Netflix’s science-fiction/horror/drama series Stranger Things has been a smash hit with viewers since it first premiered in the summer of 2016. And now fans can live their own adventure in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana thanks to Stranger Things: The Experience, which is now running about ten miles outside of Los Angeles in Southern California.
As a casual Stranger Things fan (I’ve seen every episode exactly once) and a fairly enthusiastic consumer of L.A.-based immersive theater (my favorite Halloween-season examples are “Delusion” and “Wicked Lit”), I was curious to see what the creators of this experience had cooked up. Thankfully Laughing Place was invited to check out the event, which I attended last night– the evening-time rush-hour drive from my home in Burbank to Montebello turned out to be by far the worst thing about it, but as long as attendees give themselves plenty of time to arrive, it shouldn’t be too bad of a trek.
I arrived at “Stranger Things: The Experience” to find the signage marked pretty clearly outside the venue leading me in the right direction, and once I stepped inside and checked in I immediately found myself transported to Hawkins Lab (a location that should be very familiar to fans of the show), where I was ostensibly taking part in a sleep study. At that point I was assigned to become part of a group, which itself was one-sixth of a much larger set of attendees. We were herded into the lab, where the in-universe study was set to begin, but as we quickly learned, the scientists working there were testing for much more than our sleep patterns. From that moment on, guests move from room to convincingly themed room, spending about ten minutes in each, at first performing interactive tasks for a few characters (played by live actors) that help them along on their adventure. The total experience runs about 45 minutes and culminates in a trip to the Upside-Down (I’d consider this a spoiler except for the fact than an image from that section is heavily featured in the marketing– and what Stranger Things event would be complete without visiting the alternate dimension that is so heavily featured in the story?).
There are some cool practical and video effects sprinkled throughout the various areas, but the Upside-Down, as an environment, is accomplished using another kind of technology. I won’t say exactly what that technique is, but I’ll give you a hint by mentioning that guests must don so-called “safety goggles” before going through the dimensional rift. One of the biggest things “Stranger Things: The Experience” has going for it is the participation of most of the cast from the series, including Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, Finn Wolfhard as Mike, Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas, Noah Schnapp as Will, Priah Ferguson as Erica, Sadie Sink as Max, and even a couple of the adult stars– but again, I don’t want to spoil who, exactly. These characters pop up on security feeds and through voiceover in a few pretty clever ways as they guide participants through the experience, in a way that reminded me of some familiar theme park attractions. In fact, after it was over I described this event to a friend as an impressive walk-through pre-show for a Stranger Things ride that doesn’t exist. The illusions aren’t entirely seamless, as far as immersive theater goes– there are definitely moments where you’re very aware you’re watching a show– but it does contain quite a bit of cool stuff, and I’d say it’s about as good as it could be for an interactive Stranger Things episode that must get a relatively high volume of guests through at a reasonable rate. Fair warning: the experience contains adult language (I lost track of the number of times the teenage characters use the s-word) and at one point guests are encouraged to make an obscene gesture, but I’d say if you’re old enough to watch Stranger Things, you’re old enough to participate here.
But one of the other great things about “Stranger Things: The Experience” is that even after the walk-through story has come to its conclusion, attendees are welcome to hang out for as long as they like– until closing, of course– at an 80s-inspired hang-out area which includes a bar, an arcade, several photo ops and gift shops, and a number of live performers who roam the space and interact with those looking for even more immersion. I spent more than an hour exploring everything this area had to offer, which also included a hidden scavenger hunt-type activity involving finding more “rifts” around the various shops, kiosks, and storefronts. Plus, my VIP admission (available for an extra charge) came with a drink at The Upside bar and a gift– namely a Stranger Things tote bag with a Dustin Bitty Boomers bluetooth speaker. Overall I’d say I had a fun time going through “Stranger Things: The Experience” by myself, so I can only imagine what a blast it’d be for larger groups, especially if they’re bigger devotees of the franchise than I am.
Exiting the experience, I noticed that there are also several recognizable vehicles from Stranger Things parked outside the venue– the most exciting one probably being Jim Hopper’s police truck– for added photo op fun after leaving.
“Stranger Things: The Experience” hasn’t quite jumped to the top of my list of favorite immersive-theater events, but I would absolutely say it's worth the time and money (tickets range from $45 to $100, depending on the guests’ age and desired tier level, and group bundle tickets are available at a reduced price) for those who are dedicated to the show.
“Stranger Things: The Experience” currently has dates available from now through mid-February in Montebello, California– and the event is also being held at the moment in Atlanta, Georgia and London, England. For additional information and to book advance tickets, be sure to visit the experience’s official website.