It’s a testament to the vibrancy and detail ofThe Duffer Brothers’Stranger Thingsthat it has so regularly been transformed into fully immersive experiences, whether it’s a full-on Halloween Horror Nights haunted house at Universal Studios or a Baskin Robbins in Burbank, California that had been dutifully transformed intoStranger Things’ in-world ice cream parlor Scoops Ahoy. But in terms of scale and elaborateness, no translation of the hit Netflix series comes close toStranger Things: The Drive-Into Experience, which is currently operating in Downtown Los Angeles until March 2021. What they were able to accomplish, especially during a time when health and safety protocols prohibit any of the kind of traditionalexperiencesyou might expect, is staggering. It’s an unforgettable journey to Hawkins, Indiana.
[Editor’s note: The following containsmild spoilersforStranger Things: The Drive-Into Experience.]
Your experience begins even before you pull up to the massive outdoor parking lot in downtown Los Angeles. When you get your tickets, you’re taken to a portal where you and the others in your car can customize your experience, including the character that you’ll be portraying (are they more into heavy metal or New Wave?) While I didn’t witness any of this information being directly addressed at the event, it’s all part of place-setting and gets you and your crew in the 1980s spirit. When you drive up to the event, 15 minutes before your scheduled time, you are greeted by employees who also assist in making sure the theme is established — this is, after all, supposed to be the Hawkins High School Reunion, so they’ll say things like “Oh, I didn’t recognize you with your hair different” and Iit’s so good to see you.” We had a lengthy chat with the fellow who grabbed our concessions, dressed in his Scoops Ahoy finery, who told us that he thought this year was the year his band was going to break out, and offered to put us on the list for their gig next week in Hawkins. These crew members (really performers) also relay key bits of information — the FM channel you should be tuned into for the whole pre-show experience, say, or the importance of wearing masks, due to a nearby “chemical leak” at the lab.
After a brief photo op (if you’re VIP – they give you the photo later in the experience although, sadly, we never got our photo) that concludes with another crew member handing you a mini-Bluetooth-speaker shaped like a mixtape, you round the corner into the Starcourt Mall’s food court. This is where you can get “Starcourt Sweets” (assorted candies and sodas), along with heartier offerings like the Corn Diggity Combo and, of course, ice cream from Scoop’s Ahoy (courtesy of Dreyer’s, which is odd considering how extensive that Baskin-Robbins partnership was just a year ago). Also, be sure to ask about the souvenir sipper cup — it’s not explicitly referenced in the menu but there are two of them and they are both awesome (Starcourt or Hawkins High School branded). Would it even beStranger Thingsif there weren’t secrets to uncover?
It’s after you get your treats that you may take in the enormity and complexity of this part of the show – ahead of you is the iconic angular entrance to Hawkins’ latest offering, Starcourt Mall. There’s a DJ up there, who is addressing the crowd and appears to be a teacher from Hawkins High, who plays music while videos flash on a very large screen. There are also costume contests, in-car Twister (it gets tricky), and commercials for the new shopping and dining complex. But what’s even more interesting is that there are actors, playing all of theStranger Thingskids, who are roaming around in between cars, acting out scenes from the show (sometimes reciting dialogue verbatim), and further establishing the time and place of the experience. What’s even better is that Lucas is carrying around a chunky camcorder, with the images beamed to the big screen ahead of you. The actors look just like the kids from the show and they sometimes take the stage upfront to do larger scenes that involve multiple characters. It’s really charming and immersive and you can tell the way that young kids react to seeing their favoriteStranger Thingscharacters wandering around how powerful this franchise is to people. It’s also an ingenious way to pass the time before the “drive into” experience fully begins.
Now, we were forbidden from talking about what happens from this area into the main experience, but in broad strokes, you enter an adjacent parking garage and things…go wrong. You see and interact with more of your favoriteStranger Thingscharacters (nothing like Steve, with his flocking locks, coming by to make sure everyone in your car is okay) and even enter the creepy alternate dimension of the Upside Down. (And no matter what time of year it is, it will remain pretty spooky!) The entire experience climaxes with a truly show-stopping moment that we arereallynot supposed to talk about but is a wild, theatrical, technologically cutting-edge conclusion to your night out in Hawkins. Also, while driving out of the experience, you can peel off and visit a contact-free gift shop with exclusive merchandise.
Stranger Things: The Drive-Into Experience was masterminded by Netflix and Fever, with an assist from Secret Cinema, a group know for its elaborate, multimedia experiences that take you into the world ofBlade RunnerorBack to the Future. Most of their projects have been in England, and this concept is based off of a similar experience that was launched last year, close to the release ofStranger Things’ blockbuster third season. Together with Fever and Netflix, this incredible project came to life. It’s worth thinking about what this would have been like, had there been no coronavirus – if you would have been able to see the performers’ faces, instead of them being hidden behind masks (and sometimes face shields too) or if you could have strolled through the doors of the Starcourt Mall yourself.
But taken for what it is, the event is pretty impressive — everything is elaborately themed, with areas of parking garages or empty lots taking on unexpected dimensions and completely different shapes. The journey to the Upside Down, with its snaking tentacles and drifting particles, was particularly effective, but the entire experience (which for us lasted about two hours, start-to-finish) is pretty mind-blowing and so much fun. With a fourth season ofStranger Thingsstill a while away, this is the perfect antidote to those craving something new in connection to their favorite Netflix show. Sure, this might not be the experience that Secret Cinema expected they’d put on, but it’s the one that we’ve got. And for something in 2020 to feel this real and engaging, to transport us out of the anxiety and claustrophobia of our own lives, if only for a couple of hours (and inside our own cars), that cannot be overvalued or discounted. Even if a corn dog costs you $15.
Stranger Things: The Drive-Into Experienceis in downtown Los Angeles until March.Get your tickets here.
