Johnny Shar’s Big Dipper in Moundsville

Last weekend your PopCulteer and his patient wife made the trek Northward to Wheeling and Moundsville to attend The Marx Toy Convention. You will see photos and video from that trip on Saturday. However, while in Moundsville we took the time to stop at Johnny Shar’s Big Dipper Ice Cream Parlour.

This place is in a restored buidling just across the street from both the Moundsville Indian Mound and the West Virginia State Penitentiary. And it is an ice cream shop, but it’s also a mini-museum, chock-full-o carnival weirdness. We didn’t even make it upstairs, where there’s even more wild carnival artifacts, but I still got enough photos to bump the book review this week and bring you the sights of Johnny Shar’s Big Dipper.

The description from the Marshall County tourism website says, “Come and enjoy a captivated reflection of “Days Gone By!” A historic building brought back to life in the form of a tastefully decorated ice cream shop featuring 32 flavors of Hershey’s Ice Cream. In addition, the structure uniquely displays a vast array of vintage circus carnival memorabilia.”

Johnny Shar’s Big Dipper is located at 805 10th Street, Moundsville WV 26041. You can call them at (304) 281 – 7481 or (304) 621 – 0522. They’re open all year ’round and their hours are Noon to 10 PM Monday through Saturday, and 1 PM to 8 PM Sunday.

Please enjoy our little photographic tour…

The view from the Mound parking lot

The ice cream counter

Yes, it’s a roller coaster in the middle of the ice cream shop

There s just too much cool stuff to caption every photo

A Goofy view of more cool stuff

Inside the coaster. Kids can sit there and enjoy their ice cream.

Just take in the carnival air

More wild artifacts

The tops of the walls, near the ceiling, sport shelves loaded with caracitures of famous stars

Of course Robbie The Robot is there!

ATTN: Lee Harrah

Space stuff, ATTN: Mark Wolfe!

I think the funhouse mirror was not working that day. I really am this tall and thin.

Another cool view

We take one last look back. This is definitely going to require a return visit.