Our Story
About Us
Another location, same great ice cream.
The Big Dipper Ice Cream Parlour was founded in Prospect, CT in 1986 by Harry Rowe Jr and his wife, Barbara. The original store was located at 52 Waterbury Road and is now at 91 Waterbury Road, Prospect.
Now operated by their son Harry Rowe, III, the Big Dipper continues the tradition with over 50 rotating flavors and has won countless awards. The Big Dipper homestyle ice cream is freshly made on the premises in small batches. Their milk is sourced from Kingdom Creamery, a 4th Generation farm in upstate Vermont. This ensures a top quality product every time a customer visits. Adam, is also the owner of Inner City Electrical in Prospect since 2011, a family owned company. Adam brings a wealth of knowledge to the Big Dipper of Seymour and excited to add new additions to the menu.
The Big Dipper is celebrating its 40th season this year and is excited to continue Harry and Barbara Rowe's tradition by joining the Seymour community with their second location. Harry is joined by his friend and business partner, Adam Kielcewski, who also shares the same passion for connecting people through their love of ice cream.
Our Home
The Building
The Turel Whittemore Tavern, dating back to the 1740s, was part of early Seymour when travel happened by horse and carriage and taverns were the heart of the community. Places like this weren't just for food and drink—they were gathering spots where locals met, travelers rested, and news was shared.
It was acquired around 1778 by E. Turel Whittemore and served as a tavern. At that point, the building was only one story high. The second story was added in 1867 by Martin Castle, who dismantled the building's old chimney and used the stones to construct the terraced wall in front of the property. On the northwest corner of the old tavern was a barroom, where in 1780 a group of Torries planned the robbery of the home of the Patriot, Capt. Ebenezer Dayton, which was located in Bethany.
This infamous incident led to the dramatic kidnapping, in nearby Oxford, of the Patriot boy, Chauncey Judd, a 16-year-old member of the Oxford militia, who ran into the fleeing robbers. They were later captured and sent to Newgate Prison and Judd was freed. Since then, the Tavern has housed several businesses, including an ice cream shoppe for the last 15+ years. From a historic tavern… to The Big Dipper.
Come say hello
We'd love to meet you
Whether you're a first-timer or a 40-year regular, every guest gets the same warm welcome and the same care in every scoop. Stop in and see for yourself.