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Nicole Utley, left, and McKenna Runnells pose for a photo in the kissing booth concession stand at the pop-up Valentine's Museum in Orem on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023.

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

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A group of friends poses for a photo in the "cuddle puddle" at the pop-up Valentine's Museum in Orem on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023.

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

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Jordan Miller takes a photo of Leah Carter in the decorated bathroom at the pop-up Valentine's Museum in Orem on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023.

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

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Bella McGrath, left, and Anna May make valentines at the pop-up Valentine's Museum in Orem on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023.

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

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People try to avoid "walking on eggshells" at the pop-up Valentine's Museum in Orem on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023.

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

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In a nondescript shopping plaza in Orem sits what was once a Deseret Book. For five nights in February, though, the building’s inside glows a fluorescent pink and red. Last Friday and Saturday, attendees of the pop-up Valentine’s Day Museum were greeted with warmth, love and enough photo-worthy interactive exhibits to keep their social media feeds populated until March.

The museum, at 1076 S. 750 East in Orem, is the brainchild of creator Nicole Utley, along with McKenna Runnells, Jared Sampson and a host of other collaborators and volunteers all determined to make a statement and draw a crowd.

“It became my life’s mission to convert everybody to Valentine’s Day,” Utley told the Daily Herald.

This year’s installation is the second of its kind, having used a spot just off Center Street in Provo in 2022. The move to Orem was partially based on opportunity — building owners were hesitant to offer one-month leases for the space until shortly before — and partially to find a location large enough to house expected crowds. The first time around, over 1,200 people walked through the glowing-red experience.

In mid-January, Utley was given the green light on the space, leaving just two weeks to construct the museum. It was done with the help of volunteers, including some who reached out via social media because they loved the idea.

“We understand that it is commercialized and overdone, but it’s still — I just want people to feel like it applies to them, like you can experience love on Valentine’s Day whether you’re single or in a relationship or whatever,” she said.

The goal was not just to build an installation people can tour and use for Instagram content. Utley came in with a goal for every patron — to feel delight, insight and a sense of inclusion.

Utley is the founder of NEDco, the Niche Explore Design Co., calling herself an “indie event planner.” She and Runnells, a self-described marketing mastermind, say that they’re “obsessed” with the idea of experience design as their medium.

After showing their ticket in a small entryway, patrons are ushered into the museum, the first side being a maze of interactive installations through red curtains. After making their Valetine’s-themed nametags using a lettered prompt and reading about the history of Valentine’s Day, people face first the complications of love.

Initial designs are used to showcase a toxic relationship through red flags, distorted senses of self and the idea of walking on eggshells, among others.

“It’s not meant to be totally pro-Valentine’s Day; it’s kind of an exploration of the ups and downs,” Utley said. Still, she maintains that she’s “100%” a fan of the holiday. Utley just wanted to make sure people knew the realities of a relationship and not the glorification.

After weaving through toxicity comes an exploration of the senses. Small, interactive pieces are used to showcase sight, smell, taste, touch and balance. Afterward comes a choice for attendees. Turning right toward the rest of the museum, or a left into a renovated storage closet marked “The Birds & The Bees.”

With a content warning and a caveat that it’s “not too mature,” those who turn left are greeted with framed stories of people’s learning about sex and the human body. Through laughter, though, Runnells jokes that they like the idea of “dipping their toes” into the mature content.

“We’re like, ‘What if we played off of how funny, especially in the heart of Utah Valley, how obscure sex education is and all the misconceptions that you end up with,'” Utley said. “That is so funny that we just don’t say sex outright. We work all the way around it.”

Those who turn right move forward into the sounds of love. People are encouraged to do light exercise before allowing their fellow attendee — be it a friend, partner or spouse — to listen to their heartbeats. To do so, several stethoscopes are provided, along with containers of disinfecting wipes.

Ending the museum is a series of the more photo-friendly aspects, including a trio of sets designed for group pictures, the “kissing booth” concession stand and book offerings detailing all kinds of love, from self-love to platonic and romantic feelings.

“We wanted to make sure that you can come if you were in a relationship or not in a relationship or in a weird middle of something or totally single,” Utley said.

Customers resonated with the ideas in the first weekend as a steady stream of people flowed through from the minute it opened until closing. While phone cameras clicked away, people were able to celebrate the oft-criticized holiday in a different way.

“There’s not a lot of ways to like celebrate Valentine’s Day other than, like, actually, you know, like buying chocolates and stuff,” Maya Taylor said.

Taylor was joined on Saturday by a group of friends including Miko Gardiner and her husband, Josh. Valentine’s Day, Miko said, is her favorite holiday and encourages anyone considering the museum to attend, giving it a “10 out of 10” rating.

“We have built basically a little world for people to walk into and just enjoy and have an experience that’s, like, enlightening for them,” Runnells said.

The final spot in the museum is the largest, a table surrounded by pillows for people to sit on while cutting magazine and making valentines. The museum is designed for teenagers and adults, though organizers wouldn’t recommend it for small children due to fragility of the displays and exhibits.

“The most nostalgic part for me is just the little room with the valentine making because, for me, that was when it changed for me — when I fell in love with Valentine’s Day was making valentine cards and turning it to be about just telling people that I love them, rather than, like, feeling like I needed romance or someone to make me feel special,” Runnells said.

Utley’s favorite part comes toward the end of the path, a separate digital exhibit by Provo artist Dean Chessman. When people enter, their sillhoutes are displayed on the screen with colors radiating as they move through the space and interact.

“I think that’s one of my favorites, just because it encourages people to actually physically connect, which I think we’ve kind of lost in our world,” Utley said.

The Valentine’s Museum will be open from 4 p.m. until midnight on Friday, noon to midnight on Saturday and from 4-10 p.m. on Tuesday, Valentine’s Day. Tickets are $15 and reservations can be made online.

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