Stranger Things The Experience Review | San Francisco, CA

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Stranger Things: The Experience, presented by Netflix and Fever.  I received complimentary tickets in exchange for my time and efforts in attending and reporting my opinion.  Even though I receive these benefits, I always give an opinion that is 100% mine.

Are you a Strangers Things Fan? Or maybe you know a Strangers Things Fan, you definitely need to check out Stranger Things: The Experience in San Francisco.  My son and I attended the VIP Experience and it was AMAZING!!! 

Hurry on over and get your tickets because the San Francisco Stranger Things Experience is only here until October 2nd! Get your tickets here.

The Strangers Things Experience throws you headfirst into your favorite show.  Join Eleven, Dustin, Mike, Lucas, Max and Will for a very special episode starring...YOU! Venture inside Hawkins Lab for a 1-hour immersive experience featuring a brand-new Stranger Things storyline, then explore an 80's-themed Mix-Tape medley with food and drinks, special merchandise, photo ops, and much more! It was so fun for my son to see a throwback to video rental stores. I loved the merch at the Rink-O-Mania, we bought some t-shirts and Stranger Things Uno. 

I recommend you use the restroom before you enter the actual 1-hour interactive experience.  You will get a hall pass to the restrooms, so fun! I will also say wear layers, because it was a little warm inside, of course, we visited on the week Northern California had a heat wave.  San Francisco is normally rather cool, so either way, layers are a good idea. 

To unlock your power and be the hero of your own adventure book here.

With our VIP Passes we received one-free drink each, one-free gift each (a Strangers Things Tote Bag), and a $15 Voucher/Gift Card to use towards merch and we went straight to the front of the line for check-in, no waiting at all. 

I love that right from the beginning when our tickets were e-mailed we were invited into The Experience, greeted with: Beware, nerd: the gate to the Upside Down is opening! Hawkins Lab is back, and only the bravest guests are invited to discover the secrets within its walls. Write your story as you journey through a fun gathering of iconic locations and fan-favorite moments, enjoying one-of-a-kind photo ops and uncovering plenty of thrills along the way. There may also be the occasional testing, analysis, or psych evaluation. But don’t worry—it's safe... perfectly safe... Walk through iconic sets transporting you to the Upside Down. Encounter your favorite characters and experience memorable scenes. Uncover hidden secrets and plenty of thrills in the Hawkins Lab.

We parked at the El Capitan Parking Lot, (2351 Mission Street) it was a short 10-minute walk straight down Mission Street to the Skylight Armory. Parking was only $20 on a weekend, I believe it is only $15 Monday-Thursday.  We reserved our spot ahead of time on the Spot Hero App. The only other option is street metered parking, which seemed pretty hard to grab a spot.  Mission District is pretty busy.  There are other lots you can find on Spot Hero Parking App but they seemed farther away.  

The sleep study in Hawkins Lab is TOP SECRET so we were unable to take photos or video inside the actual experience itself, but we could take photos and video before and after the experience.  Think 3D interactive, escape room, it was super cool! The actors/performers were so into character, I absolutely loved it, they were awesome!

You can hang out in Mix-Tape, a neon world, and a throwback to the '80s, the music was 80's classics and they even had payphones.  Mix-Tape reminded me of Starcourt Mall. There were delicious-themed food and drinks and a ton of photo ops, Stranger Things Merch, and interactive performers. 

We hung out at Surfer Boys Pizza and ordered some cheesy slices. The pizza slices were $6 each, they were a great size and were really good.  I was impressed.  They also had a Vegan option. 

We explored nostalgic shops such as Scoops Ahoy, and we of course had to try the ice cream. We ordered the USS Butterscotch Sundae, it was a huge banana split with three big scoops of ice cream, Nutella, waffles, and more, it was so good!

You can play some 80's arcade games in Palace Arcade. The arcade games are free to play. 

Check out this photo op, I mean how cool is it to hang in the Byers living room.

So what do you think are you up to volunteering as a test subject for a sleep study at Hawkins Lab? Find Stranger Things: The Experience in a city near you.  Presently hosted in San Francisco, New York City, and London.

What you need to know before you go:

Location: Skylight at The Armory - 1800 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94103. You will need to find street parking or a nearby parking garage.  There is no parking provided by the venue - however, on-street and metered parking are available on many of the adjacent streets. Nearby Paid Parking Garages: ELIF Parking, located at 344 14th St (Please note this parking lot closes between 7-8pm)

*We parked at the El Capitan Lot located at 2351 Mission Street. We reserved our spot ahead of time on the Spot Hero App.

Dress code: Dressing for the occasion is highly encouraged. We found Stranger Things t-shirts that we loved, my son's t-shirt was a Surfer Boy Pizza t-shirt and mine was Hawkins 85' themed. It was so fun seeing everyone dressed up in 80's clothes and hair.  

Age requirement: This experience is recommended for ages 13+. All minors must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Due to the nature of the experience and special effects, children under 5 will not be admitted. My son is 12 and I definitely saw some younger kids. It was actually so fun to watch them having an absolute BLAST.  I think if they are a fan of the show and they've watched all the seasons, then they would definitely enjoy it. 

Price: Tickets start at $46.50 per person with a reduced price for Youth (ages 5–17) and Group Bundles (min. 6 people).

I highly recommend Stranger Things: The Experience it was RAD! We spent about two and a half hours total, we could have hung out longer, but we had a two-hour drive back to Sacramento. I would have loved to stay in the city, but we have weekend soccer games, it is that season. You can check out our TikTok Video here and I have my Instagram stories saved under a Stranger Things highlight. Be sure to tag or share with a Strangers Things fan you know.  I appreciate your support.