Every town has a place that seems to collect memories.
In Chimney Rock, one of those places is Village Scoop.
For more than two decades, families have wandered through the village, cooled off after mountain afternoons, and ended their Lake Lure days with a cone, sundae, milkshake, or scoop of Hershey’s Ice Cream. For our family, Village Scoop has become one of those stops we look forward to whenever we are in the area.
Located in Chimney Rock Village, just minutes from Lake Lure, Village Scoop fits naturally into a day spent exploring Main Street, browsing shops, visiting Chimney Rock State Park, or simply enjoying the mountain-town charm of the area.
Village Scoop has served Hershey’s Ice Cream in downtown Chimney Rock since 1999, offering dozens of flavors along with hand-dipped cones, shakes, floats, sundaes, banana splits, and other classic ice cream shop favorites. Longtime visitors may also remember its earlier days as The Rocking Leprechaun.
After Hurricane Helene devastated Chimney Rock Village in September 2024, Village Scoop’s original building was destroyed. Owner Jessie Callaway, who has owned and operated the shop for about ten of its twenty-six years in business, reopened Village Scoop in a new Chimney Rock location and continued the tradition for families, locals, and returning visitors.
For a small mountain village built on repeat visits and family memories, that kind of return means something. It is one more reason Village Scoop feels like part of Chimney Rock rather than simply another place to buy ice cream.
Village Scoop serves Hershey’s Ice Cream, and Hershey’s is one of those brands that knows exactly what people want from a classic ice cream stop. It is rich, creamy, familiar, and consistently delicious.
I have no shortage of favorite flavors. Black Cherry, White House Cherry, Banana Pudding, Moose Tracks, and classic Chocolate are always near the top of my list. There are many more I would happily order again, which is exactly why choosing can take a few minutes.
The challenge is not finding something good. The challenge is narrowing it down.
One of our favorite things on the menu is the ice cream flight. It comes with six scoops, which makes it a fun option for families or anyone who has trouble choosing just one flavor.
Sometimes one flight is enough for everyone to share a few bites. Other times, ordering two flights makes more sense so everyone can try a little more. With so many flavors available, six scoops can disappear quickly.
Village Scoop also offers the classics: cones, milkshakes, sundaes, banana splits, floats, and plenty of flavors for nearly every kind of ice cream mood. The flight simply adds a little extra fun to the decision-making.
Part of the appeal is how easy the stop feels. Village Scoop does not require a reservation, a long commitment, or a complicated plan. It is the kind of place to visit after a hike, before heading back toward Lake Lure, or while walking through Chimney Rock Village with children who have already spotted the giant ice cream cone outside.
That oversized cone has become part of the experience, especially for families. Children gravitate toward it, parents take the picture, and before long everyone is inside studying the flavor list.
Online reviews often mention the wide selection of flavors, friendly service, quick-moving lines, waffle cones, shakes, outdoor seating, and the overall ease of stopping in while visiting Chimney Rock or Lake Lure. Those are exactly the kinds of details that make Village Scoop work so well for families.
Some of our favorite family outings are not elaborate. They are not expensive. They are not planned down to the minute. They are simple moments that give everyone a reason to slow down and enjoy being together.
Village Scoop does that beautifully.
If you are visiting Lake Lure, Chimney Rock State Park, or downtown Chimney Rock, Village Scoop is an easy recommendation. Start with Black Cherry, White House Cherry, Banana Pudding, Moose Tracks, or Chocolate if you need flavor ideas, or order a flight and try several at once.
The ice cream is excellent, but what keeps bringing us back is the experience around it: the walk through the village, the giant cone outside, the long list of flavors, and the pleasure of sitting together for a few minutes with something sweet.
Years from now, I doubt my children will remember every errand we ran or every stop we made in Chimney Rock. I suspect they will remember standing by the giant cone, choosing flavors, and sharing bites of ice cream around the table.
That is the kind of tradition worth keeping.
