The happiest place in L.A.

"We want them to have the ultimate happy experience. We want them to leave their troubles behind when they walk into Happy Place ­for at least an hour ­and really enjoy themselves."

Inside Happy Place.
(Image credit: Courtesy Happy Place)

Seemingly overnight, buildings tucked away in nondescript neighborhoods are transformed, their stark exteriors refreshed with bright coats of paint, the blank interiors filled with interactive and Instagram-worthy art installations.

With names like Happy Place, Museum of Ice Cream, Candytopia, and Color Factory, these pop-up experiences focus on all things fun and whimsical. There's been an explosion of openings over the last year, and for good reason: People are happy to pay upwards of $30 for a few hours of feel-good entertainment, where the most important decision they'll have to make is which filter to use on a picture of them diving into a pool of sprinkles.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.