Streaming giant Netflix has set the debut dates for a different type of opening for a studio owner: its new interactive entertainment-and-retail venues near Philadelphia and in Dallas.
The first-ever Netflix House, slated for a former Lord & Taylor store at King of Prussia mall outside Philadelphia, is scheduled to open on Nov. 12. A second one, taking over part of a former Belk store at Galleria Dallas, is to launch roughly a month later, on Dec. 11, Netflix said Monday.
A third Netflix House is planned for the BLVD Las Vegas at 3743-3755 S. Las Vegas Blvd., in the heart of the Vegas Strip. It’s expected to kick off in 2027.
Los Gatos, California-based Netflix is part of a cadre of entertainment-and-sports-related destinations that are filling anchor space left vacant at malls by department stores.
It is also one of a number of entertainment companies that have created brick-and-mortar locations offering entertainment and activities inspired by their movie and TV programming. Walt Disney Co. and Universal have their theme parks, for example, to capitalize on their content and franchises. Warner Bros. Discovery has a Harry Potter-themed store in Chicago, based on the J.K. Rowling books, movies and “Fantastic Beasts” spinoff series.
In the case with Netflix House, it will be offering immersive experiences, activities, dining and merchandise based on its hit shows and films — such as “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “Stranger Things,” “KPop Demon Hunters” and the “Knives Out” mysteries. The activities will be refreshed regularly and ticket prices will vary, according to Netflix.
The streamer has essentially been testing out the Netflix House concept for the past few years by conducting more than 40 temporary live experiences for “Bridgerton,” “Money Heist,” “Stranger Things,” “Squid Game” and “The Perfect Bite.” It even tried out a restaurant concept, Netflix Bites, which will be part of Netflix House, as will an on-site store.
“Finally, a place where the Netflix story you can’t get enough of becomes something real that you can play, shop, and taste,” Marian Lee, Netflix’s chief marketing officer, said in a statement. “This is fandom coming to life, where you can actually step inside the worlds you’ve been watching and loving for years.”
The openings will overlap with the release of the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things” later this year. The first batch of shows, four episodes, kicks off on Nov. 26. The next three episodes will be available on Christmas, and the finale is slated for New Year’s Eve.
Netflix House locations span more than 100,000 square feet. Entry is free, and once inside, there is a mix of complimentary and paid attractions.
Netflix House Philadelphia’s attractions will include nine holes of mini golf. Every ball and hole is connected with a live leaderboard, according to Netflix, and each hole is themed to characters and stories from the streamer’s TV series.
That site will also have Netflix Virtuals, where visitors can play as the main character inside of Netflix shows and movies with immersive virtual reality games. In Dallas, Netflix RePLAY will aim to offer interactive options for traditional arcade games.