Interactive pop-up installations dedicated to food are springing up in locations across the country, and many even travel, making stops in multiple cities. Appealing to young and old, locals and tourists, these photogenic exhibitions flood Instagram feeds with movie set-worthy backdrops, and encourage you to eat, take pictures, and share with your friends.
Sweet experiences for ice cream and candy lovers
One of the first of its kind, the Museum of Ice Cream made its debut in New York in 2016 before moving on to Los Angeles, Miami and its current home in San Francisco. Its playful pastel décor includes 10 whimsical settings, among them a sprinkle pool, gummy bear garden, mint jungle, and a 50s-style diner serving original ice cream flavors like Vanillionaire, Cherrylicious and Churro Churro. Museum of Ice Cream San Francisco is open through the end of the year. Tickets, which are $38 per person (visitors 2 years old and under are free), must be purchased online in advance.
Candytopia has popped up in New York and San Francisco with a Willy Wonka-esque adventure created by Jackie Sorkin, celebrity candy artist and star of TLC’s “Candy Queen.” The exhibition has more than a dozen rooms with life-size candy artwork, including a sphinx statue as well as jelly bean replicas of famous paintings. But it’s not all eye candy, there’s a giant pit of foam marshmallows to play in and complimentary chocolate, sour and gummy snacks. Candytopia New York is open until Nov. 15, and Candytopia San Francisco will close on Nov. 30. Tickets ($34 for adults; $26 for 4-12 year olds) must be purchased online in advance.
New Yorkers who miss the event won’t be without a sugar fix for too long. Charissa Davidovici, founder of the celebrity-darling candy shop Sugar Factory, plans to open a Museum of Candy pop-up next year with a 25-foot gummy bear, 15 candy-themed rooms and more than 500 types of sweet treats on offer.
Savory pop-ups, from bacon to pizza
Those hungry for a savory selfie can head to the Hall of Breakfast in Salt Lake City. Visitors enter the camera-friendly playground through a giant refrigerator, and explore 10 experiential rooms featuring a large bacon slide, doughnut swing, giant neon fruit bowl and cereal room filled with confetti. During the pop-up’s limited run, a portion of ticket proceeds raised enough money to donate more than 100,000 meals to the Utah Food Bank. Breakfast aficionados can still book the pop-up for private events, through Nov. 1, before it heads to Los Angeles early next year.
Pizza lovers have two pop-ups to choose from. The Pizza Experience in Pasadena, Calif., features a pizza heaven, nightclub, dough room and pizza samples (including gluten-free options). The installation will remain open until Jan. 29, 2019. Tickets are $30 (children 3 years and under are free). In Chicago, the U.S. Pizza Museum at Roosevelt Collection houses pizza-themed ephemera from menus and rare pizza boxes to vinyl records and vintage ads. The museum will host a Spooky Pizza Party the weekend of Oct. 26 featuring pizza costumes, pizza box art and pizza box folding contests. The pop-up is open until the end of the month; entrance is free.
The Egg House follows the travels of a character called Ellis The Egg as he crisscrosses the globe, making cities from New York to Shanghai his home. In February, Ellis will move to downtown Los Angeles, where guests can wind through a handful of rooms inspired by his previous digs: a kitchen filled with life-size foam eggs and a trampoline frying pan, a garden with eggplant swings, a caviar ball pit, and a gift shop selling “eggcessories” from jewelry to tote bags.
