The Visitor Centre today is ... PEZ
- JULIE WHITE
- May 20
- 15 min read
PEZ: From Peppermints to Pop Culture. We unwrap the sweet secrets of the iconic brand, dispensing fun at their US factory and visitor centre.
PEZ, the iconic candy brand, known for its small rectangular sweets and whimsical collectable dispensers, has a fascinating history, dating back to 1927. PEZ churns out a staggering 5 billion candies a year, shipping 70 million of those iconic dispensers to over 80 countries. Each little lozenge is made from confectionery sugar and corn syrup, pressed under thousands of pounds of force into that instantly recognisable rectangular shape.
Like a Kinder Egg, PEZ combines both toy and candy. Interestingly, it began not as a sweet treat but as a breath freshener and an aid to help people quit smoking.
If a character or person has made a dent in pop culture, chances are they have been immortalised in plastic with a PEZ candy tucked inside their neck.
Dedicated collectors, known as PEZ-Heads, are part of the more than 80,000 visitors who flock to the PEZ Visitor Center each year. Admittedly, I’ve never had much of a sweet tooth and knew little about the brand’s history. However, while traveling through Connecticut, we seized the chance to visit PEZ’s American headquarters. What we found was a delightful and budget-friendly visitor center, staffed by passionate employees, who welcomed us like family. A true hidden gem.
Visiting the PEZ Visitor Center: What to Expect
The brand history
PEZ began in Austria with Eduard Haas III - a man who had already made a name for himself selling baking powder, of all things.
Yes, baking powder was the family business. His grandfather, Eduard I, was a doctor who developed a light baking powder mixture as an easy-to-digest alternative to heavy yeast for his patients suffering from stomach issues.
(Fun fact - or grim one depending on how you look at it - Eduard I died suddenly of a medical injection he gave to himself, as part of an experiment!)
With Eduard II in charge, he sold the powder in small, precise, pre-measured amounts for home cooks. Eduard III was just eighteen when he took over the Ed. Haas Company. His 1915 recipe was even better, and those cakes, as well as the company's profits, were on the rise. Long before Betty Crocker got in on the act, Eduard had invented the very first dry, pre-portioned cake mix, called Hasin, with the tagline "For the baking of healthy sponge cakes!"
In a stroke of marketing genius, he sold the mixes with baking tips and recipe books, published in the millions across 11 countries, to inspire home cooks to create even tastier teatime treats. He understood, long before most, that selling an idea is as important as selling a product.
A range of powdered dessert mixes and blancmange followed. But he was restless in his success.
Looking for a new venture, Eduard spotted a gap in the market for peppermint candies, which back then were mostly medicinal and sold in pharmacies. He brought in scientists to develop a cold press technique, and the first rectangular PEZ mints were launched in 1927.
Initially, he marketed the candy to smokers to help them reduce their smoking, or at least freshen their breath afterwards. The PEZ brand name derives from 'Pfefferminz,' the German word for peppermint.
The round peppermint candies, sold in small tins, were a huge hit across Europe, sold with the slogan “Rauchen verboten, PEZ-en erlaubt!” which translates to “Smoking prohibited, PEZing allowed!” To keep up with demand, more PEZ candy factories were constructed across the continent.
The Head Office, Palais Haas, was at 10 Parkring Circle in Vienna, a grand mansion, which still exists today.
The Second World War halted production. Factories were confiscated. Raw materials were either rationed or nonexistent. It took years to build the company back up again. What came next was revolutionary.
Haas was a health fanatic and a germaphobe, which turned out to be the catalyst for the brand’s most iconic invention. To provide a more hygienic way to share the peppermints, a pocket-sized mechanical dispenser was launched in 1948, invented and patented by Oscar Uxa and first shown publicly at the Vienna Trade Fair in 1949. Made from metal, it resembled a cigarette lighter. Each dispenser held 12 tablets, just as it does today.
When PEZ finally crossed the Atlantic to New York in 1952, the American market proved a tough nut to crack. Adults weren't particularly interested in a mechanical breath mint. So, in a brilliant pivot, PEZ turned their attention to children. In 1956, they released a plastic dispenser shaped like a toy space gun that actually shot the candy out of the barrel. It was wonderfully strange, and a huge hit.
But the real turning point came in 1957 with the launch of the Halloween Witch, the very first traditional 3D character head dispenser. Popeye followed as the first licensed character in 1958. Soon after came the 'PEZ Pals', featuring the PEZ Boy, a detective who wore different disguises (a knight, a policeman, a sheikh) to solve mysteries in the little comic inserts that came packaged with the candy.
Over the years, PEZ has secured intellectual property deals with an impressive array of globally recognised franchises, including Marvel, Star Wars, Pokémon, Super Mario, and Disney. They also release special editions for holidays, anniversaries, and even for royal or political figures.
