Edible balloons, frozen treats: Ice Cream Museum in New York is coolest

NEW YORK — Move over Willy Wonka. A temporary museum dedicated to all things ice cream is treating visitors to edible balloons, a Chocolate Chamber, a “swim” in a pool of faux rainbow sprinkles and, of course, scoops of heavenly ice cream.

New York’s Museum of Ice Cream is the lifelong fantasy of 24-year-old co-founder Maryellis Bunn.

The six-room tour begins with a free scoop of ice cream. At a press preview on Thursday (July 28), ahead of the Friday opening, the treat was topped with fruity cereal, marshmallows and a guava-lime zest.

In the next room, helium-filled, edible balloons produce giggles as visitors’ voices are transformed into high-pitched squeaks.

The biggest attraction is a large pool filled with 5,000kg of confetti-coloured sprinkles. Visitors can immerse themselves in the fake candy. Posted rules say: “Make a wish”, “dip at your own risk” and “Caution: May cause spontaneous happiness”.

Happiness was on the minds of Bunn and her co-creator Manish Vora who frequently asked: “Are you having fun?”

The two launched the project to fulfil Bunn’s childhood dream of swimming through a pool of sprinkles. They also enlisted over 30 artists to create — what else? — ice cream-themed works of art. Each artist “brings a unique voice” to his or her creation, said Bunn.

In a nod to Willy Wonka, the Chocolate Chamber is entered through a satiny brown curtain to a musical remix of “Pure Imagination”. A chocolate fountain, free chocolates, cocoa-bean shards on the floor and an immersive chocolate video can be viewed from the comfort of a large bean bag.

Elsewhere, visitors can suck on a dehydrated Miracle Berry that can alter the sourness of lemon slices atop an ice cream cone into a sweet delight.

The tour ends in TinderLand, a playground featuring an ice cream scoop seesaw and an ice cream sandwich swing for two. Visitors also can discover “who they are as a flavour” through an app created with Tinder, said Vora.

In addition to specially created ice cream by food scientist Irwin Adam, of Future Food Network, the museum each week will offer custom frozen treats from one of the city’s favourite ice cream shops including Black Tap and Oddfellows.

“It’ a lick-able, likable ice cream-centric experience,” said Bunn.

And if you aren’t completely satiated by the end of the tour, you can savour a different kind of experience across the street at the Whitney Museum of American Art or the nearby High Line.

Admission is free from 11am to 3pm. After that, it costs US$18 (S$24.30) per person or US$30 for two. The museum closes on Aug 31. AP