July 2024 Monthly Adventure
In Austin, TX at The Domain, there is a place called the Museum of Ice Cream. It's a great place for fans of ice cream and those who want some fun photos. The Museum of Ice Cream only has four locations globally, so it's a pretty big deal that one of those locations is in Austin! I love ice cream and cute photo opportunities, so I decided to check it out for my Monthly Adventure.
Background
Ice cream is the best frozen treat in my opinion! It's such a versatile dessert and pairs so well with warm desserts like pies or brownies. In Texas, ice cream is the ideal cold sweet treat on a hot summer day. Ice cream is also universally loved by many. Did you know that in the United States we have a day dedicated to celebrating ice cream? It's true! On July 21 each year, National Ice Cream Day is celebrated by fans of ice cream and those serving up ice cream or similar frozen products. This year, I decided to take my celebration of National Ice Cream Day a bit further than usual by going to the Museum of Ice Cream here in Austin, TX with one of my best friends.
Reservation Bookings and Cost
You'll need to reserve a time slot online and pay for tickets to enter the Museum of Ice Cream. There is a more expensive VIP ticket option that comes with perks such as a complimentary drink, shopping discount and the ability to arrive at any time on the day of your visit. General admission prices vary. However, you can save money by being an early bird and going within the first couple of hours after opening like I did. I paid about $24 for my ticket. This was due to an extra 10% discount on top of one of the lower priced entry times because I didn't complete my purchase right away and received a discount code. As you check out, there will be some special add-ons to choose from depending on if you want special drinks or will be celebrating a special occasion.
The online booking and checkout process was very easy and didn't require too many steps. I was surprised that they actually used my email to send me a discount since that was as far as I had gotten on the booking page. It was a nice surprise and definitely encouraged me to complete my purchase! I quickly received my confirmation email along with information about signing the liability waiver and they sent me reminders the day before to ensure I had all the important details for my arrival.
The Museum of Ice Cream
The Museum of Ice Cream is not your average museum. This museum is colorful and interactive, making it a perfect place for people of all ages!
Museum of Ice Cream Arrival
We chose to get to the Museum of Ice Cream for an 11:30 AM entry time. On Sundays, The Domain doesn't officially open until noon and our time slot would allow us to arrive before too many other people did so we could find good parking. The Museum of Ice Cream's email directed us to arrive a few minutes early and to also have our liability waivers signed before getting there. After parking in the Pink Garage at The Domain, we made our way over to the bubblegum pink building to enter the Museum of Ice Cream.
Museum of Ice Cream Experience
We had to wait in line for about 10 minutes before getting checked in. The check-in line is outside under a pink tent (of course) and we received the necessary details about how to make the most of our experience before beginning our journey. Upon entry, we were able to walk into a fun world of all things pink and sweet. We made our name tags, guzzled down some pink lemonade, and then walked into the next room for our first frozen treat.
The Museum of Ice Cream is all about walking into rooms and through hallways filled with all the things that remind you of the joy of being a child and being in an ice cream parlor. There was something sweet and delicious to consume around at least every other corner. We enjoyed sorbet, ice cream, and fresh cotton candy throughout the entire experience. My favorite thing about the ice cream stations that were scattered around the Museum of Ice Cream was that they all had multiple flavors of genuinely good quality ice cream to choose from. I had cherry sorbet with rainbow sprinkles, strawberry cheesecake ice cream, cotton candy, and marshmallow ice cream. All were delicious! The Museum of Ice Cream also has some games in the different rooms of sweet fun, including a playground at the very end. The playground has a basketball hoop, a giant hamster wheel, some jungle gym type of thing, and a pool of sprinkles. My friend and I opted for a game of Connect 4 that was on top of a table behind the sprinkle pool before finding the next room for the museum exit.
Exiting the Museum of Ice Cream
The exit is in the ice cream parlor which you can see as you are in the entry line. This parlor has specialty drinks available and the space also serves as the gift shop for the Museum of Ice Cream. The cute, retro vibe makes it a classic conclusion to a unique, interactive ice cream experience.
Wrap-Up
What a happy 45-60 minutes that experience at the Museum of Ice Cream was! I got to be free of all my adult concerns and responsibilities as I ate ice cream and cotton candy the entire time with one of my best friends. I couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate National Ice Cream Day! Would I go to the Museum of Ice Cream again? Likely not, but surely not anytime soon. However, I would consider going to a different location if there happens to be some variation from what they had in Austin.
There are a handful of other locations spread across the United States and Singapore if you aren't in Austin and still want to check out the Museum of Ice Cream. If you love ice cream or just need an hour of joy in your life, the Museum of Ice Cream is the place to be. I left the Museum of Ice Cream with nothing but pure joy before doing some brief shopping at The Domain and going to Chili's for a late lunch.
On to the next adventure!
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