When the New York Ice Cream Museum opened its doors in 2016 it had sold 30,000 tickets in five days. It’s fair to say it had hype to live up to. And it did.
This year the shrine to frozen dairy treats came to Los Angeles and Mr M and I were front and centre for the interactive displays, the artwork, and most importantly, the ice cream.
I am the maker of music, the dreamer of dreams! – Willie Wonka, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
It was billed as a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-esque playground for kids and adults alike, filled with neon, a rainbow of colours and fun. But not everyone was lucky enough to nab a ticket, so if you’re still a bit envious, allow us to take you on a tour of the LA Ice Cream Museum!
1. THE WELCOME ROOM
Pink is the base colour, flavour and state of being in the Ice Cream Museum. So prepare yourself for that. Think of the welcome room as your acclimation station. Where you get a little chocolate, your instructions and make the transition from the real world, to the land of Ice Cream Museum.
As you can tell, Mr M was slightly worried but also ready to rumble.
2. THE PHONE ROOM
The ice cream isn’t just going to come to you, you’ve got to work for it. Even if it means picking up the phone and screaming down the line. Follow the directions and you’ll be fine. Remember these phones? Your kids won’t. Also, you should try taking a photo without getting your reflection in. It’s impossible.
3. THE LA ICE CREAM MUSEUM
This is where the Ice Cream Museum meets LA, and were you get your first taste of the good stuff. In our case it was a salted caramel and banana concoction of deliciousness.
This place is all about the photo opportunities (much to Mr M’s dismay) and I may have roped him into one too many pics. The poor guy puts up with a lot for me.
4. SWINGS
No play area is complete without a set of swings, and frankly, I’m a sucker for feeling like I’m flying so I got right up in there. I forgot to check whether that’s lickable wallpaper on the wall. But in the interests of not spreading Norovirus or Ebola, we’ll just say that it isn’t. I don’t want to cast aspersions or anything, but that back wall totally needed to be further back so I could really have gotten into it.
5. THE BANANA ROOM
I hear that Americans love their banana splits. I think it’s a thing in the UK as well (judging from Harrods at least, which is of course, the proper way to understand the UK). So there is a banana room in the Ice Cream Museum – possibly because it’s everyone’s dream to stand in a room full of hanging fruit… or something. Also the staff told us that it’s a nightmare to untangle them all when people mess with them. Do what you will with that information.
6. MINT CHOCOLATEY GOODNESS
Hands up who loves mint chocolate chip ice cream? I’m imagining a sea of hands right now because it is THE BEST flavour (after rainbow if you’re a kid). The mint chocolate room is very important – it’s where they grow the mint chocolate chips AND where I tried ice cream Mochi for the first time. I’m not going to lie, it’s not my favourite texture, but it doesn’t hurt to try new things!
7. THE RAINBOW ROOM
As I said earlier, kids love rainbow ice cream, even though it doesn’t have a real flavour, it has colour and that’s all that matters at that point in your life. We made it to the rainbow room with increasingly full stomachs and bigger smiles. There’s a Skill Tester machine in there, if you wanted to try your luck. And enough perspex rainbows for everyone!
8. ICE CREAM MUSEUM VIDEO BOOTH
This has to be one of the best corridors ever. It’s where you get to take your very own video with a backdrop of ice cream supplies. I was keen. Someone else in our group of two wasn’t.
9. DALI’S POPSICLES
Oh no! I wrote “popsicles”. I’m becoming one of them! Those are paddle pops or icy poles to us Aussies. Now, if you’ve ever wondered what a room full of melting paddle pops would look like, this is your lucky day. Also, you’re strange, why are you even thinking about that?
10. GUMMY BEARS!
“Guuuuuuuumy beaaaars! Bouncing here and there and everywhere.”
*Ahem* Pardon me. I used to love that cartoon when I was a kid. I’m not a fan of the gumminess of these bears though. Keep them away from me, they’re not tasty. Mr M liked them though. I know this is getting a little tedious, but stay with me, the best part’s on the way.
