A colleague of mine who attended Michigan State highly recommended this ice cream parlor due to the fact I came to the area with my family. I'm not much of an ice cream person, but I definitely wanted to satisfy my sweet tooth even though the weather wasn't cooperating on this particular day. When I got here the line was really long, which is to be expected because of how popular it is. Thankfully the crowd moved smoothly and was able to place my order after about 15 or 20 minutes. We got the Spartan Swirl, Blueberry Pie, Cookie Jar and Chocolate. I thought everything was delicious, and my kids enjoyed their perspective ice creams so that was a plus. The place also sells frozen meat and random merchandise, which I guess makes sense since beef comes from cattle which also produce milk. Overall I like the place, but I think they're a bit overrated in that I probably would have been happy going anywhere else for ice cream and be just as satisfied. I'm sure it's more appealing to those who attended the school and created memories of coming here during their years as students. read more

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Came here on a Sunday afternoon and there was a long line. But it moved pretty fast - only took 15 minutes for us to get to the front of the line! The flavors that were offered for the day were pretty sad though - not too many choices. My brother and I have a peanut allergy. The chocolate chips in the mint chocolate chip flavor are cooked in peanut oil, which is so random to me. So they kindly gave us a new scoop of a new flavor since we couldn't eat that. read more

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The ice cream was tremendous. The people were very friendly. Would 10/10 recommend to anybody visiting the area. read more

MSU Dairy Store - Waffle cone with cherry, smores, and buckeye. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

I found black cloth fibers in my daughter's and wife's waffle cones and ice cream! They had a black glove on behind the counter, which must be where the came from. Disgusted and disappointed that the manager didn't take it very seriously. read more

We are from out of town and were recommended this ice cream store from locals. It did not disappoint! It is definitely worth waiting in line for. Its on the MSU Campus (beautiful campus!). On a Sunday it took maybe 10 mins to get thru the line that spanned to the front entrance. Lots of different flavors that they make on site. I had a banana chocolate chunk that was delicious 5/5. Cheap and delicious. Super recommend for anyone local or out of town to visit. Parking is in front of the store and also further down the street at a parking around the back. read more

Been years since we have been there. Ice cream was excellent then. Tried to go last week and the roads were under construction so it was closed. read more

This place never fails me. There's so much to choose from, the staff is so kind, and it smells amazing inside. The only thing I wish they had was inside seating but they have great spots to sit outside when the weather is nice. Great quality and tasting ice cream! read more

MSU Dairy Store - Spartan Swirl and Celestial Sizzle - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

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2025-03-08 MSU Dairy Store, Lansing, MI. The MSU dairy store is well known for it ice cream. It has a long standing history that spans over 100 years, when their first cow arrived back in 1867. In 1894, they offered their first Dairy Course, but it wasn't until 1913 when their plant dedicated to dairy manufacturing was built. Since then, the Spartans have been constantly striving to master the making of cheeses and ice cream. To this day, the MSU continues that tradition of using fresh wholesome ingredients in making their ice cream, and with a rotating flavors and their "flavor of the month", it's enough to ensure you keep coming back. While East Lansing is a good drive away from me, I happened to be passing through returning from a conference in Grand Rapids and after a short stop at the Lansing Shuffle, I made sure I stopped by the MSU Dairy Store before they closed. Smooth and creamy, most ice cream flavors here have a decent content of milk fat, just the way ice cream should be. It's easily one of the best real ice creams you'll find in any retail store, and I've never been disappointed. The only notable is that they no longer accept cash, so make sure you have plastic or a digital form of payment. The also removed the very few tables they used to have inside, so you'll have to hang around the hallways or enjoy it outside if weather permits. Pro tip: try ordering 1 scoop and ask for two different flavors, this way you get to finding your favorites faster! If You would like to experience more, come dine-with-me.yelp.com I'd love to have your company... Bon Appétit! read more

MSU Dairy Store - 2025-03-08. MSU Dairy Store. Lansing, MI. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

GREAT ice cream. Friendly staff. Fast service. Lots of flavors to choose from. Very affordable (No sales tax?! Amazing). Parking lot right in front. Couldn't ask for anything more I love this place and would recommend to anyone. PS - The ice cream is made from local MSU and Michigan cows read more

