My daughter is very artsy so when I heard that the Crayola Experience (formerly the Crayola Factory) had been expanded and renovated, I knew we had to check it out.  Located about 90 minutes from New York City, its a great spot for a day trip or a weekend getaway. We stopped by on the way to visit family in Northern PA so it was a nice way to break up our trip.

We arrived shortly after opening so the crowds weren’t too bad. I definitely recommend arriving early if possible.  The Crayola Experience features four floors of activities for kids of all ages (no lie, we’re talking toddlers to teens) making it a great family destination. Crayons steal the show (fresh crayon smells waft throughout the exhibits) but you will also find activities that involve markers, wax, modeling clay and other artistic mediums.

Admission includes three tokens which can be used at Wrap it Up (custom crayons anyone?), Marker Mania and Modeling Madness. Additional tokens are $.50 each and you will definitely need more if your kids are anything like my daughter.  Start at the theater which features a 20-minute interactive show (part human and part animation) detailing how crayons are made. As you exit, you receive a newly born crayon. Throw it in your welcome bag and start your adventure.  Our first stop after the show was Wrap it Up.  We had a lot of fun making custom crayons as souvenirs for our friends and family.

From there we wandered up each floor and explored the activities.  Basically, my daughter quickly ran from one activity to the next while we chased her around holding the map and snapping photos.  You know how that goes.  The favorites were Melt Down (painting with various colors of melted crayons), Art Alive (an animation area where your artwork appears on the wall), Be a Star exhibit (smile and your picture turns into a coloring page, T-shirt, puzzle, etc.), Doodle in the Dark (you move on the mat and the coordinating crayon dances on the screen), Puzzle It (turn your drawings into puzzles), Paint Palette (a crafting area) and Drip Art (a very cool crayon version of spin art).  There were a handful of activities that were available for an extra charge which I found a bit annoying but they were mostly on the outskirts so that was nice.  Be prepared to say yes or you might face a non-crayon type of melt down…

Globetrotting Mommy – Crayola Experience

While we didn’t explore every single area (way too crowded play area, water works area seemed out of place, etc.) we still managed to spend about four hours and had a great time.  Be sure not to miss the memorabilia throughout the museum like the old school photos of vintage crayon boxes and their featured colors. Exit through the gift shop (of course) but this one actually features a nice array of gifts and souvenirs (including design your own packs of crayons and markers).

Things to know:

Admission to the Crayola Experience is $16.99 per person when you buy tickets in advance online. Kids under two are free. Annual passes are just $34.99 and are worth the price if you plan to visit two or more times in a year.

There is a cafe on the first floor or if you’re feeling adventurous, visit one of the downtown Easton restaurants within walking distance.  Be sure to check out the directions and parking information before you go and let me know what you think.

Bon voyage.