As the brand’s popularity soared, they simply outgrew their New York distribution setup. On November 19, 1973, PEZ broke ground on a brand new, purpose-built manufacturing facility right here in Orange, Connecticut. Today, this is where every single PEZ candy sold in the US and Canada is pressed, wrapped, and packed. PEZ also expanded its candy flavours, moving beyond peppermint to include fruity and sour varieties, broadening its appeal.
By the early 1990s, PEZ had evolved from a nostalgic childhood treat into a full-blown pop culture phenomenon. In 1991, the first collector convention was held in Ohio. A year later, a Tweety Bird PEZ dispenser became the central plot device in a classic episode of Seinfeld. By 1993, the brand had landed on the cover of Forbes magazine, and Christie's in New York held the first-ever pop culture auction featuring PEZ. It is easy to see why people get hooked. It is that perfect storm of nostalgia, quirky design, the thrill of the hunt for rare pieces, and a deeply passionate community.
FUN FACT - One of the most famous high-value PEZ sales was a Democratic Party donkey made in 1961, which fetched $13,000. Only three were ever made. One was presented to President Kennedy when he visited Austria; a second was discovered in storage at the PEZ offices in Linz and remains on display there. The third has never surfaced. Do you have it?
In 2011, PEZ opened the PEZ Visitor Center in Orange, inviting fans to immerse themselves in the colourful world of PEZ history, production, and, of course, its vast array of dispensers.
The 2022 release of PEZ Outlaw on Netflix, brought more attention to the brand. This compelling, strange but true documentary, about one man's mission to buy and sell the most collectible PEZ dispensers in the world, is well worth a watch if you want to understand the lengths some people will go to for these little bits of plastic.
According to the Guinness World Records, Brian Trauman from New Jersey, currently has the biggest PEZ dispenser collection, with over 5,548 items.
A small handful of dispensers have become the holy grails of the collecting world, and the prices they fetch are genuinely astonishing for what is, at its heart, a small piece of plastic. Of the most coveted, the Mickey Mouse ($3500), Dumbo ($2728), and Captain Hook ($2247) dispensers were all prototypes from a Disney soft-head range that was proposed in the 1970s. Disney never approved the line, so the moulds were never put into production, which is precisely why they are worth so much today. The 1950s Space Gun I mentioned will set you back around $1000. All wonderfully strange. All worth rooting about in your attic for.
And what about Eduard Haas III's legacy? He passed away in Vienna on 13 October 1986. Pez remains privately owned, based in Traun, near Linz, Austria. In early 2002, his descendants bought back 32.5% of the stock from investment company PGH for €18M. They now own a 67.5% stake. Production sites are located in Vienna, Western Hungary and the USA, and they employ around 950 people, with 150 of them working in Traun. A new flagship store opened in Shanghai recently. But even more exciting was tempting news from new CEO Leopold Hainy, who mentioned, in 2025, that there are plans for a new location in Austria. A visitor centre where it all started? Now that would be something.
The Visitor Centre design
From the outside, the PEZ Visitor Center gives very little away. It sits in an industrial park off Prindle Hill Road, a large, low-slung building in sandy beige render, the kind of unit that could house anything from a logistics firm to a carpet warehouse.
And then you spot the sign.
Mounted on the front of the building is a stacked trio of oversized PEZ candy packs in the brand's signature red, purple and yellow. By the time you reach the door, you are already smiling.
The brand brought in Illinois-based architectural, retail, and visual merchandising design firm RGLA Solutions to create the 4,000 square feet of exhibition space, and they have done a stellar job. It houses the most comprehensive collection of PEZ memorabilia on public display, with two floors taking you on an interactive journey through the history of the brand, a factory store, and to a viewing area overlooking the PEZ production facility. There are displays where visitors can press buttons, open doors, or participate in quizzes, all arranged at various levels to ensure accessibility for visitors of all ages.
Lobby
Your ticket is a very reasonable $5. Each ticket offers $2 off anything in the store, so you're getting a lot for just $3. You even get a PEZ lanyard to keep.
Along with your ticket, you receive a Close Up Contest game card. It certainly made us look more closely at the displays. I have to admit that I am a sucker for a treasure hunt and this was fun for all ages. Once you answer everything, you hand them back to the docents and you get a prize. I won't spoil the surprise, but it makes the entrance fee basically free.
The guest book showed where that day's visitors were from, a mix of locals and those from other states, plus two sets of guests from Europe, one of which was us.
Even the lobby display has questions built into the text, which definitely adds to the engagement. Museums are increasingly using gamification to create more immersive and engaging experiences for visitors. I love it when museums turn exhibition space into quizzes, scavenger hunts, virtual reality experiences, and interactive components. The PEZ visitor centre was ticking all those boxes and more in a really simple yet effective way.
