The Quirkiest Museum In Connecticut Is All About PEZ
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Who doesn't love PEZ?? Not only are the candies delicious, the iconic array of colorful character dispensers bring back fond memories of carefree childhood days.
PEZ was invented in 1927 by Eduard Haas III of Vienna, Austria. They were originally more of a mint than a candy, designed to give folks an alternative to smoking.
The candies were peppermint flavored and sold in small tins. In fact, the now iconic PEZ name was derived from the German word for peppermint, "Pffefferminz". The P was taken from the first letter, the E from the middle letter and the Z from the last letter to form PEZ.
By the time PEZ was introduced to the United States in 1955, the flavors we know and love today had begun to appear and were dispensed from mechanical boxes.
Two years later, the first character dispenser - the Halloween witch - was introduced!
Lovers of all things PEZ can spend an entire day basking in the glory of these brick-shaped Austrian treats at the Pez Visitors Center in Orange, Connecticut!
The Constitution State has been PEZ headquarters since 1973, with more than 4,000 square feet of PEZ memorabilia at the Orange museum.
Guests of the PEZ Visitor Center can expect to see the world's largest PEZ dispenser, a PEZ motorcycle built by Orange County Choppers, and the world's largest public display of Pez dispensers!
In addition to the colorful memorabilia, you can even catch a glimpse of the PEZ production floor where the brick-shaped candies are made.
Ready to plan your visit? The PEZ Visitor Center is open seven days a week! Monday - Saturday 10am - 6pm, and Sunday 12pm - 5pm.
Visit their website to learn more.