MSU Dairy Store - Spartan swirl - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

Woah, this place is popular. We dropped in less than 15 minutes after opening and there was a line out the door. It took us about 25 minutes to make our way to the front and finally have a chance to eat some deliciously sweet ice cream. We were tempted to get the waffle cones, which were being made fresh off the iron, but we opted to get a double in a cup with the Buckeye Blitz and Izzo's Malted Madness. Double ($5.00) - We started with the Malted Madness on the top. The ice cream is creamy and exceptionally malty. We found the texture to be quite stretchy and almost a little gummy, like it's half way to being a mastic ice cream. Perhaps the malt interacts with the ice cream base to create this unique texture? We found the ice cream to be a bit too sweet for our tastes, and although we were promised chocolate covered malt balls mixed inside, we were unable to find any. There were a small number of ice crystals frozen inside the ice cream. Surprising, given the high turnover. (3/5) On the bottom, we had the Buckeye Blitz, which we found to be superior (sorry Tom!). The ice cream is exceptionally peanut buttery and absolutely loaded with mini peanut butter chocolate buckeyes. If you like peanut butter cups, you will love this ice cream. The ice cream texture here is more normal, being rich and creamy super premium with relatively low overrun, but still has a bit of that stretchiness. I'd be interested in seeing the ingredients list, because I feel like some of the texture is due to added stabilizers. The sweetness is a bit less than the Malted Madness but still too sweet for our tastes. Again, though, some mouthfuls had ice crystals embedded inside, which is not the greatest. (3/5) Overall MSU Dairy Store is an ice cream shop that doesn't don't do anything particularly well, at least for the two flavors we tried. It's still a good place to stop by if you're looking for a really sweet treat and can tolerate some iciness. Note they don't accept cash, and no longer offer the change-over tubs due to "allergy concerns." We saw the server using the same scoop for each ice cream flavor, so that was a bit confusing to us. Note: Parking is currently a bit complicated since the pay-by-plate lot in front is partially under construction and has very limited spots. Bathrooms: MSU Dairy Store is in an academic building and shares bathrooms with the students. read more

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highly recommend, definitely worth it. Love their chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches.

DATE & TIME OF VISIT: November 9, 2024 @ 4:51pm. They were not too busy when we got there but after we ordered there was a line to the door. AMBIANCE & CLEANLINESS: It's located inside one of the academic buildings on the MSU campus. It's not a large "store" and only offers some seating outside. There is a bathroom but it's one stall which is shared with EVERYONE (students, staff, etc) and frankly it was disgusting in there! STAFF: The girl that took our order was "friendly enough" but all the girls working didn't seem happy to be working in all honesty. FOOD: This is what we ordered.... First Gen Cookie Parfait -- Taste: was good, plenty of cookie mixed in and nice texture and flavor . Price: $7.00 Double Scoop in Cup -- Taste: bottom scoop was the Munnsters Mint Fidge and it was delicious. The crème de menthe flavor was perfect and the fudge swirled throughout was plentiful. It was stretchy (if that makes sense) and did have an ice "chunk" in it but that didn't bother me at all. Top scoop was Buckeye Blitz, this was another delicious flavor but I did find myself searching for the buckeye candies that were supposed to be in it out of the two flavors I preferred the Munnsters Mint Fudge. Price: $5.00. Single Scoop in Cup -- it was the Munnsters Mint Fudge again so see above description :) Price: $4.00 Shake -- Taste: Beaumont Brownie Bliss flavor and it was divine. Perfect balance of salt & sweet and thickness was just right. You didn't have to hurt your face trying to get any through the straw but it was like water consistency. Price: $6.00 OVERALL THOUGHTS: Paid $23.32 and it was worth it! Delicious flavors and textures. Parking is tight and not very plentiful. They DO NOT accept cash, so take note of that! WOULD I RETURN? Yes we definitely would. read more

