This Ice Cream Shop in South Carolina Is One of the Best Road Trip Stops You’ve Never Considered

Tucked into the heart of the Clemson University campus is a place that many road-trippers don’t expect to find: a small student-run ice cream shop that quietly produces some of the most beloved ice cream in the country. Known as the '55 Exchange, this unassuming scoop shop has become one of the best road trip stops in South Carolina. For drivers exploring the region’s lakes, mountains, and scenic highways, it’s one of the most delightful and unexpected places to stop.

At first glance, the ’55 Exchange doesn’t seem like a classic roadside attraction. It sits inside Clemson’s Hendrix Student Center, surrounded by dorms, classrooms, and the everyday bustle of campus life. But inside, visitors can order Clemson’s famous homemade ice cream, crafted by students and served just steps from where it’s developed and tested. 

The shop is named for Clemson’s Class of 1955, whose generous gift helped create the student-run enterprise. Since opening in 2006, the ’55 Exchange has functioned as far more than a typical campus snack spot. Students help design flavors, manufacture the ice cream, manage operations, and serve customers, turning the shop into a hands-on learning laboratory for food science and business students.

Why This Stop Is Worth the Detour

Clemson ice cream has been a campus tradition for over 70 years, and today it’s still made with rich dairy ingredients tied to the university’s agricultural heritage. The result is famously creamy and inventive, with flavors that range from classic favorites to experimental student creations.

Visitors might find staples like peach, mint chocolate chip, cookies and cream, dark chocolate chocolate chip, or lemon custard. But the shop also regularly introduces imaginative options that change regularly. Past creations have included Apple Pie ice cream packed with pie chunks, Purple Passion berry blends, and the Wild Tiger series.

One memorable example was “Flying Tiger,” an Indonesian vanilla bean ice cream with swirls of blueberry jam designed to celebrate Clemson’s military appreciation traditions. Other inventive flavors have honored donors or campus traditions, such as McGregor’s Salty Caramel Glazed Southern Beignet.

Because many flavors rotate or appear only briefly, the menu feels a bit like a treasure hunt. Road trippers never quite know what they’ll find, but that’s part of the fun.

What makes the ’55 Exchange especially charming as a road trip stop is the degree to which it is an unexpected place in South Carolina. Most travelers passing through the region are thinking about exciting activities to do throughout the state instead of a locally loved ice cream shop hidden inside a university building. Yet once you step inside and see students scooping handcrafted ice cream and chatting with visitors, it quickly becomes clear why the place has such a devoted following.

Nearby Road Trip Attractions

Clemson is nestled along the shores of Lake Hartwell and only a short drive from the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Scenic drives wind through rolling farmland, forested hills, and sparkling lakes.

One of the most popular routes nearby is the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway, also known as South Carolina Highway 11. This beautiful drive stretches about 100 miles along the base of the mountains and passes waterfalls, orchards, and overlooks, making it a perfect road trip pairing with a quick ice cream stop in Clemson.

Another nearby favorite is Table Rock State Park, about an hour away, where visitors can hike to sweeping views of the Blue Ridge foothills. Travelers heading north can also reach Caesars Head State Park, known for its dramatic mountain overlooks and waterfalls.

Clemson is conveniently located for several Southeastern road trips. The town sits roughly 45 minutes from Greenville and two hours from Atlanta. Further out, Clemson is about two and a half hours from Charlotte, North Carolina, and three hours from Columbia, South Carolina.

That makes it an easy detour for travelers heading toward the mountains, the coast, or the Appalachian scenic byways. Plus, there are other small towns in South Carolina you can add to your route, too. One nearby, charming South Carolina town looks like it's straight out of a movie set.

While it might seem odd that one of the most memorable stops is an ice cream counter run by college students, that’s exactly what makes the ’55 Exchange so special. It’s not flashy, but it’s a sweet little secret tucked into campus life.

For road trippers who believe the best travel discoveries are the ones you didn’t expect, this Clemson ice cream shop is proof that sometimes the most memorable stops are also the simplest. Feeling inspired? Try planning your own trip using Only In Your State’s itinerary planner.