Sweet Dreams Are Made at Candytopia

Houston just got an immersive art experience that would make Willy Wonka extremely proud. Ever feel jealous of little Charlie Bucket or were you known as the kid that forced their friends to play yet another game of Candyland? Well, you’re about to see your sweet dreams come true. Candytopia just opened!!

The experience winds you through 14 candy-themed rooms (scroll down for the deets on that) and it’s SO much more than just a spot to take photos. It’s an adventure fit for a kid (or kid at heart) that will give you the sweetest dreams of sugar plum fairies.

PS. There’s been a lot of these types of immersive art exhibits popping up around town. Keep track of them all here!

Know before you go

It’s not here forever. It opens June 14, and has dates through September 29. (There are two Tuesdays a month that it’s closed.)
Tickets are $28 for adults and $20 for kids. Worth every penny, let me tell ya.
Wear comfy clothes. And don’t plan any outfit changes. The only bathroom is at the end of the process. I recommend tennis shoes and pants — you’re getting up and down off the ground plus in a marshmallow pit. Need I say more, ladies in dresses?
Download the app. There are all sorts of cool AR and photo booth tools scattered throughout. There’s wifi but it’s slow, so I recommend downloading before you get there.
Know it’s not like actually candy, but you get to eat a lot! I mean, think of the ants. Nothing is edible in the exhibit, except all the buckets of candies 9 different candy samples all around when you enter through each room.
It’s where Drink Houston used to be! For some, it might feel familiar. That’s because it’s where Drink! Houston used to be.
Lighting isn’t, like, amazing. It’s not all about the photos in Candytopia. Remember when I mentioned the space used to be a club? So yeah, not like, a whole lot of natural lighting. Don’t try to get that perfect shot in every room — just enjoy and have fun!

It’s about the journey, not the destination

“Come with me, and you’ll be in a world of pure imagination.”
Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Wonder what it’s like to go through Candytopia? Let me tell ya.

Even before you walk in, it’s like another world. Big golden gates welcome you like you won a golden freaking ticket.
The clock room is…. not like, super impressive. My favorite part is the MASSIVE amount of Lindt Lindor chocolate truffles that are in there. Use your app to make the dragon breath fire!
Next up, you go through a tunnel made to cause panic attacks in the claustrophobic. Seriously, you go through this hallway with inflated walls. Idk why. It’s not pleasant, but I would think a kid would LOVE it.
Next up is a full playground. Highlights include:
- 100 emoji swingflowers that, when you step on the pedal, puff out a fragrance tootsie roll popsgreen screen that makes you look like you’re in a chocolate riverhula hoops aboundanother set of swings
- little umbrella things that each play music
You head through a super cool tunnel of lights unto the next exhibit which is…
an art gallery. Where the art is made of candy. All of it. Warhol, Van Gogh — even the freaking Mona Lisa. It’s all SO impressive.
Next is an aquatic, marine style room (with pixie sticks!) followed by a small jungle (with gummy bears!)
THEN THERE’S THE CONFETTI ROOM. Hold on to your hats, and I do mean that literally. There’s wall to wall confetti and everyone is ready to throw some at you. There’s even a little air blowing cubby where you can use fans to dust off your confetti bc necessary. CANDY: Gummy worms.
I love this next kinda random room. There’s a Purple Rain setup with a candy guitar, a couple big beach balls amid a background of clouds, and also a display that makes it look like you’re falling through a funnel of sorts! Get you some airheads, they are outta control.
We’ve saved the best for last. The marshmallow pit wraps up the tour. Shoes off and valuables in the cubbies. Jump into the pit, swim around, get some thrown at you, all of the above!
You end in the gift shop, like, obviously.