11. COOKIE DOUGH
Welcome to the non-ice cream portion of the Ice Cream Museum. Instead we get ourselves a cookie dough cone that is suspiciously black and sparkly-looking. Tasted good though!
12. THE SPRINKLE POOL
They save the best till last and this one really is the best part of the Ice Cream Museum. Especially for adults who love being a kid again. It’s a pool full of sprinkles, or hundreds and thousands, as I’d call them. And you get to swim in them. YES PLEASE!
This was a truly fun museum. Kids, adults, kids at heart and everyone in between will have fun here. It’s impossible not to. So look out for the next pop up, hopefully coming to a city near you next summer!
Want to know more? Here’s the website.
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WOW! This looks amazing for adults and kids. Ice Cream is such a staple for vacation that visiting a museum about Ice Cream is a winner all around. Thanks so much for sharing! #MondayEsacapes
It’s a “museum” in the loosest sense of the word. But it’s a bunch of fun, and a great place for kids!
This place looks amazing! But sparkly cookie dough – yikes. I’ve come to this post via #MondayEscapes, but if you did want to link up this or any other similar posts with #CulturedKids, we’d love to have you!
I wasn’t sure about the charcoal bit, but the cookie dough was really cool! Thanks for the heads up on #CulturedKids!
I love the idea of trying different ice creams in such a quirky place – what great fun!! Oh, and my husband is always pulling those faces 🙂 Thanks for linking up with #MondayEscapes
I’m glad that I’m not the only one having to drag the significant other into photos that they don’t want to be in ;). But we both had fun!
Fun! We visited this museum as well, and had the best time! We especially loved the sprinkle pool and the ping pong at the end was pretty fun too! #citytripping
I missed out on playing ping pong. This cute little toddler had commandeered the one ping pong ball and was not giving it up for love or money! 🙂
THIS IS SO COOL. I love the sprinkles in particular! Oh and the gummy bears… I love it all!
You’ll be finding sprinkles around your house for days afterwards! Taking my socks off was a sprinkle shower 😉
I knew this museum was coming but ended up not buying the tickets (lets say I saved the money for my trip to Europe). I didn’t know it was going to be so cool. Hope there will be a moment to attend in the future.
There’ll be others in other places Ruth! A trip to Europe is an excellent reason not to spend money here. Can’t wait to hear about that trip though, where are you going?
Wow! This looks like a lot of fun!
It was one of the best things we did in LA!
I keep seeing this pop up, and it looks like so much fun! Love how creative all of the rooms are, and who doesn’t love ice cream?
Yep, it’s all over social media it seems. But it’s so photogenic! Why wouldn’t it be 😉
Girl you had me at PINK and SWING!!! hahaha and those giant popsicles! I’m in DC so next up I’m in NYC I’ll have to check this out!! I’d heard about the museum but wasn’t really interested until I saw this post!
Cheers
Diana
http://www.seaofblush.com
LOL, I’m not such a massive fan of pink BUT if you put me anywhere near a swingset, I’m making a beeline for that baby.
How fun! A sprinkle pool! Dreams do come true!!!
Hahaha, even the slightly off-beat dreams!
Thanks for the peek inside! I wasn’t able to get tickets and was SO bummed.
Oh no Anna! I was online and poised to buy tickets the minute they went on sale so we were lucky to nab these ones.
I was super bummed to miss it in NYC. These photos are amazing. Funny you mentioned melting Popsicle. I have a friend who made a mini art piece similar to that. Great post!
Ooh cool, I’d love to see your friend’s art piece! You’ll have to get to one of the museums sometime, it is heaps more fun in person.
This sounds like SO much fun! I’m American and I’ll admit..I don’t like banana splits haha! I live in Wisconsin, so I haven’t really heard much of the craze over banana splits (perhaps because the craze of cheese is drowning the bananas lol). I would’ve loved the cookie dough room; how fun!! I’ll have to make my way to this museum if I’m ever in LA again!
I don’t think that I’ve ever had a banana split Miranda. But a cheese-craze sounds totally up my alley, so I’ll have to get myself to Wisconsin soon.
