ABOUT US

Tempt Your Tastebuds

THE INSIDE SCOOP

Horatio's Homemade Ice Cream is a family-owned and operated small-batch ice cream shop. We make our ice cream in-house and aim to provide a rotation of ice cream, sherbet, sorbet and non-dairy options which are rich, creamy and flavorful to locals and tourists alike. Many of our most popular flavors are unique to our location! In fact, we often offer seasonal flavors which utilize local ingredients-flavors like Bob's Bees Honey Cashew and our seasonal rhubarb ice cream! Enjoy them while they last! In addition to our homemade ice cream, we also offer homemade and freshly baked waffle cones!

Who's Horatio?

Horatio's Homemade Ice Cream earns its namesake from local legend, Horatio Nelson Ross-who was the first person to discover gold in the Black Hills in July 1874. Ross came to Custer as part of General George Armstrong Custer's Black Hills expedition. Ross's discovery spurred a gold rush, which led Custer's population to boom, but when prospects of finding gold became better elsewhere, Ross became one of Custer's few remaining inhabitants. He never made much money from gold, but instead became one of the area's first unofficial tour guides by taking others to where he discovered his gold-French Creek, which runs just across the street from our ice cream shop. Ross died a poor man and is buried in the local cemetery just north of town. Each July, Custer celebrates and honors his discovery and the founding of our town with our annual Gold Discovery Days celebration.