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Crayons abound as Crayola Experience opens in Orlando's Florida Mall

 
Crayola executives on Wednesday officially opened the Crayola Experience, a celebration of artistic creativity at Orlando?s Florida Mall.
Crayola executives on Wednesday officially opened the Crayola Experience, a celebration of artistic creativity at Orlando?s Florida Mall.
Published July 1, 2015

ORLANDO — Snipping a ribbon of uncut yellow crayon wrappers, Crayola executives on Wednesday officially opened the Crayola Experience, a wildly colorful celebration of artistic creativity at Orlando's Florida Mall.

In the works for a year, the 70,000-square-foot attraction features an assortment of some 25 interactive art activities, ranging from simple coloring sheets and clay-modeling stations to one-of-a-kind experiences not seen anywhere else.

Guests can melt a crayon into a wax ring, car, shark or seahorse; insert themselves into a coloring sheet; draw and cut card-stock puzzles; and personalize their own Crayola crayon wrapper. There are also play areas for both toddlers and pre-teens.

On the high-tech side, budding artists can color their own fantasy creatures or even design fashions and cars, and watch them come to life on giant digital screens right before their eyes.

"It is a larger-than-life expression of what this brand is all about," said Crayola president and CEO Mike Perry. "When you go into this experience, you will be inspired to create."

This being Orlando, of course, there's a gift shop near the entrance, loaded with art supplies, Silly Putty and hundreds of Crayola souvenirs, including many retro-styled items designed to appeal to adults who played with crayons as kids.

The Florida Mall outpost is the company's first immersive experience outside its headquarters in Easton, Pa., but the company is already exploring future locations.

"Our mission is to spark the creative spirit that lives in the heart of every child," Perry said. "If creativity is going to flourish in the heart of a child, it has to be experienced."