By Christina M. Hampton
By Christina M. Hampton
| Think back
to your first box of Crayola crayons. For me, just
breaking open a fresh box of 64 evokes a host of
childhood memories. No matter how old you are, Crayola
crayons bring out the kid in everybody. Don't color on the walls! Stop daydreaming! Stay between the lines! These are phrases you will never hear at The Crayola Factory at Two Rivers Landing located in historic downtown Easton, Pennsylvania. As I entered the 20,000 square foot discovery center, I was greeted with Welcome to Crayola. While you are here, discover, experiment, create, or just act silly. Laugh as loud as you you'd like. Touch what you see. Try things you've never done before. And let your imagination run free with new ideas! The Crayola Factory, which opened in 1996, specializes in creative and imaginative fun for kids of all ages. It is one of the only places in the world to see Crayola crayons being made much as they have been since 1903. I and a group of children watched as an expert crayon maker demonstrated how Crayola crayons are molded, labeled and packed right before our eyes. |
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| All Crayola crayons are made from two basic ingredients: paraffin wax and pigment. We learned from expert crayon maker Larry Williamson of Lansdale how the ingredients are mixed in a six-gallon kettle and then poured onto a flatbed molding table containing thousands of holes each in the shape of a Crayola crayon. | |
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After the crayons cool a few minutes, the excess wax is scraped away and they are removed from the molds. Each crayon gets a double-wrapped label with the distinctive Crayola logo and trademark (and of course, the color name). Crayons are then place in sleeves by a collating machine, and packed in the distinctive green and yellow Crayola box. Our reward: a souvenir four-pack of Crayola crayons. |
We also watched as Crayola markers came to life on the assembly line. The Crayola Factory exhibits include the Crayola Hall of Fame, dedicated to recognizing the most colorful moments and characters in Crayola history and a multitude of hands-on areas including: COOL MOVES... At Cool Moves, your moving image is recorded by a video camera, and then processed by a computer that assigns it a color and pattern. Watch how your silhouette and movements come together on the screen to create one-of-a-kind art while you groove to the music. At the EASTON PRESS AND BINDERY, you may get to design the front page of a newspaper, learn the art of origami, create and bind your own book, or even make your own stamps from a potato! Have you ever dreamed of floating on a cloud, swimming on the bottom of an ocean or getting lost in a digital dream? At the DREAMSCAPES exhibit, daydreams become reality as you enter a room where you get to select in which of these three environments you want to dream. |
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| SUPER SCULPTURES is a must-see and do for every Michelangelo wanna be! Super Sculptures is all about creating a never-to-be-duplicated three-dimensional piece of art utilizing unique Crayola materials like Model Magic modeling compound. These are just a small sampling of the many exhibits and hands-on displays in the Crayola Factory, all of which are great family activities that are designed to be touched, viewed, listened to and ignite creativity. | |
| The Crayola Factory truly provides visitors with an experience that lives up to the Crayola brand name. It captures all the color, fun and magic of Crayola and should not be missed. The Crayola Factory is housed on the second floor of the Two Rivers Landing cultural center, 30 Centre Square, located in downtown Easton. The National Canal Museum and a visitors center for the Delaware-Lehigh Canal National Heritage Corridor are also in the building. |  |
The Crayola Factory
is open during the following times: For
complete information on hours, admission etc. call (610)
515-8000 TO REACH CRAYOLA FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE: Take the PA Turnpike's Northeastern Extension (I-476) to Exit 33, the Lehigh Valley Interchange, then take Route 309 south, to I-78. Get off at Exit 22 Easton (last exit in Pennsylvania), make left turn at end of ramp ((Morgan Hill Road), follow until you get to St. John's Street (make a left turn at stop sign), continue down the hill over the bridges, go through the traffic light and proceed to the third street (Pine Street), and make a left turn.
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