They introduced themselves as Coffee Bean and Honey, emerging from an imposing fortressthat looked like someone put a former Circuit City into Dolly Parton drag. My new friends were more excited aboutsaying hello than I’ve been aboutanythingin mylife.
And yet, a whiff of duressswirled around Coffee Bean andHoney's joy at this little corner of the Domain.
No, this wasn’t a hostage situation in Candy Land. This was Museum of Ice Cream, the newest location for an interactive art experience that’s made headlines— not all flattering — and flooded Instagram feeds around the world. The deliciously named employees were welcoming a group, including me,to check out the new space. They also gave me a popsicle, so duress or not, the ice was sufficiently broken.
Museum of Ice Cream began as an idea at South by Southwest in 2016, according to co-founder and creative director Maryellis Bunn, and opened as apop-up in New York Citythat year.Its colorful brand of sweet scenery has spread to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Singapore and now the capital of Texas. The Austin location opened Aug. 21.
If you, discerning reader, ask yourself, “Is thisless of a museum and more likeanotherwarehouse of plastic tableaus suited for dating profile pictures?” then I would direct you to this official description: “The series of immersive activities encourages guests to explore beyondInstagramableopportunities and engage all five senses, making it an inclusive experience for all.”
After you read that, I would then say, “Oh yeah, it's a big-time photooppfarm.”And that’s not a knock, necessarily.Walking thoughMuseum of Ice Creamrevealsabright— bright — wonderland of dessert-themed visuals.Here’s what you need to know before you go.
We all scream, or at least smile
As far as the vibe at Museum of Ice Cream, the writing was on the wall. No, not a metaphor.In one room featuring a wall splattered withmagnetic letters, I saw someone had rearranged a few of the characters to read “MANIC ENERGY.”
The attendants I encountered from the front door and all the way the through 12 installations were unflaggingly enthusiastic and awe-filled. The mood ranged from “Ichugged Mountain Dew” as a baseline to “blinkif you need help” at the height.
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The very first room is the quietest in the whole joint. Giant, shiny maraschino cherries hang from the ceiling, and sprinkles dot the wall,glowing a shade of “Miami Vice” pink. There, you are told to adopt a new “ice cream name” and write it on a name tag. I met a Cookie Dough and a Red Velvet that afternoon;I chose Eric,But Ice Cream.
First taste
Your first stop is the co*cktails and Creams soda fountain, a 1950s-style dinerthat offers soft serve (included with your ticket). There’sanother café-style bar with boozy beverages at the end of the walk, but this one’s definitely the most on-theme. When I visited, the jukebox wasbumpin’andthe neonburnin’(and a fewrollerskatersslid around the floor looking all retro and such). For kiddos — or for you — ice cream-themed puzzle sheets sat in a red box at the booths.
Yes, you will leave with a full camera roll
On to the rest of the sights.I’d emphasize that your eyes will do most of the work here, despite the “engage all five senses”line. Pink, Warhol-esquebanana splitsdotyellow wallpaper, right as you enter a room where plasticbananas of the same colors hang from the ceiling,likeifJosephine Baker had marketed a line of fringed curtains.
Elsewhere, you roll huge, red foam dice in a faux-candy shop before filling up a bag of Valentine’s Day-colored candies . There’s a Whack-a-Mole game filtered through the ice cream motif,renamed Scoop-a-Scoop, which is not how verbs work. Cheerful staff members spin cotton candy, right next to plushpiñatas available for purchase. (Both the candy bag and the cotton candy are included with the ticket.) If you scarf the fluffdown in time, you getto ride bouncyfrosted animal cookies, like the kind you'd find in front of a grocery store.
As you might have gathered, the link to ice cream is tenuous at times at Museum of Ice Cream, but the whimsical aesthetic is consistent. There’s a mirrored, round corridor — think an inverted disco ball — and a neon, sherbet-hued archway that are both worth your iPhone memory space.
There’s ice cream, yes
Museum of Ice Cream teamed up with localfaveAmy’s Ice Creams on two flavors, Congress Parade andMoontowerMangonada. The former is avanilla cake batter ice cream mixed with frostedanimal crackers and rainbow sprinkles. The latter isa vegan option, made of oat milk, mango and achamoyswirl. You get a freelil’ scoop during the walkthrough.
The sprinklepool
This is what you were waiting for, I know. Yes, Museum of Ice Cream has a sprinkle pool. No, it’s not actually filled with sprinkles, but instead oblong plastic tubes. It’s essentiallya ball pit, and there’s nothing wrong with a ball pit.
Well … your appetite for a ball pit in a pandemic mightbe low, true.
There are slides into the pool, but watch yourself and your tail bone. It’s not deep.
According to the museum, you also can reserve one of the poolside cabanas for their private events.
What about pandemic safety?
Everyone is encouraged to mask regardless of vaccination status.According to Museum of Ice Cream, its staff members are regularly tested for COVID-19, and when I was there, everyone wore a face covering— including pretty much every guest I saw. There are masks at the front in case you forget yours.The museum also says that staff members regularly disinfect “touch points.” Though,those sprinkles in that pool are probably not getting individual spit shines after every “swim.”
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If you consider yourself super-cautious about your leisure activitiesand being around other peoplein the pandemic,especially as Austin remains in Stage 5 risk-based guidelines,here’s the real talk: Museum of Ice Cream mightnot be the most comfortable experience for you. It’s pretty much entirely indoors, and the spaces can get a little tight. When I went, it was also pretty warm and stuffy inside.
Guests reserve entry times, meant to help with social distancing.
How do you go?
Oh yeah, reservations.There’s a daytime experience for all ages, which includes five treats,and anighttime experiencethat’srecommendedfor ages 16 and older, with guests of legal age getting a “spiked treat.” Tickets start at $39 per person.Kids 2 and under get in free.When purchasingtickets, you canadd on afeatured milkshake special for $12 or a summer co*cktail special for $10. You can also buy thosein-house.
Museum of Ice Cream is located at11506 Century Oaks Terrace, No. 128.It’s open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday-Monday.Go tomuseumoficecream.com/austinto make reservations.
