{"id":32130,"date":"2025-11-12T17:01:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T17:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/32130\/"},"modified":"2025-11-12T17:01:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T17:01:11","slug":"netflix-house-philadelphia-is-a-pretty-photo-op-for-the-gram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/32130\/","title":{"rendered":"Netflix House Philadelphia Is a Pretty Photo Op for the ‘Gram"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tThe future of streaming is a former Lord & Taylor<\/a> in a shopping mall in King of Prussia, Pa. Or that\u2019s what Netflix hopes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\tNetflix<\/a> House Philadelphia opens to the general public today \u2014 Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025 \u2014 The Hollywood Reporter can give you a snapshot of what it\u2019s like on the inside<\/a>. Focus here on the word \u201csnapshot,\u201d because it doubles for probably the main thing you\u2019ll take away from Netflix House<\/a>. That\u2019s not necessarily a slight \u2014 much of what the Netflix House target demo does anyway is for the \u2018gram. OK, now it does sound like an insult. But it\u2019s fine, so long as you know what you\u2019re getting into.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe good news for the chronically online is that much of what they\u2019d want to take a selfie with, around or in at Netflix House Philadelphia<\/a> can be accessed for free. There\u2019s a 15-foot-tall \u201cThing\u201d (the disembodied hand from The Addams Family) to welcome Wednesday fans, some Squid Game baddies in mannequin form and very dramatic Netflix-red stairs that lead directly to Bridgerton photo ops \u2014 the ceiling above is adorned with a Queen\u2019s Gambit chess board, drawing the eye from the base to the landing. Netflix House Philadelphia is aesthetically pleasing, bursting with color and design. It does not lack for style, but the substance is debatable.<\/p>\n

\n\tNetflix House PHL premieres with two \u201cfeature experiences,\u201d one from Wednesday, its most-popular English-language series of all time, and another from One Piece, which is not, but has a similarly rabid fanbase.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe One Piece experience is an escape room, friendly for all ages, though you might end up working the clues with more than just your friends. Groups of six to 12 people can play \u2014 if you register with fewer than six, expect to be paired up with others. THR was hustled through the gameplay during our official tour and again opted for an abbreviated version on our own time, but the general sense is that the ongoing puzzle will be more pleasing than challenging. It was within those \u201clocked\u201d rooms that I first got a sense of just how modular Netflix House attractions are \u2014 there are no finished ceilings within the nonpermanent experience spaces. That may be a petty nitpick, but for me, it removed some of the element of being playfully \u201ctrapped.\u201d The construction of these spaces are impressive, but by definition, unfinished.<\/p>\n

\n\tOne Piece: Quest for the Devil Fruit ends with a cool photo op, printed (on good stock photo paper!) and included in the price of admission.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tThe Netflix Shop at Netflix House Philadelphia<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Netflix<\/p>\n

\n\tWednesday\u2019s \u201cEve of the Outcasts\u201d is going to be the more popular option \u2014 or at least the more populated. Essentially, it is a \u201ccursed\u201d carnival, which in part means that its \u201cmisery-go-round\u201d is nonfunctional. More interactive are its piranha races (in place of the classic horse-racing boardwalk game) and Wheel of Doom, which tells you how you die. I ate it in a sword duel, which feels about right. <\/p>\n

\n\tThe relatively large floor plan (all told, Netflix House Philadelphia boasts more than 100,000 square feet) also re-creates a number of Nevermore Academy settings, like Wednesday\u2019s and Enid\u2019s (and Thing\u2019s \u2014 cool effect there) shared dorm room, as well as Principal Weems\u2019 office and the school\u2019s biology lab. Visitors will be able to text message with Thing, who will help \u201cuncover secrets hidden throughout the experience.\u201d Who\u2019s got one thumb and likes to be helpful? That \u2026 guy?<\/p>\n

\n\tAfter a brief intro video, guests will be handed a bag of 15 tokens to be used across the space\u2019s playable games (decapitate the teddy bear was kind of fun) as they see fit. Save a claw machine in Enid\u2019s Fun Zone, winners don\u2019t \u201cwin\u201d anything, so have fun explaining that to any child who has ever spent 30 of your dollars to win a $3 boardwalk stuffy.<\/p>\n

\n\tAnother rub with \u201cEve of the Outcasts\u201d is that the space could get crowded if it reaches its total capacity of 192. (The attraction will admit up to 24 new guests every eight minutes, THR is told.) Oh, and you are expected to return the Wednesday-branded token bag upon exit. Head upstairs to Netflix Shop for a souvenir! The \u201cEve of the Outcasts\u201d currency won\u2019t do you any good there.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Wednesday experience takes place in a dark, hazy room, which may not make for a positive experience among the anxious and\/or claustrophobic. (Here, the unfinished ceilings perhaps help a bit.) With the setting in mind, \u201cWednesday: Eve of the Outcasts\u201d may not be for little kids. Preteens and teens will probably enjoy the spooky atmosphere, though pics may not come out \u201cInstagram-worthy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe feature experiences start at $39. Ticket prices will vary depending on date, time and the activity or experience.<\/p>\n

