If you've called the Magic City home for the last decade, chances are this museum has made it onto your radar at some point. In 2017, its six-month pop-up garnered thousands of visitors, and a weekend-long sprinkle pool party in 2022 was an adults-only hit. After seeing how successfully the museum fared down here, cofounders Maryellis Bunn and Manish Vora shared that Miami was at the top of their list when considering venue expansions, and just two years later, they've made good on their promise. Museum of Ice Cream Miami is here to stay in Paramount Miami Worldcenter downtown, and it couldn't be more quintessentially 305.
"We built this with the locals in mind, thinking about how this can be a place to celebrate a date night, a birthday party, how to help local businesses do team-building experiences," shared Bunn with New Times. "From the architecture to the food to the treats, we thought, What are the different pieces of Miami that we can integrate into the experience?"
As soon as you cross the threshold from Miami's humidity into MOIC's sweet, air-conditioned relief, you're immersed in a grade-school daydream. A lobby dunked in 1905C Pink, the museum's official Pantone shade, cheerfully receives you and leads you to your first treat — banana split Dippin' Dots reminiscent of the Youth Fair or a Busch Gardens blitz trip.
From there, you'll come across an ice cream trivia hub that'll test your knowledge of the frozen dessert. Don't be alarmed by the unexpected pop quiz — or the fact that ice cream has an unexpectedly detailed history — you'll be rewarded for your efforts with the Cream Liner, one of several exhibitions unique to MOIC's Miami location. The Sixties-inspired airline pays homage to the Magic City's international ties and invites you to enjoy an orange slush topped with whipped cream while it jets you off to more of the museum's sights.
What follows is a maze of frozen confections and photo opportunities that make the price point — tickets currently range from $31 to $48 without accounting for parking costs — feel worthwhile. There's a hall of freezers where a secret door hides a DIY coconut soft serve station, a study where key lime tarts materialize out of thin air, and a carnival outfitted with putt-putt and Skee-Ball.
Dunky's Diner is MOIC's largest café and bar across its locations and features the museum's newest craft beverage menu.
Museum of Ice Cream photo
Once you've gotten your fill — visiting MOIC is much like visiting your abuela; you'll never leave hungry — slide down the Versace-inspired, double-helix slide into the iconic sprinkle pool and make your way back into that Miami sun. The weather won't have improved, but life's sure to feel just a bit sweeter.
Museum of Ice Cream. 851 NE First Ave., Miami; museumoficecream.com/miami. Monday 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday 2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4 to 7:30 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4 to 8:30 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
