Hawkins will appear in a new “Stranger Things: Experience” in New York City on May 7, thanks to a collaboration between Netflix and Fever. According to an announcement, participants are thrown “into a parallel reality where they must discover their secret talents to confront the gauntlet of lurking terrors and help save the town,” which was developed exclusively with the show’s producers. This immersive journey, which takes place in The Duggal Greenhouse in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, transports fans to familiar film locations like Hawkins Plaza and the Hawkins Lab, which will host “occasional testing, analysis, or mental evaluation.” “Don’t worry… it is entirely safe,” the official website assures. The Palace Arcade and the Upside Down (look out for the Demogorgons!) are two other areas that fans can visit.
There will be picture ops, amazing “Stranger Things” cuisine (including a USS Butterscotch sundae at Scoops Ahoy), the possibility to engage with musicians, and even a “Stranger Things” bar located within the Mix-Tape Arena component of the trip. The experience will take an hour, and depending on how much money you have left, you will be able to purchase stuff (the pop-up store in Times Square had some pricey items).
Netflix’s head of Experiences, Greg Lombardo, said: The rift has opened, and we’re thrilled that our Stranger Things fans will be able to relive the experience. This time, they’ll take on the challenges on their own, teaming up with Eleven, Mike, and the rest of the group to combat the wicked creatures that have been terrorizing Hawkins. You always say, as Dustin would say, that we should never stop being curious, that we should always open whatever curiosity door we come across. The new “Stranger Things: Experience” will debut in San Francisco and other locations around the world later this year, in addition to New York.
While the first round sold out quickly in December, tickets are still available for $54 per person until July 17th, so get them while you can. You may make a reservation for them here. Tickets can be purchased as a single ticket or as a family (a minimum of four tickets must be purchased, and only two adults are permitted) as well as a group bundle (minimum purchase of eight tickets). VIP tickets include a Stranger Things gift, a complimentary first drink, and front-of-the-line treatment (sounds worth it to me).
“Stranger Things” is without a doubt one of Netflix’s most popular series, with a fan base that has swelled dramatically since 2016, influencing some of the first Netflix games (“Stranger Things: 1984,” “Stranger Things 3: The Game”), which debuted in November 2021. The sitcom, developed by the twin Duffer brothers, Matt and Ross, is partly responsible for the streamer’s massive subscriber growth. Who’d have guessed that a group of curious kids discovering a terrifying alien species would result in a slew of Halloween Eleven character costumes and global recognition?
The flagship show altered the direction of Netflix’s history by attracting a large number of viewers. Within the first four days of its release, the third season drew a record 26.4 million viewers in the United States. The 80s-inspired series was seen by 40.7 million global household accounts throughout the season’s first weekend. This year’s “Stranger Things: Experience” follows last year’s “Stranger Things Drive-Into” event in Los Angeles. This event drew over 300,000 people and was sold out every day for almost seven months. It’s no surprise that Netflix is doing it again, this time in advance of Season 4’s launch on May 27.
