In recent years, a new category of for-profit, immersive entertainment venues styled as museums has emerged, attracting large audiences and challenging traditional art institutions. Among these, the Museum of Ice Cream stands out with six locations nationwide, including Manhattan and Chicago, drawing roughly one million visitors annually—exceeding attendance figures for established institutions such as the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Cleveland Museum of Art. These entertainment-focused spaces emphasize playful, interactive exhibits rather than traditional educational or curatorial missions.
Critics often deride elements like the Museum of Ice Cream’s sprinkle pool or nostalgic displays such as a recreated Fudgie the Whale as lacking depth, yet their popularity points to shifting public preferences. Unlike conventional museums, which are mostly nonprofit and geared toward education and preservation, venues like the Museum of Ice Cream, Meow Wolf, and the Museum of Illusions operate as commercial entities. They rely heavily on ticket sales, with some charging premium prices—for instance, the Museum of Ice Cream offers V.I.P. tickets up to $89, while Meow Wolf’s Las Vegas experience has packages as high as $119.
The popularity of these immersive spaces coincides with ongoing challenges faced by traditional museums, including declining visitor numbers, rising operational costs, and reductions in philanthropy. A study covering 6,500 U.S. museums found that revenue dropped by 36 percent between 2019 and 2024, with nearly half operating at a loss in 2024. Several institutions have responded with staff reductions and program cutbacks, while others have sought to innovate. For example, the Metropolitan Museum of Art recently launched a video game-like concierge app and opened a new interactive education center. The Whitney Museum has introduced dance parties and exhibits focused on contemporary figures like Beyoncé and Jay-Z in an effort to engage younger audiences.
Experts note that these developments reflect broader societal trends toward experience-driven consumption. Visitors increasingly seek entertainment, social connection, and interactive involvement, which some traditional museums have struggled to provide. “People want to touch. They want to feel,” said Kim Schaefer, CEO of the Museum of Illusions, highlighting a cultural demand for sensory engagement. Meanwhile, industry observers caution that the educational mission of museums—preserving knowledge, challenging perspectives, and providing cultural context—remains vital. Balancing education with entertainment, experts argue, will be key to the future vitality of museums.
Executives in immersive art companies acknowledge the importance of traditional museums while critiquing their historical exclusion of broader audiences such as families and individuals without specific educational or socioeconomic backgrounds. Vince Kadlubek, chief vision officer at Meow Wolf, emphasized the need for inclusivity and engagement across demographics, suggesting that art institutions have long overlooked key potential visitors.
The nonprofit status of many museums offers benefits like tax advantages but limits fundraising possibilities, whereas for-profit institutions have raised substantial private capital—Meow Wolf reported over $200 million raised between 2016 and 2019. Despite differing business models, many agree that a diverse cultural ecosystem is necessary. Traditional museums, while evolving, continue to play a crucial role in preserving artwork and providing critical insights, while immersive venues bring fresh approaches to audience engagement.
Overall, the rise of entertainment-focused museums highlights evolving visitor expectations and pressures on longstanding cultural institutions to innovate without losing sight of their educational purposes. The future of museums may depend on blending interactive, joyful experiences with the preservation and interpretation of artistic and historical knowledge.