For nearly 100 years, PEZ has offered an interactive way to eat candy.
Instead of just pulling apart a boring wrapper, candy is placed inside and eaten from a dispenser with a unique head, usually based on pop culture favorites.
Many of these dispensers have become collectibles over the years.
Fans of PEZ candy will want to head to Orange, Connecticut and check out the PEZ Visitor Center, a 4,000 square-foot facility dedicated to all aspects of the sweet treat, which opened in 2011.
As you enter, witness the world’s largest PEZ dispenser, a giant man in a blue cap that towers over visitors. It’s a cool shot for Instagram, if you can get the right angle.
Learn the history of the candy as well as fun facts on the history wall.
For instance, did you know that PEZ candy was invented in Vienna, Austria in 1927 and was originally peppermint flavored? That’s where the PEZ name comes from — the German word for peppermint, “pfefferminz,” taking the P from the first letter, E from the middle letter and Z from the last letter.
PEZ came to the U.S. in 1952, and the first manufacturing plant in the States was built in Orange, Connecticut in 1973.
After learning all the history you can handle, take a stroll through a vast memorabilia display, separated into a number of categories including United States presidents and movie characters. It’s one of the most comprehensive collections of PEZ candy in the world.
Kids will enjoy the game of the month and can earn a prize if they complete it. Guests can also take a peek at production, watching workers putting together candy orders.
Entrance tickets are only sold onsite and every aspect of your visit is self-guided. Your $5 admission gets you a souvenir PEZ lanyard and a $2 credit for the PEZ store.
Food and drinks are not allowed inside, so that just leaves more room for candy! (Sorry, Mom.)
By Gina Gallucci-White