Calling all ‘Money Heist’ fans: Netflix brings an immersive escape-room style experience to New York
If you live in New York City and love escape rooms, there's a new "Money Heist" themed experience you should check out.
Netflix and event company Fever have teamed up for an "immersive superproduction" that allows ticket holders to participate in the action of a simulated heist — all based on the series "Money Heist."
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If you're unfamiliar, the Spanish show follows a group of criminals as they attempt a massive heist at the behest of "The Professor." It's become an international hit since it first aired in 2017.
While the experience doesn't follow the exact same plot of the show, fans of the series will definitely see similarities — including the red jumpsuits you don to pull off the job. However, you don't have to be an avid watcher of "Money Heist" to enjoy the experience.
When we first read about the experience, I knew I had to try it, and TPG social media manager Mimi Wright graciously offered to go with me.
Booking tickets
You can book the experience on Fever's website for dates throughout January and February 2022, located at 1 Hanson Place in Brooklyn (a stunning building that used to be the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower, an important detail that they use in the experience itself).
Tickets are available Thursday to Friday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The experience lasts around an hour, but you'll want to arrive 20 minutes early and plan to stay after for pictures and the bar.
Tickets start at $49 per person, but prices vary depending on the date and time. Including taxes and fees, our two tickets were $136 in total.
It's slightly more expensive than your average escape room (which usually hovers between $35 and $50 per person depending on the venue and type of escape room), but this is also a much more involved production.
You do have to be a minimum of 14 years old to participate, but the recommended age is 16 and older.
You'll also need to bring proof of vaccination and wear your mask over your nose and mouth throughout the entire experience.
Related: How to travel to New York City on points and miles
Pulling off a heist
When we booked our tickets, we truly didn't know what to expect. I'd never watched the show (though I've now added it to my list), and the website is understandably a little vague about what exactly the experience entails.
It has the bones of an escape room: A group of individuals working together to complete tasks, riddles and more. But, this experience goes much further.
When you walk in, you go through security, sign in and hand over your coats and purses. I recommend keeping your phone and a card with you — you can't record video to take photos during the experience itself, but you'll want both after you finish the mission and have access to the photo and bar areas.
Once we were squared away, we were instructed to wait in a sectioned-off area for the rest of our group. You're asked to come up with a city, state or country as your code name (a nod to the show — Mimi and I chose Berlin and Manila, respectively). We mingled with the others in our group before being led downstairs to where the action begins.
I won't give away the plot — where's the fun in that? — but there are a few things to note about the experience as a whole.
This is a professional production where you get to play a role in the plot of a heist. Actors in costumes guide you through the different sets with sound effects and fight sequences and realistic weapons. You'll be yelled at by actors playing the role of hardened criminals, and you'll interact with them, some allies and some enemies.
Personally, I was delighted throughout most of the evening. But if you're sensitive to loud bangs, flashing lights, yelling or uncomfortable with realistic-looking weapons, this may not be the experience for you. No weapons are fired and the fight sequences are staged with ample distance away from participants, so it's all very safe, but it could be a bit jarring for kids or even some adults.
Once you've completed your mission, you get to celebrate with drinks from a concession-style bar. The bar was a bit disappointing (expensive drinks that weren't that great, in my opinion), but the pictures were fun and the overall experience was excellent.
Bottom line
The evening surpassed my expectations. The plot seamlessly integrated hand sanitization and other COVID-19 safety into the experience, and the actors were extremely entertaining. Plus, how often do you get to say you spent a Sunday evening in a red jumpsuit stealing fake gold from an old bank in Brooklyn?
It does mimic an escape room atmosphere in some ways, so if you aren't a fan of those, you likely won't enjoy this. However, if you're like me and are willing to suspend your disbelief for an evening of fun while you pretend to rob a bank in Brooklyn? It's definitely worth trying with a group of friends one weekend.
This is a temporary event that only lasts through February 2022, so if you're interested, you'll want to grab your tickets soon. At the time of writing, there was pretty open availability on the website, but that could change in the coming weeks.
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