend it!!! Because we brought our dog we sat outside but there were tables inside. Currently it's a little tricky to find the entrance because of construction. read more

Hands down one of the best ice cream places ever. Perfectly creamy while not overwhelming. Fresh tasting without any "cow taste." Not too sweet. Hard to find with the construction; if you're visiting, know that you'll have to walk all the way around the fencing to get to the store from the parking lot. read more

Babcock Dairy Store - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I have heard so much hype about this place so I had to try it out. The shop itself is small with a number of items in the freezer/fridge to purchase. I decided to get a Badger Blast malt milkshake. The straw was weak and too small to get the thick shake through. The ice cream itself was good but not crazy amazing. I expected more but it seemed more on the level of Ben and Jerrys than farm-fresh ice cream. read more

The older I get, the more it seems I don't think all the way through my decisions and choices. Rent an e-bike? Hey, it's only 97 F today, sure, why not? Discover that the U. of Wisconsin campus is HUGE, and navigation requires constantly checking Google Maps to figure out where the heck you are? Pish posh. My main goal was to see the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Unitarian chapel, way at the western boundary of campus. After having that Griswold family moment ("OK, self, back on the bike"), it only seemed logical to grab some ice cream before hyperthermia set in. At the time of my visit there was a lot of construction, fencing, and at least one bike path detour in place (summer is construction season on college campuses, if you didn't know that). But I finally figured out where the dairy bar was, and entered air conditioned Nirvana. Oh, and a handy public water cooler just outside the dairy bar proper, too. Bliss! I had an excellent lemony softserve that totally hit the spot. The only small niggle is that UW facilities either take a cashcard tied to student ID, or a credit card- no cash. read more

Great service. The food smells so good but I have only gotten ice cream here, I can tell you though it is one of the best ice creams in Madison. People are always chill here, lots of college students mostly. Thank you for the good service and friendly smiles. I highly recommend coming down here in the summer getting some ice cream and sitting outside to eat it. read more

Babcock Dairy Store - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I'm only reviewing the ice cream side and not the food items (sandwiches, pizzas, etc.) Ice cream is good. Rich, some creamy, and others feel a bit granulated (as if melted and frozen again). Their portion sizes for an ice cream scoop (2-3 scoops) really varies by worker and ice cream flavour you choose. Decent amount of seating, but I don't recommend coming in groups larger than 4-6. Pricing is clear and labelled, although their TV can go through the slideshow of options and prices a bit too fast, however I think they also carry hand held menus. Inflation goes hard for these prices though. The only real complaints I have are the food line and ice cream line merge weirdly at the cashier. I wish it was clearer. Also when getting the ice cream out, some flavours are harder to scoop out than others on different days. I wish they were transparent rather than watching 3-4 workers taking their turns at it while I wait without explanation for a while when my friends have already gotten theirs. read more

Babcock Dairy Store - Blueberry swirl in a cone - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Yum, Just Yum! Stopped by in Feb. half price ice cream! Inside seating. Outdoor patio is not too nice but if you walk down 1/2 block there's nice outdoor seating in front of the next building. The girl who served us was super friendly. A must stop. read more

Love this place -- probably responsible for many of my trips to Madison as the freshness is amazing, flavors are well balanced, and prices are unbelievable. Scoops here are enormous so beware before ordering enough ice cream for a full brain freeze. If you're coming from far away, you'll want to sample several favors to get the full experience of different flavor profiles. No matter what you order though, the creaminess and freshness of the milk really come out and the flavors are very distinct from one another. Definitely worth a special trip if you live in the midwest. The flavors aren't as fancy as what you'd find in Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, but the freshness and simplicity will delight your palate just the same. read more

This is one of those "can't miss spots" in Madison! Daily products produced on premises.....milk, butter, cheese and ice cream. Ice cream is the true star of Babcock Dairy!! Soooo many delicious flavor choices..... Try more than one! There's also a sandwich and breakfast counter, so you can enjoy a meal with your ice cream. Like most ice cream parlors, getting a scoop or two isn't exactly cheap, but you're paying for the experience, so go for it. Load up on Babcock ice cream for your home freezer, as it's somewhat rare outside Madison! Just fyi. I tried the Union Utopia: vanilla ice cream with ribbons of peanut butter and chocolate.... Excellent!! read more

