The PEZ Visitor Center in Orange, CT is 4,000 square feet of everything PEZ! On top of being a two-floor museum, the Visitor Center is in fact a production factory as well, where you can see real workers packaging candy & dispensers (Monday through Friday)! So let’s take a look inside and be sure to check out more photos here as well as the video walkthrough at the end of the article.
For a small admission fee ($5 for adults, $4 for children 3-12 & seniors 60+, and free for children 3 & under), you can step into the world’s largest PEZ collection! Each admission also comes with a $2 credit towards any merchandise purchase. This (plus a super fun scavenger hunt prize) more than makes up for the admission fee!
The museum is filled with glass cases displaying the extensive history of the PEZ brand. Complete with a history wall through the decades (from the 1920s to present day), fans of all ages will get an in-depth look into what made PEZ the pop culture sensation it still is today! Plus the PEZ Factory portion of the tour includes an informational video where you can learn cool facts like how 12 million PEZ candy can be prepared & packaged in a day! Check out where some of the magic happens:
Although some parts of the attraction are temporarily unavailable during the pandemic (like candy demos & self-serve stations), much of the interactive portions are still operational! Try your hand at PEZ Trivia, get your picture taken with your head as the top of a giant PEZ dispenser, or customize your very own dispenser:
You can easily spend a couple hours at the PEZ Visitor Center because there are so many things to see! We’re talking about vintage dispensers, international dispensers, jumbo dispensers, mini dispensers… you name it! And all the brands you love to see: Marvel, DC Comics, Pokémon, Star Wars, Disney, Thomas & Friends, Transformers, Peanuts… even rare PEZ Plush, retro PEZ Pals, and autographed PEZ!
Not only that, but a whole section upstairs highlighting all things vintage (as far back as the 1960s) like advertising sheets, board games, posters, and European & American vending machines:
Up on the second floor you can also discover other unlikely PEZ products like tins, pocket knives, pens, toy cars, pins, and even apparel like shoes & clothing. But the standout item would definitely have to be the PEZ themed chopper built by Orange County Choppers in 2016. It features all kinds of lights, colors, and PEZ Easter Eggs hidden throughout:
One quick reminder to occasionally look down… because glass cases are actually built into the ground to show off even more PEZ! And all the walls around the attraction are adorned with historic paraphernalia from retro photos, costumes, and other displays so make sure to look beyond all the beautiful glass cases!
And before you leave, don’t forget to stop by the PEZ Vault which showcases rare & limited edition items like Swarovski crystal promotions, printing stamps, commemorative dispensers, and even golden wrapper candy!
So definitely check out the PEZ Visitor Center when you get a chance! It’s absolute fun for all ages and whether you want to see the world’s largest PEZ Dispenser or simply want to walk out with your own personalized one, you won’t be disappointed with the magnificent museum found inside. View more photos from the visit here as well as a brief video below, and hopefully you’ll get to check it out for yourself soon!
LesDudis 