This is insane!!! I would absolutely love to visit but I’m afraid I would never want to leave again if I did 😀
Eventually they’d kick you out Vanessa 😉
Omg this looks like a blast! I hope I can make it back to LA soon before the exhibit moves on!
🙁 I’m pretty sure that it’s already closed Bri. I’m sorry! But I’m sure it’ll open up somewhere new next spring. Keep your eyes peeled.
I totallly freakin LOVE this. And so would my kids. The sprinkles, the flavours, the gummy bears the banana split room! This is the craziest, tastiest ice creamiest museum of ice creams (who knew that there was such a thing?) ever! #WanderfulWednesday
I could get behind more lolly-inspired museums. Just think: The Museum of Waffles, The Museum of Mousse, or The Museum of sugar. Mmm.
There you go – I would have thought this was dumb but it looks GREAT!! Fab photos!
Hahahaha, my cynicism did make me stop and think for a sec before booking the tickets but I’m glad that we did!
I think I can tolerate the pink (not my fave colour) for all these fun rooms! 🙂
I swallowed my pink-dislike for the experienced. WORTH IT. 😀
Oh my gosh I love this!!!!! I saw a video about it on Facebook when it first launched and lately it’s been all over Instagram. Ughh super jealous you got to go! Do you know if this is an on-going exhibition?
Sorry Jas, they’re pop-up museums and I think both NY and LA are shut now. But you can sign up to the newsletter on the Museum of Ice Cream website and it’ll tell you where it’s going to be next.
Such a fun, quirky museum! I wish there was one nearer me! My daughter would LOVE the rainbow ice cream. In fact, she loves everything rainbow – and ice cream. This look like fun for all the family and I’d definitely be roping my other half into plenty of pics! I’m with you on the mint choc chip too – love! Thanks for linking #citytripping
It was so much fun! I remember only ordering rainbow ice creams from the school canteen when I was a kid. And when I was told that they are just made from vanilla ice cream with food colouring I was so upset because I hadn’t realised that it didn’t have its own flavour. Silly, I know.
If you’re planning a trip to the USA, you have to check this out!
Oh wow! An ice cream museum! I absolutely love the sound of this place. What fun! We are all huge fans of mint choc chip in our house… although my son gets confused and calls it mint chopped chic! #citytripping
How funny! That made me laugh for a bit, so cute of your son to call it mint chopped chic!
Ahhh this looks like such a fun museum to visit! I just checked their site and they have a museum in NYC which is much closer to me since I live on the east coast. Might have to stop by the next time I’m in the Big Apple 🙂
I hope it’s still open Setarra. From what I’ve heard, they’re just pop up museums though and they only open for a short time.
This is def on my NYC bucket list when I got back to that city! This museum seems all kinds of fun and carefree!
It is heaps of fun. Just check if it’s still open before you go Jin.
The one in LA looks so much better than the one that was in NYC! I’m tempted to book at ticket to LA just to check out this exhibit, it looks so fun!
Oh really? Interesting…. maybe they learnt from the NY experience?
As an ice cream fan, I’m super interested in this museum. Looks like so much fun…and also dangerous levels of sugar!! Did you get to sample ice cream throughout your visit or simply the time you ordered it via phone? Definitively checking it out the next time when I’m in LA. Thanks for sharing your experience.
So you get different kinds of ice cream as you progress through the rooms Rosemary. It’s actually lots of delicious fun!
This looks fantastic!! A Willy Wonka dream! That sprinkle pool is incredible.
This museum looks amazing! So instagrammable too!
The colour and the creativity! Thanks for sharing about the Ice Cream Museum in such detail. Love the photos the most.
SSG xxx
OMG – a sprinkle pool!!! That looks like so much fun.
What a sweet post and so cool too! You and Mr M looked like it was just so much fun there! Thank you for linking up for #lifethisweek 24/52. Next week: First Concert.
I’ve seen a few posts from US bloggers about this place – maybe I’ll get over there one day to check it out for myself (wherever it’s set to pop up next!)
This place seriously looks amazing!! I need to go!!
I didn’t know that a museum like this exists! Awesome idea!