Amongst the 792 colourful PEZ dispensers lining one wall, guests are challenged to find a rare prototype. This was going to be a fun visit.
1st Floor
Enter the doors and you are greeted by the world's largest Pez Dispenser, a 14-foot-tall PEZ boy wearing a blue baseball cap designed by fabricators Blue Genie. Visitors can push a button, which activates his head tipping back, followed by a giant PEZ candy popping out of his mouth.
Next, we headed to the history wall where we definitely learned a lot, and played along with all the interactive elements. For accessibility, it was pleasing to see much of the content at low level.
The display cases are arranged into sections, Cars, Star Wars, Animals, Sports, Christmas and more. The eclectic mix provides guests with something to reminisce about in every display.
There are original advertisements, tins, products from all over the world and a vast array of memorabilia.
In 1955 PEZ launched full body dispensers, and they are amongst the most collectible items for fans. With a 3D body and head, rather than just a head, they came in a Santa and a robot version.
Much of the vintage packaging and promotional items are of European origin.
A few gems were the small catalogues used by employees to order promotional items back in the 1950s and 60s. These were developed by Werner Benzinger, working from his base in Austria, a name that means very little to most visitors, but one that any serious collector or PEZ historian will recognise no doubt.
PEZ even offered cardboard cut out clothes for their dispensers in the 1950s. These fragile items now sell at auction for hundreds of dollars.
The Olympic Snowman commemorated Schneemann, the official mascot of the 1976 Winter Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria. I'm heading to Innsbruck soon to visit the Swarovski Kristallwelten, the crystal brand's museum and gallery.
I was like a big kid again, running round to find things that I remembered. I am a Star Wars geek, so I couldn't ignore a Luke and Leia fix.
One of my favourite discoveries was The Optimistic Pezzimist, a fan-made magazine from 1991, lovingly published by Mike Robertson in the very early days of PEZ collecting. Before eBay, before the internet, this was how enthusiasts communicated, bought, sold, and traded. The readership never topped a few hundred.
Personalisation
Enough of the history, it was time for some more fun in the form of personalisation opportunities. Guests can fill their dispensers with their choice of candy, which is dispensed into buckets. As someone who had never tasted PEZ (I know many of you are rolling your eyes right now), I had no idea what to choose.
There's the obligatory, and effective, selfie station, and what's not to like about that?
And you can even decorate and personalise the dispensers. Hours of fun!
Factory
The museum is also a working factory, and along one wall are glass windows onto the production area.
There are video screens showing close-ups of the mixing, pressing, wrapping and packing, which is handy, as we're not right up to the action here.
Touch screens allow you to move through a virtual tour of the PEZ factory too, to see parts you don't get to see from the visitor centre.
There were enough display boards to tell us what each machine did, but, ultimately, we wished we could have gone a bit closer.
FUN FACT - Do you know what liquorice, coffee, and chlorophyll all have in common? They were all once PEZ candy flavours!
There are boxes of product everywhere, in all manner of flavours.
The visitor centre is a magnificent, candy-coloured trip down memory lane. But, as you watch the machines pump out millions of plastic dispensers, a modern question inevitably creeps in: What about the environmental footprint?
This is exactly where PEZ is missing a massive trick. Because, behind the scenes, the brand is actually doing a lot to address the issue, like running solar-powered facilities and instantly recycling their plastic scraps ("sprues") right back into the machines. An interactive display could teach the next generation about circular engineering, turning a potential eco-critique into an inspiring educational highlight.
2nd floor
Upstairs is even more educational, with room for talks and school groups.
The focus up here is more on PEZ themed merchandise and advertising videos, rather than just the dispensers and candies. There are numerous display cases packed full of clothing, lunch boxes, games, toys and more.
The PEZ motorcycle was built by Orange County Choppers, who feature on the Discovery Channel television series American Chopper.
I particularly loved the displays dedicated to the 'PEZ Girls'. Introduced in the 1950s, PEZ recruited young women, dressed them in sharply tailored, almost air-hostess-style uniforms, and sent them out to hand out samples at landmarks, stores, and movie theatres.
The vintage print visuals are so striking, and so perfectly of their era, that the brand still uses them on merchandise today. It is a great reminder of just how heavily PEZ leaned into bold, graphic marketing from the very beginning.
Factory Store
The retail space is not huge here, as they concentrate more on displays of historical PEZ items. There was a good selection for all budgets. We spent $12, and left with a bag full of goodies.
In conclusion
I’ll be honest: as someone who has never actually eaten a PEZ candy, my expectations for the Visitor Center were pretty low. But I completely underestimated this vibrant little gem of an experience.
