Baby, it’s cold outside so head inside to chill out at The Museum of Ice Cream (MOIC)! The MOIC’s first permanent space in New York is now open and this sweet sensation is a must-do for families. It is like an ice cream dream come true for kids of all ages. From whirling down the three-story slide, to frolicking at the ice cream playground, to jumping into a sprinkle pool from a diving board it is non-stop, sweet fun (with plenty of photo opps along the way). Everyone will scream for ice cream!
Museum of Ice Cream Comes to New York!
Step inside the pretty-in-pink doors at 558 Broadway and enter through the gift shop (plenty of merch on sale!) and scoop shop to the ticketed entry to let the fun begin. The space spans nearly 25,000 square feet spread out over three floors. The space features 13 all-new installations, and there is something to touch, eat or photograph in every single room. Visitors are assigned entry times every 15 minutes when you purchase a ticket online, and you’ll be accompanied by around 15-20 people who all have the same time slot as you. The experience is semi-guided, so you can move at your own speed through the exhibits. Everyone is encouraged to look, eat, and play to have the best ice cream experience. Prepare to be asked for your ice cream name (think Sorbet-yonce and Justin Timbershake) and follow the signs that say “melt this way.”
Your first stop is an ice cream lounge complete with an ice cream shake maker extraordinaire and lounge singer wearing ice cream cones on their head. Enjoy a treat and a song and then venture upstairs. Here you’ll find a floating table filled with dozens of delicious (plastic!) desserts. Amongst them, however, are some edible ice cream-shaped cake pops to enjoy. Next, turn a corner to find a room of doors that open to lots of sweet surprises (including a disco party)! You’ll then take a ride on a celestial subway and float through the clouds and admire the sun, moon, and stars.
Go bananas over the banana room (and don’t miss the two mini “hidden rooms” that house a mini trampoline and floor-to-ceiling sprinkles). Make a statement and follow your dreams just like the pink lettering along the walls guide you to do. Pause and play in the hall filled with larger than life ice cream scoops from the floor to the ceiling (my little ladies tried to eat one but it sadly isn’t real) and enjoy the Booza ice cream stand, making homemade ice cream for all to enjoy. There is also a musical playground with DJ turntables, a rainbow archway, and melting room with live ballerinas dancing around the ice cream swirls.
The absolute highlight for my littlest lady was the three-story slide down through the museum to the next stop on the journey. You may get an unexpected push down and squeal with joy as you whirl from the top through the lobby and down to the epic last few rooms.
Jump, hop or skip over to the playground — another fan favorite. We love the colorful swings, ice cream spoon seesaw, monkey bars, ice cream cone basketball, and of course, the gymnasts doing tricks throughout. It was tons of fun! Then cozy up in an ice cream bowl filled with pink pearl balls and pretend ice cream cones and melt with delight!
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 12: Museum of Ice Cream Co-founders Maryellis Bunn and Manish Vora attend Museum of Ice Cream SoHo Flagship Opening Party on December 12, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Museum of Ice Cream)
The last stop on the journey is the ice cream sprinkle pool. It is the grand finale complete with diving boards, slides, and lots and lots of sprinkles! Stay for a ‘swim’ and let the kids burn off all that ice cream. My little ones even did a cannonball into the sprinkles pool!
As you exit you walk back through the museum gift shop and scoop shop. If you haven’t had enough ice cream, you can always have more before you go. My little reporters recommend the choco-mix-up and churro! There are some new and cool retail items to keep the fun going at home like the Pink Glitter Swirl Ornament to add some sparkle to your tree; Ice Cream Truck Toy to let your kid become an ice cream connoisseur during playtime; Museum of Ice Cream x Skittle Bottle to take the fun of Museum of Ice Cream with you everywhere; and the MOIC Party that has all the things you need for a perfect holiday party, MOIC themed!
Everyone will ask pretty please with a cherry on top to go back again and again to the Museum of Ice Cream where anything you dreamt about is popsicle –I mean possible!
Accessible to the general public, the MOIC cafe and shop will offer an exclusive menu, retail products and there is a party space as well. There’s a coat and stroller check and the whole museum is super kid-friendly!
For tickets and more information, be sure to visit museumoficecream.com
Tickets include ice cream tastings and signature treats exclusive to MOIC NYC. Tickets are $38 per person (children 2 and under are free). MOIC NYC is located at 558 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
