My daughter is a huge fan of the Netflix series, Stranger Things, so we decided to go to Stranger Things: The Drive-Into Experience. It helps to already be a fan of the show to get the most out of this experience. If you're chaperoning a fan, try to get a summary of the series from them beforehand to catch up.
Shows run weekly Wed-Thu 6pm-10:45pm, Fri-Sat 6pm-11:30pm, and Sun 6pm-10:45pm. Reserve a time slot to book tickets. The last slot is one hour before closing. Shows run an hour long.
Tickets range from $25 to $85 per person depending on the type and day of your ticket, and the number of people in one car. Fri-Sun VIP tickets are more expensive than Wed-Thu VIP tickets. The least expensive tickets will be Standard tickets on Wednesday or Thursday for a car with 5 people in it.
When you order your tickets, you will get an email of your purchase confirmation that recommends you download the Fever app. Be sure to download this app, because you will need it at the venue to check in and to purchase snacks and souvenirs.
To find the *exact* location of the venue, do not put the address into Google maps. Instead, go to https://strangerthingsdriveinto.com/, scroll down to FAQs > Where is the event located? > Get directions. The venue is on the northwest corner of Alameda and Bay streets, across the street from Farmer Boys. The entrance is on the north side of Bay St.
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| How to get to the Upside-Down |
The website emphasizes arriving 15 minutes before your booked time. If you arrive late, you will not get in. We ended up arriving 25 minutes early, so we parked across the street for 10 minutes.
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| The line of cars trying to get into Starcourt Mall |
Other than to use the restroom, there is no need to ever get out of your car. Windows must remain closed unless interacting with staff. To interact with staff, just put your mask on and roll down the window.
Upon arrival, the masked staff directed our car where to wait, checked us in, told us to tune in to the proper FM radio station for the show, and gave us an opportunity to order light snacks from a menu of popcorn, candy, and soda. We ordered a souvenir cup without soda and used a discount from the Fever app.
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| Me, my daughter, and the Starcourt cup |
The creators of this experience transformed a parking lot, and a multi-level parking garage to make this show possible. As in any theatrical show, photos and videos are prohibited, and we aren't allowed to reveal details of the experience. But we can tell you what we learned to get the most out of it.
- There is a cute little pre-show while waiting to get into the actual experience. Play along! It's fun! You might even see yourself onscreen!
- Once inside, there is a pace car that leads the line of cars, and staff and cones everywhere to direct you. There is no possible way to get lost, go too fast, or get off course.
- The best seats in your car for viewing are in the front, so be sure your die-hard fans are sitting in the front seats.
- This is a fully immersive experience, complete with lights, actors, video and special effects. The actors do get up close and personal to your car, so keep your windows up at all times once inside the experience. (Might be a good idea to wash your car so you can see 🤣)
- The action and actors go everywhere so be sure to look around. Even if you can't see the actors, you'll be able to hear everything through your car radio. Hope you have surround sound!
At the end of the experience, we drove into stalls and browsed through the souvenirs using the Fever app. Once we placed our order, a masked staff member brought the souvenir to our car.
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| Stranger Things fan with Starcourt cup and hat from Know Where |
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| Photo opp through the car window |
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