The moment I knew there was a museum dedicated to taking selfies with friends, I wanted to get a group of my own friends together and go to SelfieWRLD Schaumburg and make a day of it. Although I didn’t expect to make a trip to Chicago and back in a day, it was worth every twist in the plan—which included forgetting about the time change and spontaneously stopping at “The Bean” in Millenium Park. After that, driving for nine hours roundtrip, getting rained on and almost crashing three times in Chicago traffic, we finally made it to SelfieWRLD Schaumburg. 

SelfieWRLD is a franchise of “selfie museums” dedicated to creating “eye-catching, interactive art installations” for people to enjoy. The SelfieWRLD museums have multiple locations including: Grand Rapids, Michigan; Tampa, Florida; and many others around the country. They are also in the process of opening a new location in Columbus, Ohio.

Upon arriving in Chicago my friends and I ended up with about an hour to kill in the rain, when we forgot about the time change. Though visiting “The Bean” in the rain might not have been great for hair and make-up, it almost added to the fun of the day. We ended up getting stuck in traffic and running late because of this.  Afraid that we would miss our time slot, we called to check if we could change our time, to which they said they would adjust our time when we arrived to make sure we had a full hour. 

The cost for a one hour time slot for adults is $27 per person, and with this you have free range of the building to take photos. You are provided with a ring light to carry around to make your photos the best they can be. When the staff gives you your ring light, they provide a quick, but detailed, set of instructions on how to use it. After this, you are on your way to take all of the creative photos your heart desires. 

The general atmosphere was a highlight of the experience. The sections were each catered to a different one-of-a-kind theme. A few of my favorite sections were the retro diner, the bathtub and the jail cell sections. There was a clear mix of themes from dark royalty with a throne and a black background, to the “splish splash” area which was a ball pit with pink floaties inside. The ball pits make for a good laugh as everyone attempts to get in and out gracefully. My friend managed to slip and fall back in a few times. There are plenty of options for all ages, including a “claw game” box and a jail cell section. My friends and I started with the jail cell, because c’mon, it was too funny not too. Some of the sections, such as the jail cell, also come with props. This section had handcuffs and three booking cards with charges such as being a “MILF”, “Cougar”, and “Bridezilla” which was very entertaining.  

There was upbeat music playing the whole time we were there, which made the whole experience feel like we were on the set of a music video. One crucial element to remember when making plans to visit a selfie museum that could make or break your time there is clothing. If you are going to feel like you’re in a music video, you want to look your best. I recommend dressing in a versatile outfit to get the most out of your photos. The group I went with kept a minimal color palette of blacks and blues, so we would all match each other and most backgrounds easily. 

After an hour, and 1,000 photos later, we turned in our ring light and hit the road again. By the time we got back to campus, and uploaded our own photos, the SelfieWRLD Schaumburg team had already posted a photo that they took of us at one of their SelfieWRLD themed stations to their Instagram page, @selfiewrldschaumburg. The team is very interactive with their guests, which is great if you need help with operating the ring light or assistance with a photo. They posted and tagged four of my Instagram story posts and even commented on our posts. Therefore, make sure to tag them, because you are likely to be tagged on their story. For anyone looking to take a girls trip, a fun weekend getaway with a significant other, or even just a day by yourself, I would highly recommend visiting the Schaumburg SelfieWRLD location. 

Sources: SelfieWRLDSchaumburg, SelfieWRLD, Columbus Navigator, Instagram

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