Stranger Things: The Drive-Into Experience

February 12, 2021
Car driving - Stranger Things

LA and Hollywood have no shortage of cool activities, but Stranger Things: The Drive-Into Experience is probably one of the most unique. If you're a fan of the Netflix series, you've got to check this out. While other venues have gone all-in for Stranger Things, like the Baskin Robbins in Burbank turned Scoops Ahoy, nothing as elaborate as The Drive-Into Experience has ever been attempted.

Of course, the Drive-Into is just one of the many great Los Angeles activities you can enjoy during your stay. But fans of the show and the uninitiated won't want to miss this.

Stranger Things--A Primer‍

Stranger Things 3 Logo on a monitor

In case you've been under a rock for the last few years, Stranger Things is a wildly popular Netflix series that blends sci-fi and horror wonderfully mind-bending ways. It's set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, in 1983, a city that begins experiencing some pretty far-out events. And if that rock you were under was very deep, be aware of some minor spoilers ahead!

As it turns out, there's a perfectly normal explanation for all of this. Nearby Hawkings National Laboratory, a government research facility, has accidentally created a portal into an alternate reality called "the Upside Down." Supernatural entities begin affecting the town. And unknown to the townspeople, the Russians have built a super-secret base under the Starcourt Mall to try to harness the powers of the Upside Down.

All About Stranger Things: The Drive-Into Experience‍

So, what exactly is a "drive-into experience," you ask? It's not a drive-in movie, and it's not a drive-through attraction--it's a little of everything. You're going to take you and your passengers to chill in 1983 Hawkins.

Man driving into something bright

The fun starts the moment you book your ticket online. You'll be given some information and set up your 1983 persona's profile. Cool, huh? Once you arrive on-site, you'll start your journey in the parking lot at the new Starcourt Mall. You're coming for the Hawkins High School reunion, and crew members will greet you and offer concessions. Arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled time on your reservation. Crew members will also hook you up with the FM radio frequencies to tune to and all the pertinent information on the rest of your stay in Hawkins.

The next stop along the way is the food court, and you can pick up some goodies and souvenir sipper cups. Don't forget to grab a Scoops Ahoy ice cream for the road ahead! As you continue, you'll meet some of the show's characters in a completely immersive experience. The actors are walking around car-to-car, plus they're sometimes on stage and occasionally on-screen. Words can't do the production justice, but the story is tight and the storytelling unique.

After this, things start going a bit downhill. The next stop is the mall's parking garage, where something goes wrong. We won't divulge the details, but suffice it to say that you will, like, hopefully, get out of the Upside Down. Eventually.

Stranger Things--So Cool It's Ridiculous‍

Stranger Things Ads

The experience is really unlike any other movie or television tie-in that we can think of, and the fact that it's right here in LA means it's well worth checking out. But if you're crazy excited about Stranger Things: The Drive-Into Experience and want to visit Hawkins yourself, head over to their website and get your reservations quick. And if you need a place to stay nearby when you come to town, check out these rad Hollywood Hotel deals.