Saturday Date Night at the Pez Museum

Saturday Date Night: October 9, 2010 @ 4:30 PM

When Enrique and I first started dating almost four years ago and even to this day, he has been giving me Pez toys here and there to "put in my office." Not only is he a big kid at heart but his last name is very close to "Pez." I guess his love affair with Pez started since he was a kid.

On the other hand, I never cared for Pez as a young kid.  They were available in Manila where I grew up but I just hated the taste of the Pez candy. 

When I found out about the Pez Museum and Memorabilia through Groupon (Deal was $5 for 2 tickets and $5 store credit,) I just knew I had to take Enrique to this place!

I already read that the Pez Museum is going to be tinier than my living room. What I was not prepared for was that it really is a tiny storefront that seemed to have gotten stuck in the '80s.  The store was divided into two sections: The first section was the store where you can purchase all kinds of Hello Kitty, Elvis and Disney Pez dispensers and even retired Pez toys.  The second was the actual museum.

For $3 entrance fee, you also get a "private" tour by the very friendly owner and he will tell you some fun trivias:

1. Pez was invented in Austria.
2. Pez is short for the german word "PfeffErmiZ (got it?) because the first Pez candy flavor was peppermint.

Vintage Pez Poster

3. The first Pez dispenser came out in 1950 and did not have a "head" on it. It looked like a cigarette lighter. In 1952, they started addding "character" head to Pez.

4. This Pez museum has the largest Pez dispenser. This is the home of the 7 ft 10 in "Pez Snowman" that appeared in the Guinness World Record as the largest Pez dispenser ever.

The museum showcased all kinds of Pez dispensers since the 1950s and it also included nostalgic toys that shared the same dateline as Pez.  It was fun to see and hear about  the "illegal, bad toys" which include a Cabbage Patch doll who "ate kids' hair and fingers," the Barbie Matador who "killed" bulls and Potato Head that needed a real  potato to exist.

"Bad Cabbage Patch. You 'ate' children's hair and fingers!"

Mr. and Mrs.  Potato Head without their Potatoes

We were in-and-out in about 20 minutes. The tour itself only took about 5 minutes where we were left to browse on our own and take pictures. We spent the next 10 minutes deciding which Pez to buy for mostly $2.15 each excluding the "retired" Pez which sold for a lot more.  Enrique made out with  "Joker" and "Goofy," and I bought  the mouse and chef Pez from the movie "Ratatouille."  With the $5 Groupon, we left the store spending only $4!

So, if you are a "kid at heart" and/or know someone who will enjoy the Pez Museum --for $3 and the price of gas--you can enter the Pez time machine and be a kid again.  Do not expect much--just enter the grungy store with a child-like wonder. You will definitely be "wowed."  A fun and cheap date place!

Date Night Recommendations:
1. Visit the Pez Museum and buy a Pez or two to remember the fun afternoon.
2. For dining options, down the street is the cozy Downtown Burlingame where there are plenty of boutiques to browse and restaurants to choose from.

(Enrique and I checked out downtown Burlingame for a little bit but decided to go to the City for dinner.)