The Parlour

Hmm, sounds like the title of a book by John Grisham or Anne Rice, but its not! The Parlour is an old fashioned ice cream parlour that has ties to the 1940s. Anne found this place by googling attractions for Jackson, Michigan and it was under the heading of 'Museums'. Lucky find. We suppose it was under museums because it has been a local institution for years and the age of the building makes it unique.

When I was in high school, there were a number of dairies in and around Jackson. Most, if not all, no longer exist. One, named Loud & Jackson, was famous for its ice cream and milk shakes. Ice cream was about all they sold, in fact. Lines would stretch out the door as the patrons patiently waited 30 minutes or more for their turn at the counter. In those days a chocolate shake was real chocolate. Over time, Jackson All Star Dairy absorbed all of the smaller dairies and became the milk supplier to most of Jackson County. In 1962, Loud & Jackson, was absorbed. The ice cream was made right next to where it was sold at 1401 Daniel Road.

Now, just a mere shadow of its former self, The Parlour has survived but the ghost of Loud & Jackson still lingers on the premises and with most long-time Jackson County residents and visitors. The quaint parlor has a few booths but mostly you sit on stools at a counter that has a series of horse shoe shapes so the waitresses never have to come out from behind the counter, they move back and forth between the sides of the 'shoes' since they have a counter on both sides of them!

We have enjoyed the ice cream. Even though we were warned that the servings were large, we didn't believe it. Most specialty sundaes run $5.49 for three baseball sized scoops of premium ice cream plus assorted toppings. The bargain item is the Banana Split. For $6.49 you get SIX large scoops of ice cream and all the extras, a veritable pyramid of frozen delight, all smothered in a layer of whipped cream and topped with a cherry!

We shared one of these monster sundaes and sadly, we couldn't finish it even though we tried valiantly. Dessert before dinner, actually, it was dinner. For those folks that think they have an appetite for ice cream, they serve a sundae called "Dare To Be Great". 'Twenty-one scoops of assorted flavors of ice cream, topped with strawberries, chocolate, pineapple and marshmallow toppings, chopped nuts, whipped cream and cherries $29.99. Finish this one by yourself within one hour and it's FREE!' There is a baby version, ten scoops for $16.99 but the free offer does not apply. There is a list of names of those that have 'won' a free overdose on ice cream but it is a short list.

This is one museum you don't want to miss!