Netflix House: A Great Photo Op… and That’s About It

If you’ve spent more than five minutes on social media lately, you’ve probably seen it: the Netflix House. Endless reels featuring glowing neon signs, Stranger Things relics, and a towering sculpture of Thing from Wednesday. Local news stations raved about immersive activities, themed escape rooms, and a buzzing restaurant with a bar.

That’s all it took to convince us to plan a road trip to King of Prussia. After more than an hour in the car, we arrived at a massive mall filled with luxury retailers, nostalgia-inducing stores (there’s a Toys “R” Us!!), and enough square footage to lose a small village. But none of that mattered, because we were ready to spend the entire day inside this magical Netflix playground, preferably drowning in Bridgerton gossip and swag.

The exterior is quirky and offbeat, immediately setting the tone. Inside, you’re greeted by Eddie’s guitar from Stranger Things, with the alphabet wall painting from the show and flickering Christmas lights. Oversized references from Netflix shows are everywhere, painted, plastered, and glowing. Behind the bright red staircase you’ll find the info desk, escape rooms, and a small movie theater. The space feels huge… yet somehow still limited once you realize how much of it is just visual spectacle.

We arrived on a Monday around 1pm, hoping to beat crowds and child chaos. While there were still some energetic kids running around, it was relatively calm. First stop: the information desk. We were told the movie theater only opens for special showings that happen occasionally. Oof. Seems like a waste of space and opportunity… We wanted to book the Wednesday escape room, only to be told it’s only open on Wednesdays and weekends. Oddly on-brand, but also… inconvenient.

Okay, plan B. We asked about the other escape room based on a show we hadn’t seen. No problem, they said. “There are already ten people signed up.”

Ten. OOf.

We’ve done escape rooms with strangers before, but never in a group that large. When we asked if a smaller group was possible later, we were told they prefer booking big groups. Hard pass. Refund requested.

No worries, we still had mini golf and VR on the agenda. We booked mini golf for 3pm and virtual reality for 4pm. $120 later, with an hour and a half to kill, we headed to the Netflix gift shop and bar.

The gift shop is fun… if you’re deeply committed to Netflix merch. I like Stranger Things, but not enough to spend $45 on sweatpants or $50 on a baseball cap. I love Bridgerton, yet even that section felt underwhelming. I walked out with a $13 spoon and some “Bridgerton” popcorn—which turned out to be basic caramel/toffee popcorn. Probably for the best. I needed my money for the restaurant anyway.

The eatery itself is visually striking, with neon signs hanging from the ceiling depicting scenes from I Think You Should Leave, BoJack Horseman, anime, and even K-POP Demon Hunters. And then I saw the menu…

🚨 THIS IS NOT A DRILL: MOCKTAILS ARE ON THE MENU. 🚨

There were only two, but I’ll take what I can get.

East Blue Milk Tea
A stunning light-blue coconut-forward drink made with oat milk and cold foam. Beautiful, creamy, and dangerously drinkable. I wish it had boba, but I still couldn’t stop staring at it.

Sana Boys Soda Pop
A banana “dirty soda” topped with whipped cream and a vanilla wafer. It tasted like summer on a cold winter day and made me nostalgic for poolside frozen drinks. I would happily order ten.

Our bartender, Katerina Roberts, was as delightful as the drinks—quick, friendly, and clearly skilled. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the dessert. After browsing the eclectic (and pricey) menu, we ordered one slice of Rest in Chocolate Cake. I briefly considered a pretzel, until learning it was 2.5 pounds of dough and $34. Respectfully… no. If I want a bar pretzel, then I'll have to take another trip to Pickwickian!

For $12, I expected: A Matilda-level slice of chocolate cake drowning in “molten” chocolate sauce with a generous scoop of purple ube ice cream.

What arrived instead: OOF! A small lava cake that could easily pass as a hockey puck. It was soft and had molten chocolate inside, but very small. The ice cream was vanilla, not ube, and there was a puddle of raspberry sauce and freeze-dried fruit dusted across the plate. Tasty? Yes. What the menu described? Not exactly.

The standout detail? The spoon was shaped like a tiny shovel. Points for creativity.

Cake: good.
Ice cream: fine.
Raspberry sauce: bright and tart.
Freeze-dried fruit: thoughtful, but fresh fruit would’ve been better.

After dessert, we wandered the mall while waiting for mini golf. We ran into Santa, admired the massive Christmas tree atop the carousel, and then headed back to Netflix House.

Mini golf was surprisingly high-tech and visually impressive. Joe immediately grabbed the Happy Gilmore-style hockey stick club (obviously). Each ball is programmed to track your score, hole, and putts. The setup is sleek and fun, but you must play one at a time or the system gets confused.

It’s nine holes, each taking only a couple of minutes. Playing through Is It Cake? and WWE-themed holes were entertaining, but quick. Fun once, but probably not a repeat experience.

Finally, VR time… except not yet. OOF!!! They’re very strict about start times, and we finished golf way too early. Back to the mall we went, where we grabbed an affordable meal at the food court before returning.

The VR experience? Worth it.

We played the 45-minute Stranger Things VR game with another couple. After gearing up with sensors and headsets, we were fully immersed and had an absolute blast. The space was a bit snug for four people, and it might’ve been even better with friends, but it was hands-down the highlight of the day. Ending on a high note was exactly what this experience needed.

We wrapped up around 5pm, stepped into the cold winter night, and began the hour-long drive home. Would we go back? Maybe for VR and a mall stroll. But the hype didn’t quite match the reality.

Until next time,
The Sober Party Girl

Final Sober Party Girl Score: 4/10
Mocktails alone: 8/10 🍹

⭐ Pros

📸 Incredible photo ops — neon signs, oversized props, and Instagram gold everywhere
🧠 High-tech mini golf — automatic score tracking and themed holes
🕶️ VR experience is a standout — immersive, exciting, and worth the money
🍹 Mocktails on the menu! — limited options, but both were delicious
👩‍🍳 Friendly, skilled bartender — fast service and great presentation
🛍️ Central mall location — easy to pair with shopping, dining, and wandering

⚠️ Cons

💸 Expensive for what you get — costs add up fast
⏳ Long wait times — even on a weekday afternoon
🚪 Escape room limitations — limited days, large forced group sizes
🍰 Food didn’t match the hype — small portions and menu inconsistencies
🛍️ Overpriced merch — fun to browse, not fun to buy
🎯 More style than substance — amazing visuals, limited depth