From the sprawling history wall to the view of the assembly line, the centre beautifully blends education, nostalgia, and pure fun. I found myself instantly connecting with familiar characters and stories from my own past, making it a wonderful space for shared memories. It is also wonderfully accessible, with displays and interactive elements kept at a reachable height for everyone. (Though if I’m being picky, adding braille, multilingual handouts, or an audio guide would make it even better).
What really steals the show is how they use simple games to bring the exhibits to life. Every single screen was up and running, and it was a joy to see adults getting just as competitively hooked on the scavenger hunt quiz as the kids. It’s such a simple, cost-effective idea, but it forces you to look more closely at the displays and rewards you with a charming prize at the end. Best of all, the gift shop is incredibly budget-friendly, and customisation is a breeze. A massive shout-out must also go to the staff, whose genuine warmth and knowledge made us feel instantly welcome. I might not be a candy convert just yet, but the PEZ Visitor Center exceeded our expectations. Their tagline is "PEZ makes you smile." They aren't wrong. Go check it out. It is worth every single penny of that five-dollar ticket.
If you want to learn more
I found a great little book on Pez in a second-hand book shop, called Pez, From American Invention to American Icon by Shawn Peterson, the world's first and only official PEZ historian.
You can pick it up on the brand's website. It was invaluable for my research and a good read too.
How long was the visit?
We were there for 2 hours, but you could stay as long as you like, as your visit is self-guided.
How much are tickets?
We paid for our tickets, and this was not part of any advertising.
Tickets are only available for sale in the lobby upon arrival.
With each paid admission, you receive $2 credit, which may be used against any purchase in the store.
Children 3–12: $4
Seniors 60+: $4
Under 3s: Free
Adults: $5
Opening times
It's always worth checking with PEZ for their current opening times, as they can vary.
When we visited, the visitor centre was open 7 days a week from 10am until 5pm.
It is worth noting that the factory production floor is not operational during weekends or holidays, so head there during the week to get the full experience.
Getting here:
Driving here is best, as public transport can be tricky. We split the nearly 3-hour car journey from NYC to Mystic, Connecticut, with a stop at PEZ, which was approximately 2 hours into our trip.
Address
35 Prindle Hill Rd, Orange, CT 06477
Website: PEZ
Where we stayed
We were based in Mystic at the Holiday Inn Express Mystic - Groton Area, an IHG Hotel, which we booked through their website as we are IHG members. It was perfectly located for what we needed, just across a road from Olde Mistick Village and the Jealous Monk Brew Pub, an old favourite.
What else is there to see close by:
I am a massive fan of Connecticut, and have travelled several times from the UK for a break there. There is plenty to do for a weekend, or even longer.
Mystic, our personal favourite, has a real New England vibe with a thriving centre, quality independent shopping and a buzzing food and drink scene. Only an hour's drive from PEZ, there are activities in town for all ages, such as Mystic Aquarium, Olde Mistick Village where you can purchase those holiday treats (including a massive Christmas shop) and Mystic Museum of Art.
However, the biggest draw in Mystic is undoubtedly Mystic Seaport Museum, the USA's premier Maritime museum and I just adore it. We have returned several times to this wonderful shipyard and exhibition halls. Guests can meet blacksmiths, coopers, printers, and shipwrights, all hard at work in the beautifully reconstructed 19th century seafaring village, and soak up the sun and some fabulous food on the waterfront. It is also a stunning wedding venue, should you be in the market for such a location.
The port city of New Haven is just 15 minutes from PEZ and home to the internationally famous Yale University. The Yale Peabody Museum is one of the oldest natural history museums in the world and is free to all, so if you're a fossil or dinosaur fan, then do check it out.
Hartford is about 45 minutes by car from PEZ, and home to the extremely pretty and culturally important Mark Twain House & Museum. Author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), Twain is one of the USA's greatest literary figures and transformed the way the world thought about North America.
But Connecticut really shines in the fall, when the foliage colours of New England turn the area into a tourist hotspot.
Further reading
Food and beverage fans, if you liked this article, then check out our guide to Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Chicago, World of Coca Cola, Wensleydale Creamery and Lavazza. More food and beverage related visitor guides coming soon.
Please note - I'm real
I visit every brand visitor centre and experience myself. My feedback is real, based on a single visit, but informed by years of experience designing and exploring brand experiences all over the world.
I love writing my own reflections, diving into a brand's history, doing the research and looking at spaces through the eyes of a commercial interior designer. With over 30 years of working with customers, I also enjoy watching how guests interact with guides, displays and spaces. Everything I share is honest, personal and entirely human, not AI generated.
That authenticity is important to me, and if it's important to you and you want to work with me, or share your experiences or want to suggest others, then I am happy to be contacted via this website.
Photographs: ©Julie White unless noted otherwise
Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed are solely my own. I pay for tours in full and any comments reflect my personal experiences on that day. Please drink responsibly. Please visit and garner your own thoughts and feel free to research the brand and the visitor centre in question.
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