Leaping into a pool of rubber sprinkles, scaling a unicorn-headed slide reminiscent of dragon-shaped playgrounds of yesteryear, and posing with life-sized potong popsicles in pastel pink-hued rooms. These are some whimsical scenes at the experiential ice cream-themed wonderland, Museum of Ice Cream (MOIC) that have been well-documented on social media.
MOIC, which is housed in a former barracks in Dempsey Hill, has become one of the more buzzy attractions in Singapore since it opened in August 2021 — in the midst of COVID-19 movement restrictions. MOIC Singapore received “hundreds of thousands” visitors last year.
Speaking to The Peak during a recent visit here, Maryellis Bunn, co-founder of the Museum of Ice Cream and its parent company Figure8, which is an experience-first development firm, says: “The pandemic has brought us to a place where we can commoditize experiences that people value. I have always been a believer that the experiences will supersede products or objects, and this has been validated in the post-COVID-19 world.”
Bunn is referring to how the entertainment and events industry, which were among the hardest hit during the pandemic, has bounced back with the return of physical events.
The 31-year-old American says: “The initial reaction was to pivot to digital offerings, but my stance was there will be a pent-up demand for building connections in the physical spaces and we need to have the product ready for a post-pandemic environment.”
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