I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.
We'll be using all ice cream puns, so beware! Our stop is the Museum of Ice Cream (MOIC) in NYC. Are you ready to rediscover your inner child?
What kind of New Yorker do you wish to be during your visit to NYC? The passionate Broadway fan seen only around Times Square, the must-do-it-all tourist hopping on and off the City Sightseeing Buses, the history buff walking timelines, or the ardent museum lover ticking every museum on the list? The chances are you wish to be a little bit of each — after all, it is not every day you find yourself in NYC, correct? Now, irrespective of where you start your exploration of the destination, you are unlikely to have the Museum of Ice Cream (MOIC) on your itinerary. And what can we say about that except that we're sorry if you missed it!
The reasons for missing this museum on the itinerary (even if you are the ardent 'museum' lover) could be many and mostly salty (pardon the pun, but we had to). After all, you are in the land of MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art), and considering MOIC sounds may sound less fancy than some suggest. There's just so much to pack in a day, after all. But here's where you are wrong, and the sweet news (oh, here we go again) is that we will tempt you on board real quick. So, if you have kids, just one scoop of information (you'll get used to the puns) should do the trick – unlimited ice cream! And if it's just you, the adult/s, then the same information would do the trick again — unlimited ice cream! I scream you scream, we all scream for ice cream, shall we enter Museum of Ice Cream, NYC?
Located at 558 Broadway, what awaits inside is what dreams are made of. Walking through the lobby, you will be tempted to get your hands on the cutesy items in the retail shop — from stuffed unicorn toys to I Love You More Than Ice Cream candles — if you make it past the lobby without Stay Cool lapel pins or I-Scream nails — we salute your self-control — but we can tell you that it will be put to the test in the next few steps. Our advice is: Let it go, let it go… Don't hold back anymore. To test the limits and break through. No right, no wrong, no rules for me. I'm free.
Your friendly host will welcome you into the oh-so-pink corridors, where you will get to invent your Ice Cream Name (yes, that's a thing here) and wear it on your sleeve throughout your visit. Justin Freezer, Demi Gelato, Kanye Zest, and Sarachino Jessica Parker will accompany you. Come on, we're not telling you who we were! Next, you will be offered a cup and a cone of strawberry and raspberry ice cream (or whatever the week/day's flavor), with an option of asking for a repeat sans judgment. From here on, it will all be a sweet ride. Hop on.
It's nearly impossible to list our favorite things at the museum, but here is a sample of what we did there (two hours plus, yes, time flows when you are in the land of berries and sprinkles!).
Ice cream is, after all, happiness condensed, said who? Head to a library or Google to find that out.
Spin the wheel; we spun it until we got tired and loved playing, irrespective of where it stopped. Sample this: Secret Handshake (create a performative handshake for a superstar), Toppings Tree (name unique toppings until someone repeats), Candy Concentration (Repeat and add a new sweet—Dove, Starburst, Dove, Starburst, M&Ms, and more!
In one of the halls, we opened the little window and said hello to Maryellis Bunn, founder of MOIC, as she swang in the clouds.
We saw many ice cream parties (tea parties seem to be a thing of the past!) ongoing in the Celebration Room, done up oh-so-pretty with three-tier stands dotted with faux cupcakes, pink balloons, and more. As we indulged in raspberry popsicles, we admired the girls playing gracefully. You may raise your pinky here!
We rode the Celestial Subway. Our destination? The sweetest place in town! The subway is powered by ice cream and Dolby, providing sights and sounds.
Step into the Banana Jungle: Now, that's what we call a Banana Split mural. Yellow meets peaches-pink hues here, and just walking in and out of the jungle guarantees giggles.
Leave your mark here as you play with the alphabets on the Magnet Wall. Play by yourself or with other visitors; nobody will mind if you add a few toppings to their words and sentences!
Ice Cream quiz, anyone? We learned about the history of ice cream from 2000 B.C. to now as we walked along the timeline on the wall! Did you know that in the 1500s, Mughal emperors from India created kulfi — a fruit sorbet famous in southern Asia? The cute mural of 'Lift Me Up' (MOMI) ice cream scoops taught us everything we needed to know about flavors and types of ice cream — Cookie Dough, Mochi, Burnt Honey, and more. The antique Kulfi molds and other ice cream equipment taught us how we need to take our ice cream seriously. Takeaway: We will also draw out our ice cream quiz.
In the Sprinkle Cave, duck your head, elders, and tall kids, and sit back and catch your breath in this colorful getaway.
Are arcade game lovers ready? Candy floss awaited us here (and we had our share!) as we played all the popular games you may find in your neighborhood arcade. We got competitive, but we stayed civil and fun, we guarantee. Even the most Vanilla person amongst you would not keep calm here.
Jump into the sprinkle pool? Lest you think, children dominate this museum area — you'll be surprised. The hosts asked us to jump in and insisted we do so. A scoop of advice: No shoes, please.
Want to slide down (instead of using the elevator)? Slip into the cozy safety bag the host provided, and you go down the pink slide. More ice cream scoops and more flavors await. The slide is what we call the ultimate Hot Fudge Sundae experience.
Instagram lovers, behold, for the Rainbow Hallway awaits. Dimly lit, the series of archways will have your heart and guarantee you all the hearts, likes, and shares on those posts, stories, and reels. Pose on.
Crosby Lounge is where we savored Watermelon Margarita, Pinktini, and Cookie Monster shake.
In short, once inside, you can turn the clock — you will be the child in the candy store — it will be the best money you'd spend during your stay. You can always and should go to Michelin-star restaurants, bars, pubs, and lounges, but here's where nobody will judge you, your itinerary, your sweet tooth, or your urge to jump into a room of sprinkles! We even jumped into a tub of pink thermocol balls. No, we're not telling you how old we are or how young we felt! What can be better? What would you have gained (besides the calories, never mind those; once in NYC, you will be walking 20,000 steps a day; walking is the only way to absorb NYC; you have seen those memes, haven't you!?) — is the experience that unlimited fun is for both grown-ups and little ones. Time to sprinkle some happiness in your itinerary? Reserve your tickets now.
We can't sugarcoat the truth (yes, we are the mindful visitors)
We expected every guest to be more mindful and take only as much as they could eat! Sadly, guests trashed full scoops and cups of ice cream and candy floss into the bin. Now, don't do that, sweet one. We wish there were a way to guarantee no wastage. Do you have any thoughts on this? Maryellis Bunn, please.
Ice cream isn't gender-biased, but ingrained thoughts of a lifetime suggest pink is for the girls, so while as much we loved each bit of the pink in the interiors, a mix of other colors would attract one and all. Even Elsa loves a blue gown!
Yes, the tickets may seem pricey ($25-$33), but if you think about it as a play date of friends and family, with a playing area, history lesson, an Instagram corner, and, of course, ice cream, and more — then it's value for money — no one is asking you to leave till you drop! P.S.: If you take the VIP Ice Cream experience, you will face no queues and be spoilt with a choice of a free drink from the MOIC cafe and 10% off on the retail items. But since everyone is willing to share the space, the experience is also pretty smooth.
P.S. How many ice cream idioms and phrases did you spot in the piece above?
Authored by Purva Grover
Purva Grover is an author, journalist, and creative entrepreneur. She is the founder-editor of storiesoverart.com, a sanctuary for all who find solace, inspiration, and purpose in art. In a world that often overlooks the significance of art, she stands firm in her belief that it is essential, more so than anything else.
تعليقات