Whether you live in the Bay Area or if you are planning on visiting San Francisco, chances are that you have come across pictures of The Museum of Ice Cream. You may be asking, is it worth it? For our family it was, I’ll explain why (and also why we waited a couple years to take my son) in this post. Quick tip: If you can round up a few families to go together you save money! Groups of 10 or more get discounted ticket prices.
The Museum of Ice Cream (MOIC for short) is an immersive, multi-sensory experience where guests can explore 10 exhibition spaces all with an ice cream twist. Here are some simple tips to help your family have the best time:
Eat Before You Go
Definitely don’t go to the Museum of Ice Cream on an empty stomach. Taking hungry kids to a place where they will be served ice cream, cookies, soft serve, ice pops and macarons is a recipe for a major sugar rush and an ultimate breakdown. Believe me, I’m speaking from experience on this one! And yes you do get to have all of those treats and yes they are all delicious. Quick tip: bring sanitizer! Your kids will be touching everything and then going in to grab a treat without a restroom in sight to wash hands.
Getting There
If you aren’t familiar with San Francisco; it can take quite a bit of time to drive a couple miles; so give yourself extra time. We parked at the Ellis and O’Farrell garage and only had a short walk to the Museum of Ice Cream. Public transportation such as BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) is an excellent option logistically speaking; it drops you off a few blocks away from the MOIC.
When you get there, check in with the person outside the door (by the sparkly rope). Quick tip: We didn’t realize there was a coat check until the last room. So definitely take advantage of that when you get there.
Give yourself time to enjoy the exhibits
The number of people lining up to take “Instagramable” pictures can be daunting. My advice is take your time! This is a self-paced experience so you don’t need to rush. If you see you can’t seem to get a good picture/enjoy the installation with the pressure of people around; walk out of line and check something else out in the room. The line usually dies down a bit and you can enjoy your time in the space.
Timing is everything
In the beginning, the demand for tickets was high and it was hard to reserve a time slot unless you were looking out months ahead. Now, you can buy tickets easily (we bought ours in the morning on a Saturday and secured a 5 pm time slot on the same day). Weekends get busy as can be expected. If you’d like to enjoy the museum at a slower, less crowded pace; visit during the week/workday hours. Do check out their website for tickets as you won’t be able to buy tickets at the door. Also, they are closed on Tuesdays.
Age Matters
While the museum encourages people of all ages to come and experience the ice cream fun, we didn’t take my son when it first opened. My daughter and I went without him because I didn’t think he could handle the waiting in lines at the age of three. Now that he’s five, he is more patient and understands what he can/can’t touch. I feel like both kids appreciated the imaginative exhibits so much more.
Take a Perfect Picture
While I cringe typing that subheading; the whole premise of this museum is that you can get creative and take fun pictures. It can be hard to get a good picture when there are people everywhere. My main advice is to stick to the corners in order to minimize a photo bomb opportunity. The corner of the Infinity Mirror room is also the perfect place to snap a picture without actually being in it yourself. Speaking of the Infinity Mirror room; watch your head when you’re getting up (I’ve seen so many people forget and bonk their heads). Also, check out their hashtag and Instagram page for inspiration.
Check the Theme
The Museum of Ice Cream changes its exhibits to coincide with seasonal themes. We didn’t necessarily want a holiday theme so we waited until they took it down to go back. The MOIC website has a calendar that will tell you if there is a theme in place.
Have Fun!
We spent a lot of time playing as a family in the Sprinkle Pool (which by the way definitely wear socks because those big sprinkles hurt when you step on them barefoot…like stepping on a pool full of legos). My husband and I even went down the slide a few times! The kids loved this area and could have spent all day here.
Have you been to the Museum of Ice Cream? I would love to hear your experience.
With love,
Shahla
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