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Enjoyed a college tour and then went to the famous MSU Dairy Store. You can find it in the Animal Science building near the auspiciously named Meat Laboratory. I'd heard great things for many years and never made it over. We were disappointed to learn that all of their cheese was sold out by checking on their website. But we were able to enjoy the yummy ice cream. I worried about the $4 scoops, but they were huge. Somehow my lils convinced Mom to buy them 2 scoops of Cookie Monster and Mint Chocolate Chip, and the other had Cookie Monster and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Our oldest and I had the Beaumont Bliss which was salted caramel with brownie chunks and fudge swirl. My wife had the Buckeye with peanut butter chunks. She liked hers and the oldest and I liked ours. They were quite good but there was a lot going on. When I sampled my son's Cookie dough I had buyer's remorse. It was fantastic. I usually love to just go with vanilla to measure against other places. Based on the vanilla in the Cookie Dough ice cream I would not have been disappointed. Sometimes simpler is better. Long ago, I had some ice cream at the Clemson equivalent of the MSU Dairy Store. They have their own similar agriculture programs and I marked it as some of the best ice cream I ever had. My small sample of the Cookie Dough puts MSU right up there. The original Ben and Jerry's probably still owns that category, but the freshness at MSU wins special consideration. read more

MSU Dairy Store - Beaumont Bliss - salted caramel w/ brownie bites & fudge stripes. Quite good, but I liked my son's Choc. Chip Cookie Dough even more. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

The Dairy Store never disappoints!! I have loved every flavor I've ever tried. This time was Electric Espresso. I was a bit worried it would be too sweet, but it was perfect as always! The waffle cones made it even better. read more

MSU Dairy Store - Electric Espresso - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

Have not been yet going in late June. From a large family that grew up in East Lansing and counting on it being a yummy as it's always has been!!! Taking now our Great- grandchildren! read more

As a Spartan alum, this place is dear to my heart. The student-run facility is the same as it was 20+ years ago in the best, nostalgic way. Appropriate portioned scoops, classic toppings, no frills. Some of the flavors have changed names but still as delicious as I recall. They are open daily and year round! No seating - this just a grab and go shoppe but when weather permits, you can find a bench outside around the building. read more

I think I've eaten more ice cream this summer than any other in my life, and it's not even technically summer yet! But you can't skip a visit to the MSU Dairy Store when visiting East Lansing; that's the rules and I don't make them. Nate and I stopped in for a scoop of Sesquicentennial Swirl, although it's called "Spartan Swirl" now - it's cake batter ice cream with frosting and cake pieces. It's been my favorite since 2005 and I will be devastated if they ever discontinue it. Nate was bummed that they didn't have his favorite black cherry, but he got the strawberry cheesecake instead. It was super decadent and rich, maybe even a little too rich - a smaller portion would have sufficed. I had to have the green waffle cone - yes, I did it for the 'gram. It's just so photogenic with the green swirls of the ice cream. The single scoop is really two huge scoops, so you may want to share or get a kid's cone. They also sell cups of mac and cheese, which I've never had but that seems like a huge oversight on my part. I definitely will be getting some next time. You can buy cheese at this store as well as pints or quarts of ice cream to take home. Oh and they have an ice cream cart that you can rent for events! There's not a ton of places to enjoy your treats on site, so we just took our cones on a walk to the Comm Arts building around to corner to reminisce about our time there while attending MSU approximately 1,000 years ago. read more

MSU Dairy Store - Spartan Swirl in a waffle cone - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

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When on campus, grab the Spartan Swirl or the Cookie Monster-comes with green waffle cones! Yummay! The waffle cone tasted fresh and not hard/brittle. Plenty of options to choose from and I'm assuming they're all just as good as what we got! read more

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What a treat! I'm glad I didn't attend MSU because I would've gone to the Dairy Store EVERY DAY. Some of our alum friends were showing us around campus & we stopped in! So why is there a Dairy Store on campus? Per their website, its because dairy manufacturing has a long tradition at MSU! They have a whole Dairy Foods complex outfitted with a processing plant and all - really to teach courses and conduct research etc. It was pretty busy on a Saturday but the line moved! I had the peanut butter wave milkshake (Dark Chocolate ice cream with peanut butter swirl -- $6). The person working kindly split it into two cups for us! It was super rich and decadent. FYI - they use Reddi-wip here! My husband had the Spartan Swirl (Cake batter ice cream with a green frosting swirl and green cake pieces). Very good but very decadent! They also had hot mac & cheese as well as blocks of cheese for sale. What a fun campus treat! Parking was out front & free. read more

