At the Sloomoo Institute in Atlanta, visitors can stuff their hands into giant vats of pink slime, blue slime, gritty slime, and buttery slime. They can squish, squeeze and poke the slime, and feel the gooey textures ooze between their fingers. The activity is fun, but it’s not just child’s play.
Entrepreneurs Sara Schiller and Karen Robinovitz opened the first Sloomoo Institute in New York in 2019 to offer visitors a chance to engage in sensory play. They wanted children – and adults – to discover how hands-on play opens a “way to access joy,” according to the company’s website.
The women learned about the benefits of playing with slime a few years before they launched Sloomoo Institute when both were going through very difficult times in their lives. Robinovitz was mourning the death of her husband when friends visited with their young daughter.
The girl brought slime with her, and she and Robinovitz ended up playing together for hours. It was the first time Robinovitz had smiled in over a year. She and Schiller then started using slime to relieve stress. Eventually, they knew they had to bring the “magic and joy” of slime to the world.
After reopening the New York attraction following the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, the women opened a Sloomoo Institute in Atlanta in the Buckhead Triangle shopping center, across from Phipps Plaza. They also opened one in Chicago. In December, a new Sloomoo Institute is opening in Houston.
What to expect
When entering Sloomoo Institute, visitors learn there is a “slime language” that requires vowels in a word to be changed to “oo.” That’s how slime becomes sloomoo. Also, Mommy becomes Moomoo and Grandma is Groomoo. The slime names are put on nametags, setting the tone for a fun visit.
“Taking on a new name gives so many people the permission to play [because] they don’t feel confined to their regular life,” said Carsyn Durrett, 26, who has worked at Atlanta’s Sloomoo Institute since it opened last November.
Dozens of vats filled with five gallons of slime are spread throughout the Atlanta attraction, each featuring different scents, colors, and textures. Groomoos dive into the slime alongside their grandchildren and fill the space with “oohs” and “aahhhs” and laughter.
Durrett said they never tire of watching parents and grandparents bond with children while playing with slime.
“You don’t grow too old to play,” Durrett said. “You grow old when you stop playing.” Folks can become part of slime history by taking a piece of their favorite slime and adding it to the “Slime and Repeat” wall. The wall is like an art exhibit covered in slimes of all colors and shapes.
There’s a room where visitors can use a slingshot to “shoot” slime at plexiglass walls. People who choose to stand behind the plexiglass will hear a loud splat when the slime strikes.
Kinetic sand, or squeezable sand, is located in a Day-Glo room, providing another sensory experience. There is also a video room where visitors can create a Sloomoo version of themselves and watch their slime personas move and dance on screen. In the next space, people can stand under overhead domes and listen to custom-made soundtracks, like typewriter clacks and farts.
These rooms are where autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR, comes to life. ASMR is that tingling sensation some people feel when exposed to soft sounds like whispers or tapping.
The biggest room with the main event is Sloomoo Falls. People wrapped in plastic ponchos stand in a dimly lit room and wait for gallons of slime to be poured on them. During the wait, employees lead cheers and a countdown, creating an exciting atmosphere.
Lake Sloomoo is where children and adults can walk and run on top of 350 pounds of slime, sinking slightly into the soft surface.
The grand finale of the self-guided tour where everyone creates their own slime. They pick a texture, like thick and glossy, crunchy or buttery; a scent, such as Froot Loops or lavender; and a color, with options ranging from hot pink to glittery blue.
Sloomoo Institute Atlanta is located at 3637 Peachtree Road NE in Buckhead. Hours are Thursday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. year-round. During rush seasons, including holidays, Sloomoo Institute is open seven days a week. Tickets start at $39. For more information or to purchase tickets online, visit sloomooinstitute.com.
