Hi everyone! One of my absolute favorite museums in NYC is definitely the Museum of Ice Cream!! The NYC location opened on December, 14th 2019, and, no surprise, it has been extremely popular. The museum is totally interactive, super Instagramable, and you also get yummy samples! Below you will find my top tips for visiting the Museum of Ice Cream in NYC!
Note: There have been Museum of Ice Cream pop-up locations in Miami, San Fransisco and L.A. Although these locations are all currently closed, be on the lookout for new pop-ups in major cities across the country!
Tips
Tickets
- Book in advance
- You should absolutely book in advance for the Museum of Ice Cream. At this point it is difficult to get same day tickets, especially on the weekends. While we were waiting to for our 11am entrance time (Saturday), tons of people came into the museum and tried to get same day tickets, but they were all sold out. The Museum of Ice Cream is open six days a week (closed Tuesday), from 9:30am – 9:30/10pm.
Click here to book tickets on the Museum of Ice Cream’s website. Tickets are $39 for adults, $31 for students, and kids under two are free!
- You should absolutely book in advance for the Museum of Ice Cream. At this point it is difficult to get same day tickets, especially on the weekends. While we were waiting to for our 11am entrance time (Saturday), tons of people came into the museum and tried to get same day tickets, but they were all sold out. The Museum of Ice Cream is open six days a week (closed Tuesday), from 9:30am – 9:30/10pm.
- Arrive ten minutes before your entry time
- The Museum of Ice Cream allows entry by group. A limited amount of people are admitted in at a time in order to keep the exhibits from getting overcrowded. You likely won’t have to wait too long, but it’s better to arrive early so that you can enter in one of the first groups and not have to wait.
- The museum is great for all ages!
- I truly mean this. As 24 year olds I think Marco and I enjoyed this museum just as much, if not more, than all of the kids. It is definitely a place that is designed for both kids and adults! I definitely recommend bringing your kids, but you can also go to the Museum of Ice Cream on a date or with a group of friends. Its fun design and interactivity are great for all ages and interests!
- Be prepared for crowds
- Although a limited number of people are let into the museum at a time, there are still tons of visitors. This means that many of the exhibits will be crowded. However, despite this, we hardly ever had to wait in line, and the crowd did not take away from the experience. Just take into account that it may be a little harder to get perfect photos, as there will most likely be lots of people in the background. But this is all part of the experience!
Transportation
- The Museum of Ice Cream is easily accessible by subway
- Located in SoHo, the Museum of Ice Cream is easily accessible by multiple subway lines. Take the B,D,F or M trains to the Broadway-Lafayette Street stop, the R or W trains to Prince Street, or the 6 train to Spring Street. All of these stops are a close walk to the museum.
Timing and Tours
- Budget at least an hour for your visit
- The Museum of Ice Cream is pretty big, as it has three stories and thirteen exhibits. Some exhibits require more time than others, but I would definitely plan to spend around an hour exploring.
- The museum is self guided
- Although at the beginning you will enter the museum with a group and be guided through the first two rooms, the rest of the museum is self guided! This is great as you can spend as much time as you want in each exhibit without feeling rushed.
Gifts
- Don’t forget about the gift shop!
- There are tons of treats and souvenirs to buy at the Museum of Ice Cream, and they have a really nice shop! You can buy cute sweatshirts, lollipops, stuffed animals and even signature ice cream flavors to bring home! I bought a rainbow stuffed llama and it is super adorable!
- There are tons of treats and souvenirs to buy at the Museum of Ice Cream, and they have a really nice shop! You can buy cute sweatshirts, lollipops, stuffed animals and even signature ice cream flavors to bring home! I bought a rainbow stuffed llama and it is super adorable!
- You don’t need tickets to visit the gift/ice cream shop
- If you weren’t able to get tickets to the Museum of Ice Cream, you can still try out their yummy ice cream and check out the gift shop! The gift shop and ice cream shop are open to the public, so head on in and have some ice cream and do some shopping!
Review
I had a really fun time at the Museum of Ice Cream, and I highly recommend taking the time to visit! Tickets are on the pricer side, but it’s the perfect activity for a special occasion. Tickets also make great gifts, so keep them in mind for birthdays!
I love that the Museum of Ice Cream is completely interactive. While walking through the rooms you’re encouraged to interact with all the exhibits. There is a large focus on being in the moment, and not living behind a screen, and this museum definitely allows you to accomplish that. Although I did take a lot of photos while I was in the museum, its interactive nature really allowed me to appreciate the moment and have fun.
Pink Subway Car Music Room
Exhibits
There are thirteen different exhibits in the museum, and all of them have a different focus and theme. My favorite room was the sprinkle pool – of course! The sprinkle pool is a giant pool filled with huge rubber sprinkles, and it’s so much fun to play in! There were so many kids and adults enjoying this pool, and it was great to see that it really is something for all ages.
inside the sprinkle pool! banana room!
Samples
Another amazing thing about the Museum of Ice Cream is the samples! Throughout your time in the museum you’ll get to sample both yummy ice cream and cake pops! This was super fun and definitely made the experience even better. We loved the Queen Bee flavor so much that we bought a pint to bring home!
eating queen bee ice cream!
Employees
The employees at the Museum of Ice Cream are incredible. Everyone was so helpful and kind and they truly made the experience great. We had some issues with our tickets, as we had accidentally booked for the wrong day, but they helped us resolve the problem in no time. Everyone seemed so happy to be working there, and like they really enjoyed their jobs!
Overall
Definitely take the time to visit the Museum of Ice Cream. It is such a fun experience and I am so, so happy that I got the chance to go! I hope my tips and review of the Museum of Ice Cream are helpful for you as you plan your visit!
Thanks so much for reading my top tips for visiting the Museum of Ice Cream in NYC! Please save and share this post if you found it helpful! To check out more of our NYC posts, click here!
I can’t wait to visit! Thank you for ths article, I never would have known about it. Keep your travels coming!
I’ve heard of this museum, but I had no idea how interactive it was – now I want to visit it! Thanks for the great post!
I have heard about this museum and really want to go! I was supposed to go to NYC for the first time last week, but had to cancel due to Corona. But I can’t wait to go when the air clears and I’ll be sure to add this to my list!
I love NYC and ice cream! It looks like fun, and has samples, I’m in! I cannot believe I’ve never been here. Will definitely check it out on my next visit.
This looks so fun (although I bet it is also full of folks taking photos for insta!!) I love the sound of all the samples! 😉
No WAY! I’ve never heard of this! I’d say it’s every child’s dream, but it looks like every PERSON’s dream!
This looks ridiculously cute. Since they have one in LA I’ll likely be able to get up there first – I’m in San Diego – when it’s safe to do it!
Ah I’ve been dying to go to the Museum of Ice Cream (and also Rose Mansion). It looks like such a fun experience and I love how they have samples too. 🙂
Oh this place looks so much fun and very colorful. I wanted to visit the one in Miami, but I missed it. Hoping it will be back soon.
I didn’t know there was such a thing as an ice cream factory! Sounds awesome! I still want to visit a chocolate factory in the hope it is something like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!
Ah I’ve had this on my list for a while now!! Definitely top of my list when I can travel to NYC again! Thanks for the great write up 🙂
This looks like fun! Is there much for preschoolers to do (besides eating ice cream!)?
Hi Amy! Thanks for your message. There is so much for preschoolers to do, and this museum is amazing for kids. There is a sprinkle pit (kind of like a ball pit) as well as an indoor playground with swings and other play equipment. Additionally, all the exhibits are interactive, so they can play music on a giant piano, go on a giant slide, and run through hanging bananas. It’s a blast for all ages!