FINAL_FW2607-08_DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 52
“But First, Let Me
Take a Sel昀椀e.”
“
an attraction from something guests consume into
something they remember. When you create a truly
immersive environment, you increase emotional
engagement, and emotional engagement drives behavior,” says CEO, Chris Stafford.
On a larger scale, the Museum of Ice Cream, with
locations in major U.S. cities and one in Singapore,
opens its 10th location later this year in Las Vegas.
“The word I use is ‘experium,’ a term we created
but a category I believe we have helped define over
the past decade,” says Manish Vora, co-CEO and
cofounder of the Museum of Ice Cream, launched
in 2016. Vora explains that the attraction is not a
museum in the traditional sense, and it's not a theme
park. “It lives in a space between the two, where
design and art meets genuine interactivity and participation.” Some might call the attraction a next-level ice
cream shop.
Think of the facility as a dessert-themed playground where real ice cream is served and guests are
free to plunge down slides into pools of sprinkles.
While the Las Vegas location fills 30,000 square feet
of space, Vora reflects on the humble beginnings of its
first installation. “It was 6,000 square feet in a vacant
building in downtown New York City. It was scrappy,
imaginative, and it sold out before it even opened,”
shares Vora. “What that moment told us was that the
appetite for this kind of experience was enormous and
largely unmet. People weren't just showing up for ice
cream; they were showing up for a feeling.”
TREATING VISITORS TO CONTENT WORTHY OF
INSTAGRAM, TikTok, or Little Red Book (in China)
are immersive, camera-friendly spaces designed
for playful creativity and bold visual storytelling.
Attractions filled with themed rooms, oversized
props, and vibrant backdrops entice visitors to experiment with poses, lighting, and unique perspectives
that don’t require an app filter. Unlike traditional
museums, these attractions prioritize interaction and
personal expression as a form of exploration and
entertainment, with the visitor knowing the content
will scream to be shared digitally during and after the
visit.
Taking advantage of available retail space,
Otherworld Philadelphia, located in the middle of
a cluster of suburban-style shopping centers, offers
guests the opportunity to explore 55
rooms of large-scale interactive
art, mixed reality playgrounds, and secret passageways. Otherworld
Philadelphia is an
immersive art experience that complements the portfolio
of Thirteenth Floor
Entertainment
Group’s immersive
—Thirteenth Floor
attractions. “Immersion
Entertainment Group
is what transforms
MUSEUM OF ICE CREAM
THIRTEENTH FLOOR
ENTERTAINMENT
Immersion is
what transforms
an attraction from
something guests
consume into something
they remember.
50
Funworld | JULY/AUGUST 2026 | IAAPA.org/Funworld
