Museum of Ice Cream Chicago + Ida’s Artisan Ice Cream & Treats for Black History Month
I’ve been to Chicago several times before, but on my most recent trip to the Windy City, it became my favorite city in the US overnight. I’m usually there for work and only for a few days, so I don’t have full days to explore as I normally would in a city, but I did have a bit more time for “play” on this trip, and what better place to do so than the Museum of Ice Cream?
This series of installations is an experience packed with treats and interactive games and activities that can make you forget you’re an adult with actual responsibilities, which is the entire point. It’s a great opportunity for photos and is simply something fun to do whether by yourself, with your family, or with a group of friends.
Tickets range from $23 to $40 with all of the goodies included except the milkshakes, brand cocktails and signature sundaes you can purchase at the most adorable Speakeasy, the starting point of the experience.
I would have surely gotten sick if I had tried everything I thought sounded good on the menu, so I ended up choosing just one to purchase— the Pinktini. This deliciously pink drink has vodka, triple sec, cranberry, lime foam, snowflake sprinkles and was recommended to me as the sweetest and most popular cocktail on the menu.
The Dove Vanilla Ice Cream Chocolate Bar is the first ice cream you receive as soon as you walk through the door, and at that point, you already know you’re in for a treat, literally, for the rest of the experience. At entry, you’re also given a name tag and you must select an ice cream name. The entire staff has their own ice cream name and they are strictly referred to by those as opposed to their real names.
I’ll be honest— I felt immense pressure about choosing a name. It seemed like serious business! One of the staff members ended up naming be Kaynnoli (like Cannoli), which was perfect and truly one of the cutest things I’ve ever heard.
There are four rooms between the Speakeasy and the Sprinkle Pool that you navigate at your own pace. Since I went by myself, I was encouraged to indulge the staff for any photos I wanted and they obliged with no problem. From putt putt on an incredible dessert mini golf course to an ice cream arcade, there is no shortage of entertaining activities to get into.
There is an ice cream counter in each room where you collect your next treat from strawberry cheesecake ice cream, to ice cream nachos, to the most famous of them all in Chicago—the ice cream hot dog.
Each MOIC location has their own specialty, and for the world famous Chicago dog, this location has an ice cream hot dog. I had so many questions and was wholly unsure, but the staff member simply said, “it’s exactly what you think it is.” This interesting take on frozen dessert is hot dog flavored ice cream on a bun with mustard and relish.
I regret to say, this treat is not nearly as disgusting as it sounds. I would likely never eat it again, but I’m a firm believer that when you travel and are presented with once in a lifetime opportunities, you absolutely must do them.
For Black History Month this year, they have a curated selection of ice cream flavors from Ida’s Artisan Ice Cream. Her ice cream is handmade in small batches of unique flavors that you cannot resist. I chose her Passionfruit flavor, which also happens to be vegan, and it is easily one of the best cups of ice cream I’ve ever had. It made my heart smile to see an establishment like MOIC supporting not only a locally owned business but also a black- and female-owned business.
The sprinkle pool is the final play area and probably the most recognizable feature of the MOIC at all the locations. It’s reminiscent of the ball pit at Chuck E. Cheese or the places of my youth, so in my mind, I instantly went back in time to the most carefree days of life. Next to having adult play time here at the MOIC, the nostalgia and inclination for joy were my favorite part of this experience.
“Fun” can look all sorts of ways and has different meaning for everybody, but I think we can all agree that the opportunity to “rediscover the kid in you” at the Museum of Ice Cream could top anyone’s list of fun things to do.
