The Incredible PEZ Visitor Center: Is it Worth the $5 Admission?

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Hello my name is Kay and I like sugar. I have singlehandedly paid off my dentist’s mortgage. So during my 10 day New England road trip when I learned that there was a PEZ Visitor Center right outside of New Haven, Connecticut, I knew I had to visit.

After all, PEZ is one of the greatest candies ever invented.

It would be neglectful of me, as a candy enthusiast, to NOT visit.

Obviously.

But if you aren’t a sugar fanatic or into really strange -I mean- UNIQUE attractions, then would the PEZ Visitor Center be worth your time? That’s what this post will (hopefully) help you determine for yourself! Short sweet and to the point – let’s dive into it.

What is It?

Okay, this is a fair question and ultimately probably one of the most important when determining if it’s worth your time at all.

The Pez Visitor Center is an operational production factory of the beloved PEZ candy, with an attached mini PEZ museum and gift shop. While the part open to the public is on the smaller side when it comes to attractions, it is truly the largest and most comprehensive collection of PEZ memorabilia in the world.

At least…that which is on public display.

The PEZ Visitor Center is home to the world’s largest PEZ dispenser which is reason enough to visit (y’all should know I have a love of all things comically oversized), but there’s also a historical timeline of the candy’s inception and history, a monthly trivia game, and of course the retail area. You can also get a sneak peak into the production area where employees are…well, working. If you’ve ever been to the Tillamook Cheese Factory, then it’s kinda like that. Except PEZ instead of cheese.

Unfortunately unlike the Tillamook Cheese Factory, there are no PEZ samples 🙁

How to Get There

I mentioned that the PEZ Visitor Center was just outside of New Haven, but where exactly? Well the address is : 35 Prindle Hill Rd, Orange, CT 06477. It is about a 10minute drive from New Haven (traffic depending). It’s super easy to navigate to with your GPS system of choice as it shows up on the map as “PEZ Visitor Center.” The streets are paved, there are clear indicators (you will see PEZ markers by the street signs) and there is ample free parking outside in the building’s lot.

how to get to the pez visitor center

If you do not have a car, fret not! There is a bus stop near the center as well – about a 12-15 minute walk depending on your pace and stride I suppose. There seems to be a few bus routes that will take you there, so just double check with the driver that you’re headed in the right direction!

Personally, since I had a rental car as part of my road trip, I drove. Bus and RV/truck/campervan parking is also available, there’s a ton of space for oversized vehicles!

Hours & Cost

Alrighty now that you’ve made it there, let’s talk logistics. The PEZ Visitor Center is open every day 10am-5pm EST, however the production floor (where the employees work) is not operational on weekends (Saturday & Sunday) or holidays. They didn’t specify WHICH holidays, but I’m assuming all federal holidays and more popular/common holidays which the employees and/or community might observe.

Now when it comes to cost, regular admission to the PEZ Visitor Center for adults is $5 USD. Children 3-12 years old and seniors over 60 years old is $4 USD. Children under 3 are free!

Plus, with each ticket cost, you also get a $2 USD voucher at the gift shop, so you get a bit of a discount if you do buy something for the road! But if you don’t, well then it’s still just $5. Sounds like a super great price right? Why wouldn’t you visit?

What to Expect

I visited the PEZ Visitor Center on a Monday, and it was fairly chill afternoon. You buy your tickets onsite on arrival and they take card which is great for me, but if you’re more of a cash person that works fine too. No crypto currency accepted tho (yet?). When you enter, there are step free restrooms before you even enter which is nice if you’ve been on the road a while.

Pets are not allowed, however properly identified service animals are. The ticket price allows you take a self-guided tour of the facility, which means you roam around on your own. There are some fun facts and a historical timeline on the wall that offer information throughout the experience, but aside from that, it’s pretty free range.

After buying your tickets, you are immediately greeted by the world’s largest PEZ dispenser and on the wall is a short timeline of the history of PEZ and its creation. I spoil the museum for you, but it’s very easily digestible and interesting too! Liiiike did you know PEZ was invented in Austria to combat smoking addictions?

There’s fun facts galore!

That said…the “museum” bit of it is very small. It’ll take you maybe…like 5-10 minutes to get through the majority of the small infographics on the wall. However, to take up the majority of your time, and to also guide you through the rest of the space, the PEZ Visitor Center creates a monthly scavenger hunt game that encourages visitors to look at the various shelves and displays to find the clues to solve the game – which results in some PEZ learning at the same time.

Personally, it’s pretty smart!

While looking for the clues, you see some cool vintage PEZ dispensers and the fan favorite ones. There was even an MTV music video award prize created in the shape of a PEZ dispenser. Away from the memorabilia, you can view the production floor. When I visited, most of the employees were working on a production line farther away from the viewing window, but that’s okay I got the gist of it.

There is an upstairs area (elevator available) with more memorabilia and….a break room area for the employees? Visitors are not allowed in the production area (health concerns, makes sense) and there is also no samples or candy demos.

The last little bit of the experience is the gift shop, with some merch like shirts and hats and…well, a TON of different PEZ options! Honestly, the gift shop was my favorite part hahah. I bought a few just to act as desk decor.

How Long Does it Take?

Now THIS is where you really have to ask yourself, is the PEZ Visitor Center worth it? In total, I spent about 40 minutes at the PEZ Visitor Center – and that’s going to be the LONG end of how much time you’re going to spend. I think I spent like…fifteen minutes alone looking for the last scavenger hunt clue (*cry emoji*) but if I’m being honest with myself I could have just guessed the answer without needed to find the clue and been in and out in about thirty minutes reading through everything.

If you’re not too concerned with seeing every last display or truthfully finishing the scavenger hunt (lol), then your trip might be closer to about 20-30 minutes. A few people with kids dipped out after ten minutes or so (they basically came for the candy shopping then left lol). All are solid experiences, please don’t feel the need to stay for hours hahah.

In my opinion, especially because you get a $2 USD voucher with admission, I think it’s worth the visit just to buy some cute PEZ dispensers!

Or, if you just want to shop and are unable to visit in person, you can also shop online for PEZ products! Very accessible, very cute. Have you ever been to the PEZ Visitor Center? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below!

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