The Dessert Museum 101: Beyond just being ‘Instagrammable’

The hype is real! This newest installation at S Maison, Conrad in Pasay City is definitely one of the cutest go-to places for your Facebook display photo or pastel-themed Instagram feed. Although numerous media outlets and social media users have already bestowed the term “Instagrammable” to the newly opened candy land in town, it pays to know that The Dessert Museum goes beyond just being a pretty place for candy-themed photo shoots.

The 12,000 sq. ft. interactive museum that features popular desserts was opened to the public on February 10, 2018 with fully-booked slots for online reservations. It features eight rooms with different themes, which you can check in our guide below. Unlike other museums, visits here are divided into batches and they only allow entry every 15 minutes. Visitors need to transfer to the next room together with their batchmates and are only given a maximum of two hours to tour the entire museum.

GETTING IN

Online bookings cost P699 per head while walk-in customers get charged P799. That’s minus P100 if ever you find a good timeslot that fits your schedule. Tickets can be bought at the entrance of this millennial-ized haven or via their website: thedessertmuseum.com.

Once you arrive, a pink or blue digital bracelet will be strapped on your wrist to make it easier for you to claim six free treats inside the mouthwatering rooms. Every visitor will be given a Pink Passport to read while waiting for the tour guide to officially welcome you per batch.

BEYOND INSTAGRAM

One of the main challenges behind the pretty photos you see on social media are the time-bound stay in each room. Within the time limit, tour guides will be sharing fun facts about the history of featured candies (and of course, you’ll need to listen if you want to make your trip an educational one), staff will be giving away treats which you’ll need to eat as fast as you can, and take photos as keepsake. Note that you’ll need to take turns in taking photos since other visitors will also be wanting to take a snap by the huge sweets. Trivia about different desserts are also painted on the colorful walls, so I highly recommend that you watch out for those spots as well.

The eight rooms look like something out of our Charlie and the Chocolate Factory dreams when we were kids. It can definitely give anyone a sugar rush and a good time that’s worth remembering. Here’s a peek at each one and quick reminders that can help. Feel free to copy the poses and tag #ManilaMillennial when posting!

Donut Hole

Slide down just for fun and be careful of the donuts! They’re not as soft as they appear to be in photos.

Marshmallow Room

Don’t worry about getting sticky here. The marshmallow designs aren’t real but you’ll be given a large marshmallow for the chocolate and strawberry fondue. Recommending that you take photos before eating to make sure that your face wouldn’t look messy in the pics!

Candy Cane Groves

Before leaving the Marshmallow Room, visitors will be asked to choose between two doors – Naughty or Nice. Our batch opened both doors and they lead to the Candy Cane Groves. You’ll find macarons in pink and blue hues in this room.

Ice Cream Room

Although it looks like something from Up, the hot air balloon area in the Ice Cream Room actually resembles an ice cream cone. Balloons of different colors were used to represent the swirls of sweetness in the room. Take your time here because it’s hard to finish their free ice cream quickly! Different flavors like Mango, Avocado, Chocolate, and Strawberry are available.

Bubble Room

There’s not a lot to see in this room but they have a huge bubblegum machine which contains balloons that spin around, thanks to pressurized air. You can also step inside a human-sized bubble maker just for fun!

Gummy Bear Room

Jump around and swim in loads of candies! While you’re at it, munch on three gummy bears that you can claim at the corner of the room. Don’t forget to hug the huge gummy bears on your way out.

Cotton Candy Forest

Like a scene from Katy Perry’s California Girls, the Cotton Candy Forest is a place where you’d like to get lost in. Everything is pretty in pink, but not all the designs are edible. All the cotton candies that you can claim can be found at one corner of the room.

Cake Pops Room

You’ll probably sing “I came in like a wrecking ball” a la Miley Cyrus once you get on the huge cake pops dangling on one side of the room. At the other side, you can dunk fluffy alien-like balls that are so cute, you’d want to take them home.

P.S. I love their cake pops!

TIPS AND TRICKS

It’s best to plan ahead if you’re going to visit The Dessert Museum. Plan your OOTD to nail every photo, charge your cameras, make friends, give way if someone else wants to take a photo in the area that you’re occupying, and forget about your diet even just for a day. Before entering the museum, make sure that you also have a bottled water with you to avoid getting sore throat after. Most importantly, just have fun!