COVID-19 Updates: PEZ Visitor Center Closes Temporarily
In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought unexpected changes to daily life around the world, including within the PEZ collecting community.
As gatherings were canceled and public venues temporarily closed, PEZ Candy announced that the PEZ Visitor Center in Orange, Connecticut, would also close its doors until further notice.
PEZ Visitor Center Announcement
PEZ shared the following message with collectors through the PEZ Visitor Center Facebook page and the official PEZ website:
The Visitor Center will be closed to guests until further notice. Many Connecticut schools have closed as a precautionary measure during these difficult times. At PEZ, we care about the well-being of our community, customers, and staff and have decided to close the Visitor Center as a precautionary measure as well.
Visitors were encouraged to continue shopping through the official PEZ online store while the Visitor Center remained closed. PEZ also announced that reopening information would be shared as soon as it became available.
PEZ Gatherings Affected
We also received confirmation that the Northeast PEZ Collectors Gathering had been canceled.
Many other PEZ events around the world were either postponed or canceled as organizers worked to protect the health and safety of collectors and their communities.
A Note to Our Readers
Looking back today, this was a challenging time for collectors everywhere.
We have friends throughout the PEZ community around the world, including many in countries that were among the first to be heavily affected by the pandemic.
While PEZ remained a wonderful hobby that continued to bring smiles during difficult days, we knew there were far more important things than collecting.
If canceling gatherings helped protect even one life, then it was the right decision.
We also want to express our heartfelt appreciation to the many members of our PEZ family who served as healthcare workers, first responders, emergency personnel, and other essential workers during this extraordinary time.
Thank you for everything you did.
The PEZ collecting community has always been about friendship as much as collecting, and during those uncertain months, collectors around the world reminded us just how strong that community truly is.
Although this chapter was difficult, it also showed us that even when we were apart, the PEZ family remained connected.
Happy Collecting!
Editor’s Note (2026): This article is preserved as part of the PEZ Pals archives and reflects events and announcements made during March 2020.
March 14, 2020
