Chicago’s Mag Mile is getting a massive new “destination,” as the Candy Hall of Fame Experience comes to the city.
The National Confectionery Sales Association announced Thursday that Chicago was selected as the permanent home for the 60,000-square-foot, multi-level experience.
The new candy venue will be housed at 830 N. Michigan Ave., with Chicago beating other cities, including Orlando and New York City, to be named the new home. It is expected to open in summer 2027.
“Chicago’s longstanding role in confectionery manufacturing, innovation and trade helped distinguish the city in the selection process,” a release from the National Confectionery Sales Association read.
The Chicago area serves as headquarters for a number of major candy brands.
“For more than a century, Chicago has been home to some of the most iconic names in American candy, including Ferrara, Mars, Brach’s, Tootsie and Wrigley. Even Milton Hershey found his chocolate inspiration in Chicago at the 1893 World’s Fair,” Shelly Clarey, chairman of the NCSA, said in a statement. “Establishing the Candy Hall of Fame Experience here reflects the city’s deep connection to the industry and creates a home to celebrate the people who helped build it.”
Few details have been released on what exactly the new experience will include, but according to the release, the new “permanent exhibition destination” will be “dedicated to the history of the confectionery industry and the individuals recognized through the Candy Hall of Fame.” It will also “highlight iconic candy brands, industry milestones and the innovators behind them.”
“Candy carries joy across generations,” Janet T. Planet, chief “wondermaker” for the Candy Hall of Fame Experience, said in a statement. “Our goal is to give that joy a place – one that celebrates imagination, invention, and the shared delight people feel when they encounter something sweet.”
