Heisler’s Creamery exterior
Tucked into the beautiful rolling landscape of the Lewistown Valley, Heisler’s Creamery is one of those places where a quick ice cream stop can easily become a full afternoon or evening of family fun. Heisler’s brings together country views, homemade ice cream, classic grill favorites, miniature golf, a driving range, and seasonal events that have made it a beloved local destination for generations.
The story begins long before the first cone was served. Morris Heisler started a milk-delivery business in 1924, selling milk locally before expanding the operation into ice cream production and opening the Creamery in 1957. Over time, the property grew into the multi-attraction destination local families know today, adding mini golf, a driving range, an arcade, food service, and more reasons to make the scenic drive out to Catawissa Road.
Ice Cream Made On Site
At the center of every Heisler’s visit is the ice cream—still made on the premises in more than 33 flavors. The menu includes the classics people expect, from chocolate and vanilla to cookie dough, peanut butter cup, pistachio, and more adventurous combinations such as cashews and raspberry. The creamery also offers frozen yogurt options and refreshing sherbet flavors, including orange and watermelon.
For many longtime locals, though, no visit is complete without teaberry. This distinctive regional favorite has a bright, old-fashioned minty flavor that feels especially tied to northeastern Pennsylvania. It is the kind of flavor that invites first-time visitors to try something new and brings regulars back for a familiar taste of summer.
Choose a simple cone or dish, or make it a full dessert outing with a shake, float, sundae, or signature banana split. Heisler’s is the kind of place where the hardest decision may be whether to stick with your usual favorite or try a flavor you have never had before.
More Than Dessert
While homemade ice cream may be the main attraction, Heisler’s offers plenty of savory reasons to stay awhile. The Creamery serves classic made-to-order grill food, including hamburgers, hot dogs, BBQ sandwiches, cheesesteaks, pierogies, and popcorn chicken. Warm soft pretzels are a new favorite—a perfect salty companion to a cold cone or milkshake.
The property also offers two 18-hole miniature-golf courses, each with its own local theme. Black Diamond Fairways nods to the area’s coal-mining heritage, while Lewistown Fairways draws inspiration from milling. Water features, landscaping, and playful obstacles help make a round of mini golf part of the Heisler’s experience rather than simply something to do before dessert.
Golfers can also take advantage of the driving range, while families can explore the playground, model train and other attractions around the property. Whether you are planning a casual family outing, a date night, a birthday celebration, or an easy stop with out-of-town guests, there is enough to do to make a visit feel like an occasion.
Seasonal Fun and Views
The setting is one of Heisler’s most memorable features. The Creamery sits amid the open countryside, with broad views of the surrounding hills and fields that change with the seasons. In summer, the landscape becomes part of the attraction itself—especially during the sunflower season, when more than 120,000 sunflowers bloom across six acres. The fields have included public access and several private viewing areas, creating a cheerful setting for a walk, an ice cream break, or a family photo.
Seasonal programming has also helped make Heisler’s a gathering place, with events such as outdoor movie nights, country-music performances, classic-car shows, birthday celebrations, and other summer activities. The combination of local entertainment, open-air scenery, and familiar food makes it an especially easy place to create traditions with friends and family.
During fall, Heisler’s is adding new reasons to visit: its pumpkin patch with pick and paint your own pumpkins, horse-drawn & tractor drawn hayrides, a model train village, a corn bin (like a ball pit with dried corn instead!), outdoor fire pits with Adirondack chairs and special fall deserts and beverages, giving guests a seasonal place to enjoy autumn color, pick out pumpkins, and combine a farm-style fall outing with an ice cream treat.
Purple Martins at Heisler’s
Purple Martin migratory map
Heisler’s Dairy Bar is also a special destination for bird lovers. The property is home to the second-largest Purple Martin colony in Pennsylvania, with approximately 100 breeding pairs returning each spring from Central America. From early April through mid-August, visitors can watch these graceful, fast-flying birds circle above the dairy bar and surrounding countryside—adding another memorable part to a visit for ice cream, mini golf, or sunset views.
The Heisler’s team supports the colony by maintaining 14 Purple Martin houses, which are taken down, cleaned, and repainted each year before the birds return. Purple Martins feed on flying insects, including mosquitoes, so their seasonal presence is both beautiful and beneficial to the valley. Bring binoculars if you have them, enjoy the activity overhead, and take a moment to appreciate one of the area’s most distinctive local wildlife experiences.
Stay at Bischoff Inn
Bischoff Inn offers a welcoming, historic place to return to after a visit to Heisler’s Creamery. Our Tamaqua location places guests close to several attractions, including Jim Thorpe, just a scenic train ride away from our historic train station. Whether you are planning a romantic fall weekend, a family trip, or a peaceful escape into Pennsylvania’s mountain country, Bischoff Inn makes it easy to experience the best activities without the overwhelm.
Plan Your Visit
Heisler’s Creamery is located at 743 Catawissa Road, Tamaqua, PA 18252. The current website lists regular operating hours as closed Monday; open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. The grill closes one hour before the Creamery closes. Because seasonal hours and special-event dates can change, it is wise to check Heisler’s website or social pages before making a dedicated trip.
From a teaberry cone at sunset to a round of mini golf, a warm pretzel, a bucket of balls at the driving range, or a stroll through the sunflower fields, Heisler’s continues to offer something increasingly rare: a local destination built around simple pleasures, beautiful views, and the memories people make when they stay just a little longer.