MSU Dairy Store - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

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An agricultural university with its own dairy? This is one of your must visit spots if you are visiting MSU. They have ice cream by the scoop in addition to pints you can take home as well. They also have frozen meat for sale and these are some really good deals for some local meat. It does get busy so expect a line around lunch time or the evening. It's staffed with students so please be patient and don't be rude. It's an MSU affiliated storefront so expect a lot of Green, spartan helmets, and S's all over. This is the perfect place to unwind the days. Spartan Swirl ice cream is a must. I'm a sucker for cake ice cream. read more

Love MSU Dairy! Last time I went, I got the strawberry ice cream. So delicious. This was made with real strawberries and had the perfect ratio of ice cream to fruit. Their ice creams generally have a higher fat content than your average ice cream - making it a unique, delicious treat! This ice cream shop is also special because it's used by MSU to train and teach current and future dairy industry professionals using the latest technology. Lines can be long, though when I went, there was no wait. I got to sample as many ice cream flavors as I wanted before committing to a flavor. The vibe is casual. There is small, metered parking lot available. Great ice cream shop, will definitely be back! read more

While visiting last month - this was the ONE place I wanted to visit. I mean who doesn't love fresh ice cream even when it is the middle of January. Admittedly with the windchill it was probably in the teens but that did not stop this intrepid Yelper for dragging (not kicking and screaming) her husband to one of MSU's food havens. It was definately worth the walk and cold weather for some of the freshest ice cream around. The flavors are a play on the university, its more prominent locations and faculty (hello Coach Izzo) and you can't beat it when the milk is coming from the other side of the building. I got the classic MSU flavor - Spratan - green and bold like the school colors. Pretty tasty and what was great was it was so cold back on the walk to our room that I actually had time to enjoy it. I won't kid you - you will not find low fat ice cream or yogurt at the MSU dairy story but isn't that what good ice cream is made of??? read more

Perfect summer day for ice cream and this place will form a line out the door. It wasn't too long, and it was nice to see other items that can be purchased in the shop. If you are here you gotta appreciate the school named ice creams. Of course that meant for me that I had to pick up the Spartan/sesquicentennial Swirl. I mean cake and ice cream combined in one that seems like it should be a given everywhere but it's not. I appreciate that the MSU Dairy Store recognizes this. It was very delicious but I do prefer more of a fruity and or nutty ice cream combination. I will have to come back and taste test at another time. I saw that they had waffle cones and the regular cake cones but I did not see sugar cones unless they ran out. I think the girl scooping might have been tired as she asked if I just wanted a mini instead of a single not wanting to scoop more. read more

We'd heard a lot about the Dairy Store and knew we needed to check it out! It's a small space with a small front parking area (though there is more available around back). The line easily looped around the room and out the front door of the building. They offer additional products, such as cheeses, in cases around the wall as you wait to get to the case of the good stuff! We also found some tasty looking ice cream sandwiches in the freezer case and opted for one. The sign indicated that the cookies were from their bakery. We couldn't resist trying out the Mountain Moo - it was seriously bright green and tasty. There are some benches available out front of the building too, and we were fortunate to be there in pleasant weather to enjoy. read more

In my opinion this place is overrated. Their ice cream is good but the lines can be super long and slow. The building we wait in is not air conditioned so it gets super hot in the summer. The ice cream itself is good but not worth the wait. read more

MSU Dairy Store - Spartan special - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

Over-hyped ice cream. Over-hyped because it is local, just like brands such as Bell's watered-down ales. Ice cream isn't horrible, but it is really nothing special, and the flavors remind you of Blue Bunny. Things like cheap oreos and blue food coloring. The worst part is that they do not accept cash. They are anti-privacy. read more

Super friendly service! Happy to share samples and smiles. I thoroughly enjoyed the toasted coconut almond. Kudos to the staff for being the best part of the visit. read more

