"Happy Place" pop-up exhibit opening near Goose Island

ByJesse Kirsch WLS logo
Monday, June 25, 2018
"Happy Place" pop-up exhibit opening near Goose Island
It's hard to avoid smiling inside the "Happy Place," an other-worldly space with bright colors and interactive displays.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The "Happy Place" opens at 1004 North Elston Avenue on Thursday, bringing a multi-layered entertainment experience to Chicago for summer.

You'll walk through a "Don't Worry, Be Happy" hallway before stepping inside over-sized heels that are made of candy (there's fresh candy to eat too). Jump into a ball pit that looks like a pot of gold, pose with a wall of rubber ducks, and get caught in a confetti shower too. These stops and more whacky spaces to, you guessed it, make you happy.

Founder Jared Paul said the 13 different themed areas, which debuted in Los Angeles last fall, are meant to be a brief escape from day-to-day problems.

"There's a lot of things going on in our world that don't make us happy and for one hour I want people inside these walls to have nothing to think about other than just anything happy," he said.

People will also be thinking a lot about how to get a great picture; Paul said the display lighting was designed to help capture the perfect image.

The Happy Place will be open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; closed Tuesdays except July 3 (closed July 4). The exhibit is in Chicago through August 6.

Tickets start at $30 with a $2.50 ticket fee added on.