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It’s exactly as it sounds: an entire museum dedicated to Pez dispensers. The Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia (located just five minutes south of the San Francisco airport) features every Pez model ever sold. The collection includes well over 1,000 dispensers. This year, the museum is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Established in 1927, Pez was originally created as a breath mint for adults. Believe it or not, they were designed to be an alternative to smoking. The first few models didn’t even have the notorious character heads on them. That came later, in 1955, when the company started marketing the products to children.
The name Pez derives from the first, middle, and last letter in the German term for peppermint: PfeffErminZ. The company was started in Vienna, Austria.
To date, there are Pez dispensers so rare that they are worth thousands of dollars. In fact, the most expensive Pez dispenser ever sold was priced at $32,205.00!
Among the cool things one can expect to see at the Museum of Pez Memorabilia? The world’s largest Pez dispenser. It stands at 7’10” tall, making it more than 20 times larger than the handheld model!
Also of interest is the fact that the Museum of Pez Memorabilia is actually a 3-in-1 attraction. Admission to the Museum of Pez Memorabilia also purchases entry into the Classic Toy Museum and the Banned Toy Museum.
The Classic Toy Museum displays all the favorite toys from the ‘50s and ‘60s. The Banned Toy Museum displays dangerous toys that were discontinued due to safety concerns. The Banned Toy Museum also displays toys that were discontinued for political or moral reasons.
But the best part about these museums? They’re very affordable. Admission is $3.00 for adults, $2.00 for children (ages 4-10) and for seniors (ages 65+). Children 4 and under are free.