For the young and the young at heart, the HAPPY PLACE is a fun, intriguing and for lack of a better word, happy, place. But most of you are probably wondering “What on earth is the HAPPY PLACE?” Started by a SoCal Dad, the HAPPY PLACE is a touring, interactive pop up experience that is intended to spread more happiness into the world. It’s full of “happy” scenes and experiences, ranging from a giant ball pit your whole fam or group of friends can jump into and a confetti blowing machine to giant high heels, an upside down room and a rubber ducky bathtub. It originated in Los Angeles, Chicago is it’s second stop, and more cities will be announced soon. Now it’s time to get happy, keep reading and check out the photos.
Truth be told, when I saw a lot of my friends posting pics at HAPPY PLACE in Los Angeles, my first thought was why on earth didn’t they have that while we still lived there. My kids (and me!) would love that! Fast forward to our trip to Chicago, imagine how excited I was when I discovered that HAPPY PLACE was there! I was pleasantly surprised that tickets were still available for that Saturday morning (it was a Sold Out event in California), so I jumped at the opportunity and bought our tickets. Now all we had to do was wait (and travel).
That Saturday morning, we caught an Uber to what appeared to be a warehouse district on the outskirts of downtown Chicago. There was a big inflatable outside (pictured above) and the kids were excited to get “happy.” We waited in a line for our time slot. They restrict how many people can go in at a time so all of their patrons can enjoy the experience. Then it was time to walk through those cute smiley face doors. Will the kids like it? Will we have fun? Was it worth the hype? Only time would tell.
Upon entry, we were greeted with a television that happily goes through the rules of the road. Then we walked into a hallway with giant letters that included “Be Happy” before entering the first room… with giant yellow heels, M&Ms for snacking and a wall of gumball machines. This is my kinda place! We continued through, finding a series of rooms with themed wallpapers, fun sets (some you could climb on and some you couldn’t) and great photo ops/video opportunities. There were hearts, and flowers, and palm trees and confetti. There were signs, and chains, and tubs and dance parties. And at the end of the main exhibits, there were food stands with unicorn and rainbow Cotton Candy, Mac & Cheese, Grilled Cheese and Chicken and Waffles. We opted to try the Rainbow Grilled Cheese and Unicorn Mac ‘n’ Cheese, and not only were they colorful, the were surprisingly tastier than I anticipated. Around the food section were games of corn hole and croquet that the kids and grownups enjoyed. But even though that was the end, the exhibits weren’t over yet. At the exit, they had a gift shop, a giant rubber ducky, a chalkboard the kids were allowed to write on and a wall of butterflies in addition to cute sayings on the walls saying “Happy Trails To You Until We Meet Again” and “Did We Just Become Best Friends.”
In conclusion, the whole family enjoyed a hop into the ball pit which is documented in Slow Mo on my phone (and on Instagram). We have boomerang videos of the kids pulling balloons attached to the ceiling. We posed with a giant “Happy” sign and got to “hang upside down” in rooms. We hopped in a bathtub surrounded by rubber duckies. We have some great family photos and mother/daughter pics, and everyone was all smiles. But most importantly, we made great memories and got happy together. I recommend checking it out.
For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.happyplace.me
Totally Tash 