\n\tSituated between the two feature experiences is the TUDUM theater, an unintentionally ironic full-on movie house where Netflix fans can watch WWE Raw episodes, singalong with KPop Demon Hunters and, soon, screen new original movie In Your Dreams.<\/p>\n

\n\tOne level above, guests will find a unique nine-hole mini-golf course (it\u2019s cool!) and VR rooms, as well as the retail section. The VR (\u201cPlay as the main character inside the worlds of Netflix shows and movies with immersive VR games powered by Sandbox VR, including:\u00a0Stranger Things, Squid Game\u00a0and\u00a0Rebel Moon\u201d) starts at $25; Netflix Top 9 putt-putt starts at $15. The merch at Netflix Shop seemed to be high quality, and much of it will be exclusive to the brick and mortar spot.<\/p>\n

\n\tThrough the gift shop is Netflix Bites, a casual-dining restaurant with an open kitchen design and a bar in the middle. One of the pitches of Netflix Bites is that \u201cyou can always find a seat \u2026 and enjoy elevated comfort food served with a Netflix twist,\u201d as the company\u2019s vice president of experiences Greg Lombardo told press. The food was pretty good for what it was, but we\u2019re not so sure about that seating claim should the House become a hit. See the Netflix Bites arrangement below:<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tNetflix Bites at Netflix House Philadelphia<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Netflix<\/p>\n

\n\tThat encompasses the big question here, of course: Can Netflix replicate its incredible media success in experiences? Netflix House is not set up to reach that bar \u2014 Disney World it is not, and executives know this \u2014 but on its much, much smaller scale, can Netflix House, well, scale? (Thus far, Netflix has announced future Houses coming in Dallas and Las Vegas.)<\/p>\n

\n\tIt had better. The investment here is no ad-supported-tier rate. The giant red envelope visitors will pass through to enter Netflix House Philadelphia is not just for the looks. The revived department store will operate well outside of the King of Prussia Mall\u2019s operating hours, making the exterior entrance especially necessary. Netflix House opens daily at 10 a.m. On Monday through Thursday, it closes at 10 p.m., but will remain open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays; Netflix House Philadelphia closes at 8 p.m. on Sundays. A significant staff is also a must: Netflix House Philadelphia \u201csupports nearly 300 permanent jobs for area residents,\u201d we\u2019re told. That\u2019s a large payroll.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn order to work, Netflix House needs to become something of a destination, and not just serve the suburbs of Philadelphia, as populated as the general radius may be. <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe believe that, you know, this will be a great reason for folks from all over the Philadelphia area, to come and come again repeatedly, because the accessibility makes it so easy,\u201d Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters said at the opening ceremony. \u201cBut we also see it as yet another reason for fans from out of town to travel here, to eat in local restaurants, stay in local hotels and enjoy everything that not only this mall, but this whole area has to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s probably important to note Peters was standing next to the governor of Pennsylvania when he said that. Netflix House Philadelphia is about a 35-minute car ride from the Philadelphia airport.<\/p>\n

\n\tI don\u2019t really see either of those things happening to a degree that would make Netflix House a financial success \u2014 outside of mall-owner Simon granting Netflix a very sweetheart rental deal, that is. We don\u2019t know the particulars of the rent, and apparently neither does Netflix\u2019s chief marketing officer Marian Lee.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI hope we got a good deal,\u201d Lee told THR at the Monday press preview. \u201cI\u2019m not sure if we did, but the factor was really the space.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tTo be fair, Netflix appears to look at its House as a test case for experiential entertainment and as a giant marketing platform to its core product. In the grand scheme of things, it may end up as a step two (or three, or four) into a whole new revenue stream, following some successes found across various popups.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tNetflix House Philadelphia opening<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Netflix<\/p>\n

\n\tNetflix is starting to amass some cool IP, but it\u2019s still no Disney (or even Universal). Its content moves culture, but has not been around long enough to create multiple generations of lifelong fans. Without actual rides, I don\u2019t see a reason for many people to \u201ccome and come again repeatedly.\u201d Yes, Netflix House is set up to change with Netflix\u2019s schedule, but to some degree, is also is what it is. Though future feature experiences may not be an escape room and a carnival, they also can\u2019t be literally anything. Netflix House is a large space in a big mall, but it\u2019s all relative: Disney World is 43 square miles.<\/p>\n

\n\tWould I drive 35 minutes each way from Philadelphia to experience Netflix House? Yes, for sure. Would I do it every time Netflix cycles in a new experience? No. And I would not board an airplane for it \u2014 especially not in this economy government shutdown.<\/p>\n

\n\tIntrinsic Philly tourism (and then Dallas, two cities that as a New York Giants fan I am predisposed to hating) will be key to the ultimate success or failure, which has yet to be written \u2014 including here. Netflix House is not a reason to fly to Philadelphia, it is a new thing to do on a rainy day during the trip you were taking there anyway. For me, it was like visiting a minus5 ICEBAR \u2014 cool to do a few times with new people and the booze helps, but I never need to go again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The future of streaming is a former Lord & Taylor in a shopping mall in King of Prussia,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":32131,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[3548,19405,20264,69,71,70],"class_list":["post-32130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia","tag-netflix","tag-netflix-house","tag-netflix-house-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia-headlines","tag-philadelphia-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32130"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32130\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}