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Working on campus, I love to change it up once in a while. Babcock is about a 10 minute walk from my office. Babcock has a solid selection of sandwiches and flatbreads that are made right in front of you. The employees are always super nice! You can also buy UW-made cheese and dairy products. Babcock also has their selections of ice cream flavors to grab a sweet treat or grab one to go. My favorite is the orange custard with dark chocolate pieces! They are currently reworking the building and infrastructure to make it a larger space for more people to try out their products. Babcock also has a small preview of their dairy facility in the building, as well! read more

The ice cream is great of course, and the lunch sandwiches are good, made fresh and generous. The staff is always friendly even when it's chaotic. I can't recommend a breakfast sandwich though. They microwave the pre-cooked egg and sausage which makes them both rubbery. The bacon is "pre-cooked" and they don't crisp it up so it's chewy and tough. They have a broiler right there, why not put the pre-cooked bacon on a tray and run it through the machine so it gets crispy? Same for the eggs & sausage? I'm not sure if they would make you a lunch sandwich during breakfast hours, but they do have all the items available to make it, so if you need something in the morning I would recommend asking for one of the lunch options instead of the egg/meat combo. read more

AMAZING! I love ice cream and having half priced cones in February really helps me satisfy the craving - even in the cold! Blue Moon truly tastes like fruit loops! I went with the cookie dough ice cream which was delicious (and a small was HUGE). The only modification I would suggest is changing the cookie dough pieces? I feel like they took away from the absolutely delicious, creamy ice cream. The place is SUPER casual, which I love and they sell meats and cheeses in addition to various take-home sizes of the famous ice cream. 100% worth the calories when making a trip over to Mad-Town. Can't wait to try the other flavors when I'm back! read more

In non-Covid times, you can see the processing plant below for ice cream/dairy products, but that's currently closed off. The scoop shop is still worth a visit as I really enjoy the I've cream and it's cool to know that it's processed by UW. We've bought cheese and meat products here as well as take-home containers of ice cream, and they're all solid. read more

A hole in the wall at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where they sell both food and dessert items. If you have the opportunity, make sure to check out the observation deck where you can see them make the ice cream via the machines. Store associates were friendly, professional, and knowledgable since there were so many different ice-cream flavors to choose from and the store was busy read more

Wonderful ice cream! Got caramel creek in a cup, and it was great. The regular size came with plenty of ice cream, I will definitely be back! read more

Favorite ice cream shop thus far! Too bad it's all the way in Madison. Although that could be a good thing, since I already have addictions to enough sweet things. It's not fancy or colorful inside, but boy do you forget about that once you taste the ice cream. All employees are students and they're all awesome! Super friendly and eager to help, whether it's a question you have or you just want to sample literally every flavor they have :) they also showed us the milk plant in the back and gave us some background - pretty cool! After sampling everything, I couldn't decide on one single flavor, so I ended up getting Key Lime Pie and Orange Chocolate Custard together - best decision ever hahaha those two are a must! They also sell pretty tasty cheese that was way cheaper than Wegmans here :) read more

Babcock Dairy Store - Deliciousness! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Yummy ice cream on UW's campus! Loved all three flavors we got! Blue moon was super unique (basically tastes like the milk of fruit loops cereal). read more

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Deliciousness all up in this place! I had the ice cream and I love the fact that I could get a single cone, but with two flavors. I had mocha macchiato and Union Utopia! HEAVENLY flavors! I am not sure how these students/staff don't gain 100 pounds with this place here! There is something about this ice cream that can't be matched by other ice cream. The balance of creaminess and flavors, both subtle and bold in the right ways! Amazing! MUST STOP if you are in the area - street parking can be tough. Walk to it if you can. read more

Babcock Dairy Store - Flavors - Union Utopia and Mocha Macchiato! Made fresh @ the University of Madison. Love! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin