For generations, board games have been a staple of childhood, bringing families and friends together around the table for afternoons and evenings filled with imagination, laughter and a little friendly competition. And while the world of entertainment has continued to change, there are certain games that have managed to remain just as recognizable and beloved as they were decades ago.
Something that is especially true for one of the most colorful and imaginative board games of all time.
Candy Land.
Since its introduction in 1949, the beloved Hasbro game has invited generations of children to journey through a world filled with candy, colorful locations and the promise of reaching the Candy Castle. And with more than 75 million copies sold, it has become one of those childhood experiences that continues to be shared between generations.
But what if you could actually step inside the game and follow that familiar path for yourself?
Well, it looks like that is exactly what families and fans will have an opportunity to do this holiday season.
Hasbro and Event Network are bringing the world of Candy Land to life with the opening of Candy Land NYC, an all-new immersive retail experience arriving in New York City this November.
And this isn’t going to be your ordinary candy store.
Located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, adjacent to the New York Hilton Midtown at 54th Street, the new destination will transform the familiar board game into a colorful, real-world adventure where visitors become the players themselves.
Rather than simply walking into a store and choosing from a selection of sweets, guests will follow a path inspired by the original game, traveling through a series of candy-themed environments as they make their way toward the iconic Candy Castle.
And for anyone who remembers playing Candy Land growing up, some of the destinations along the way are going to sound rather familiar.
The experience will take visitors through the Candied Apple Orchard, Gummy Mountains, Chocolate Caves, Lollipop Forest and Ice Cream Beach, with each area offering its own colorful setting and opportunities to discover different treats.
Along the way, guests will be able to create their own personalized selection of candy while exploring environments filled with shifting colors, shimmering lights and other sensory elements designed to make the experience feel like stepping into the game itself.
And of course, every journey through Candy Land needs to end at the Candy Castle.
Serving as the grand finale of the experience, the castle will feature graham cracker-inspired textures, swirled ice cream turrets and oversized lollipops, bringing one of the game’s most recognizable destinations into the real world.
But there is a rather fun twist to reaching the finish line.
The Candy Castle will also serve as the store’s checkout area, meaning visitors will complete their journey through the game with their own collection of sweets and treats to take home.
Beyond the candy itself, the destination will also feature beverages, nostalgic treats and a variety of merchandise inspired by the different realms of Candy Land, including toys, souvenirs, collectibles and apparel.
What makes this new experience particularly interesting is how it takes something that has traditionally existed as a board game and transforms it into a physical destination that families can explore together.
Over the past several years, we have seen an increasing number of entertainment brands explore new ways to bring their characters and worlds into real-life settings. From themed cafés and pop-up experiences to interactive retail destinations, these kinds of attractions are becoming an increasingly familiar part of how fans connect with the properties they love.
And while many of these experiences are built around television series, movies or other character-driven franchises, Candy Land offers something a little different.
After all, the appeal of Candy Land has never depended on a complicated story or an enormous cast of characters. Instead, it has always been about the experience of traveling through a colorful world, discovering what might be waiting around the next corner and imagining what it would actually be like to visit some of those candy-filled locations.
Something that makes the game particularly well suited for an immersive experience like this.
Rather than simply recreating the appearance of the board, Candy Land NYC is taking the idea behind the game and allowing visitors to experience that journey for themselves.
And with the destination opening just in time for the holiday shopping season, it also offers families a new way to enjoy an activity together while introducing younger generations to a game that their parents, and perhaps even grandparents, grew up playing.
There is also something rather fitting about bringing a game that has spent more than seven decades encouraging children to use their imaginations into a setting where those imaginary locations can become something they can actually walk through.
Developed by Event Network under license from Hasbro, Candy Land NYC will mark the first immersive Candy Land retail experience of its kind in the United States.
The new destination is scheduled to open in November 2026 at 1335 Avenue of the Americas in New York City, with additional information available at visitcandylandstores.com.
And for anyone who has ever wondered what it might be like to step off the board and into the colorful world of Candy Land, it looks like the journey to the Candy Castle is about to become a little more real!