We really enjoy the dairy and look forward to coming here as a family a couple times a year to get some sweet treats. Since we are living through some tough times, I am especially grateful that the dairy is still open to customers, and has a great new modified means to get your treats. You must order online, they do not take credit card payments over the phone. On the other hand, their site is so user friendly! You pick out what you want, then call their number and they bring your treats directly to your car! We were able to get two single scoops of their classic ice cream in a cup and two cookie ice cream sandwiches. They have great prices as well! A family of four only cost us $13! The single scoops are $3 and the sandwiches are $3.50. These are better prices than your name brand stores, yet fresher with great ingredients. The cups come sealed, and they bring out spoons sealed in plastic. I do not believe you can get a cone right now. When we normally come here, I do love to indulge in their house made waffle cones. They are amazing. And double scoops are usually also a great price. You can't go wrong with any of their flavors! But for now, I believe they have a limited menu. All of our favorites were on the menu, so they must be the most popular! They also sell their cheese and other packaged goodies online to be delivered to your car. Check out the web site, it is very easy to navigate. I really look forward to coming back and being able to walk around the campus and heading to the student union for a cone when things are back and open. read more

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Many varieties of delicious icecream & a few sandwiches, but doesn't accept cash, only cards.

so good, best grilled cheese i've ever had and ice cream is bomb. get beaumont bliss or mango lisa

I always appreciate this place has a vegan sorbet option. It's typically a raspberry sorbet and it's super smooth and delicious

Always amazingly good! Celebrating National Ice Cream Day @MSUDairy! With two of my favorite flavors. read more

MSU Dairy Store - Spartan Swirl - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

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One of the best ice cream shops I've ever been anywhere. First time we went I only ordered one scoop because the portion was huge! I also got it on the green waffle cone! I love the fact that the flavors are not overly sweet at all. Very fresh, a lot of flavors and clean. Sometimes if you go a little later during the day they might run out of a flavor. You can't beat the price as well. Lines are always long but it goes by super quick. Worth the wait! One of the places to stop by during a nice Summer evening or Winter(if you love ice cream lol). read more

MSU Dairy Store - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

Took the kiddos for a quick trip to check out MSU's campus and vibe... This is a MUST DO when in East Lansing! I could tell it's a special place, too, because generations of Spartans were getting their ice cream "on"here... Delicious ice cream... will definitely stop when the weather warms up again. Yum! read more

Ice cream to die for. Every flavor we tried was unique and delicious. Be prepared for a long line but it's worth it. Parking in short supply but again, worth the struggle. read more

MSU Dairy Store - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

Having just visited University of Wisconsin, and now touring MSU, we had to see which ice cream was the Big Ten winner. While I really enjoyed the MSU dairy store flavor choices and texture, the creaminess of UW Madison ice cream was just better. And the view a lot better. So I'd say this is a solid 4 star but not quite as good. Sorry Spartans. read more

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The Special Cheese is here! And Ice Cream! MSU is a land grant institution with an agricultural school that invented its own cheese. And then Sesquicentennial Spartan ice cream is outstanding. A must visit when your on the MSU campus. read more

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Stopped in for ice cream before a show at the Wharton Center. I just found out about this place. It appears clean and staff were attentive and polite. I didn't get pics, cause I was managing a few people. I tried the Spartan flavor (cake batter and frosting), it was good but very sweet. I ended up with the Beaumont flavor; my husband got peppermint and the malt ball; and my mother-in-law got the malt ball. All flavors were great and we'd totally go again!!! We went in December, so we didn't sit outside in the show. It would have nice to have some indoor seating. They also sell soup and Mac & cheese. read more

Some of the best ice cream I've ever eaten. You need to get the waffle cone. It has this perfect chewy crunch to it. Spartan Swirl was my favorite flavor. Worth the long line. read more

Even on a cold day, the MSU Dairy Store is a must. I had not been in the Union location before and I really wish it existed when I went to State. Either way, I just like to get a scoop of a couple flavors and mix them together. The Izzo and cookie dough was money. This will always be one of my favorite ice cream shops ever. If you're visiting EL and wonder what is on the list of things to do in one day, this HAS to be on it (along with Crunchys, walking down the Red Cedar and lying around by the admin building listening to the river, among many other things of course). read more

MSU Dairy Store - This is Everything - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

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