Immersive pop-ups have taken over NYC. New Yorkers are escaping the city and taking a joyride through these adult Instagram playgrounds. This summer, we drank rosé at Rosé Mansion, devoured candy at Candytopia, sipped tea at Room for Tea, tumbled down the rabbit hole at Wonder World and played with color at Color Factory. These ephemeral experiences, which range in price from $20-$45, are designed to give millennials several Instagramworthy photo ops. We highly recommend a visit before they close up shop for good.
Some of these experiences are purely about the Instagram shots, while others appeal to your five senses. Unlike a traditional art gallery, these installations are meant to be interactive. Get ready to jump in a ball pit or toss a ball into a basketball hoop.
ROSE MANSION
445 5th Ave
When: July – October 21, 2018
Price: $45 (Happy Hour $35 2-4:30PM Mon-Fri)
Rosé Mansion is located on NYC’s iconic Fifth Ave, and is dedicated to Rosé. During this “Charlie and the Rosé Factory” experience, we walked through 14 curated rooms and sipped Rosé from different wine regions. The Rosé Mansion consists of two stories. The self guided tour begins on the second floor. When we walked upstairs, we were each given a GoVino wine glass, grape stickers and a collectible wine pin. Each stop on the tour focuses on a different region or aspect of Rosé. Our first stop on the Rosé tour was a pure white room, where we placed grape varietal stickers on the walls. Today this same room is unrecognizable as it is completely covered in Rosé stickers. Then we walked along a Scratch N Sniff wall that featured various aromas found in Rosé. Next we visited the Blending Lab, where mixologists blended the perfect Rosé based on our personal wine preferences. We asked for a glass that wasn’t too dry or sweet, but fruity at the same time. Remember to stop and snap a few shots or take boomerang as your swing through a chandelier like a Rosé rock star or sit on a gigantic throne with crowns fit for royalty. The final stop is the Grand Tasting Lounge at one of the largest Rosé wine bars. You can purchase wine by the glass or bottle as well at light snacks. You’ll sample approximately two glasses of wine and spend 60-90 minutes exploring the mansion..
CANDYTOPIA
145 W 32nd Street
When: August 15 – November 15, 2018
Admission: $34
If you ever wondered what Candyland is like, look no further than Candytopia in Penn Plaza. At Candytopia, a one of a kind Candy tasting adventure awaits. You won’t need a golden ticket to see massive candy pieces of art, face-size lollipops and a marshmallow pit. We walked through a dozen curated rooms and tasted a variety of scrumptious candies and chocolates along the way. We walked through a laser tunnel to get to the next room, where iconic artworks and statues were reimagined in candy form. Next, we went under the sea and saw pigs fly with unicorns. The last room features a gigantic marshmallow pool. Don’t worry they aren’t real, so dive in and remember to take a picture or boomerang. The final stop is the Candy Store and Lounge. You can purchase candy at the store or drinks at the bar.
ROOM FOR TEA
371 Broadway
When: August 28 – September 22, 2018
Admission: $23, $33 including a tea ceremony
Have your ever wanted to wander through a labyrinth of tea or taste matcha under cherry blossoms? This limited experience in Soho ended on September 22 but maybe they will take the show on the road to another city soon. Room for Tea is a 40 minute multi-sensory journey that features five tea inspired scenic rooms and 18 visual highlights. This immersive experience includes art installations by female artists. First we entered the Summer BOBA Court Room, a room filled with pink tapioca inspired bubble tea balls and a giant milk carton. Next we walked through the Labyrinth of Tea, where we passed through layers of red curtains. There’s also a 40-min tea ceremony that allows you to experience tea in a tea house. If you want to participate in the tea ceremony, be sure to purchase the tickets that include the ceremony.We walked upstairs to the Milk Tea Metropolis, an urban chic room dominated by with electric, bright lights. The last stop on the tour is the tea bar, where we chose a unique bubble tea flavor.
WONDER WORLD
76 Wooster
When: August 24 – November 4, 2018
Admission: $26
You don’t have to be Alice to tumble down the rabbit hole and immerse yourself in Wonderland. Wonder World is a short 30 minute fairytale of art installations based on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. At Wonder World, guests can explore a flower tunnel, steep in a giant teacup, splash in a bubble swimming pool and soar to the moon. There’s also an infinity room upstairs. 
COLOR FACTORY
When: August 20 – October 14, 2018
Admission: $38
Color Factory is an immersive art exhibit dedicated to all things color. This 20,000 square foot pop-up features 16 unique rooms that stimulate all five senses. Over the course of an hour, we sampled colorful treats, listened to harmonious tunes and learned about color. There are several QR coded cameras throughout the pop-up so you can put your phone down and enjoy the experience. We walked through a colorful 70s inspired room and selected a macaron from the Pick A Color, Any Flavor installation by Mille Feuille. Next we walked though the Hall of Colors, a tunnel composed of hanging buttons in 26 colors. We selected a button and were told there would be a colorful surprise later. Then we sat down for Complementary Compliments by Christine Wong Yap. We were challenged to draw a Color Portrait of our partner across from us. We walked into Sing Me High, Sing Me Low, Bring Me Back, Let Me Go, a musical installation by the musician Abimaro and the artist Lakwena. After the musical experience, it was time for Balloon Wishes from Anagram Balloons. Secret Colors is a giant sized live-action flowchart by Molly Young. This installation took us on a journey to discover the scientific result of our secret color. We took our secret color with us on the disco inspired dance floor created by Maybelline. Next we took a spin on a life sized technicolor wheel and spun around in the New York State of Mind room by Andrew Kuo. The final room was Into The Blue by Leah Rosenberg. This baby blue ball-pit of 50,000 anti-bacterial balls was perfect for jumping, hiding and swimming. After our ball-pit excursion, we enjoyed some vanilla gelato.
“Experience is the teacher of all things” – Julius Caeser
Wow – this looks like a lot of fun! I bet you enjoyed it! Great photos too – the colours are fab! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Oh this looks like so much fun! I need to check this place out. Love that it is interactive.
This looks so much fun. It is cute too with all the perfect blend I must say.
These popups look like tons of fun, and the colors are amazing! Great vibes!!!
That is an awesome pop up event, seems like they have plenty of activities for the kids.
This looks like so much fun! I need to check this place out for sure. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, these immersive pop-ups look like so much fun!! I love how you described them.
This place literally looks so cool. I would love to visit. Great pictures and post!
omg – this is my sort of a place so much fun all around and so much to see
It sounds like a very unique experience. That alone would make it worth seeing.
Omg how fun! My favorite places to visit are the insta worthy once’s!! This place is definitely insta worthy!!!
OK, this is the coolest idea ever!! I want to check this out with my husband! What great photo opportunities and have a great time doing it!
This is fantastic! Great photo opportunities!
Ugh! I still haven’t been to a pop up!!! I want to go so bad. This one looks so girly and chic! I’m jealous lol.
This was a great roundup of some of the great popups NY had to offer this summer. It was nice to find something new and exciting to do for the summer.
This was a great roundup of some of the great popups NY had to offer this summer. It was nice to find something new and exciting to do for the summer.
Adult instagram playgrounds! Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought that would be a thing! Looks like a lot of thought went into these pop ups!Super cool
What a fun experience and you did a fab job detailing the experiences! Great job!
Wow, talk about a great place for photos! I loved looking through these – so many bright colors and fun backdrops. Looks like an awesome time!
I love these pop-ups! They’re always fun and just a little different from the regular too! Nice photos!