Hey everyone, it’s Blake, and I’m excited to share my latest adventure with you! I took my family on a trip to Vegas to experience Area15 – the newest attraction in town! As a tech nerd, avid gamer, and virtual reality enthusiast, I had been eagerly waiting to check out this place ever since I first heard about it a few years ago.
Finally, when they opened their doors in late 2020, I knew I had to get my family out there to fully experience everything Area15 has to offer. So, I packed up my wife, Patty, and our two kids, John (13) and Jenette (11), and we flew from our home in San Bernardino to Sin City for a long weekend filled with eating, sightseeing, and immersing ourselves in the virtual worlds within Area15.
Although Vegas is always buzzing with entertainment, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this new high-tech playground. Would it live up to the hype? Would my entire family enjoy it or just us gaming enthusiasts? Keep reading to find out!
Area15 Background
For those who haven’t heard of Area15, here’s a quick little background: Located just a few minutes off the Strip, Area15 is a one-of-a-kind experiential retail and entertainment complex. What does “experiential retail” mean exactly? Well, unlike your typical shops or malls, every store and exhibit at Area15 is designed to fully immerse you and stimulate all your senses.
So instead of just walking into a store and buying something off the shelf, you’re entering conceptual worlds, playing VR games, interacting with art displays, drinking crazy cocktails – you get the picture. With ever-changing exhibits ranging from Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart to Birdly’s VR hang gliding to Wink World’s infinity rooms and more, Area15 is less of a shopping center and more of a futuristic adult playground.
I had first heard whispers of Area15 a few years back when they initially broke ground. As a lifelong gamer and virtual reality enthusiast, I was instantly intrigued. The creative minds and artists behind Meow Wolf were involved? Sign me up! An experiential art exhibition where you can walk through portals into different worlds? I’m absolutely there. The more details that emerged pre-launch, the more stoked I got.
Once COVID delayed their grand opening, my excitement only grew as the anticipation mounted. By the time they opened their doors in late 2020, I was practically frothing at the mouth to experience Area15 firsthand. And what better guinea pigs to bring than my wife and kids?
The Area15 Experience
When we first stepped foot into Area15, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The exterior looks fairly nondescript – just a massive windowless warehouse structure – giving absolutely no indication of the interdimensional fun house that lies within. We entered through an airlock-style tunnel playing ambient space-aged music, which set an intriguing mood immediately.
Emerging on the other side, we were greeted by an otherworldly landscape under a towering Japanese maple tree, glowing and shifting through rainbow hues. “Whoaaaaa,” the kids gasped in awe. Pretty cool start! We did a quick lap to scope out our surroundings. With black concrete floors, exposed ceilings, graffitied walls, and larger-than-life art installations, Area15 felt like a mashup of Burning Man, Comic-Con, and Blade Runner.
“This is the coolest place I’ve ever seen!” my son John declared excitedly. We grabbed our first round of cocktails at the centrally located Oddwood bar, cheering to our weekend of high-tech, artistic adventure. I could already tell this would be an epic family trip!
With so many exhibits and experiences to choose from, we decided to start with something more lowkey to ease into things – the Particle Quest augmented reality experience. Equipped with Microsoft HoloLens headsets and backpack computers, we were launched on an AR scavenger hunt, searching for holograms scattered throughout the complex. This was a fantastic icebreaker activity that got us acquainted with the sprawling space while wowing us with holograms around every corner.
Up next was Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart, which ended up being the highlight of Area15 for all of us. This “supermarket of the future” exhibition sends you through a psychedelic rabbit hole, letting you pass through fridge portals into surreal worlds bursting with cosmic artwork and alien oddities. My family and I had an absolute blast getting lost in the 52,000-square-foot space for nearly 4 hours, crawling through neon tunnels, decoding hidden messages, and shooting hoops on an extraterrestrial basketball court. “Can we move in here?!” Jenette asked.
After emerging from Omega Mart’s interdimensional vortex, we were ready to fly – quite literally. At Birdly VR, you strap horizontally onto a giant mechanical bird rig, don a VR headset, flap your “wings” and experience realistic simulated flight through stunning landscapes. My daredevil wife Patty opted to soar over Manhattan, while John and Jenette chose majestic mountain ranges. Their delighted squeals echoed throughout Area15 – this VR escape was clearly a hit!
With our heads still soaring through the virtual clouds, we headed inside Wink World’s Infinity Rooms next – a mind-bending maze of mirrored rooms flooded with twinkling lights synchronized to ambient electronic music. We lost ourselves for a good 20 minutes in this glitzy, glamorous fun house. “Mesmerizing,” said Patty, gazing into the pulsing depths of the rooms.
Feeling mentally spent but pumped with adrenaline, we fueled back up at The Beast restaurant. We shared tender smoked brisket, Korean corn dogs, square deep-dish pizzas, and chocolate chip cookies while reminiscing on our epic adventures so far. Area15 exceeded all expectations!
The Family Verdict
It was finally time to split up so we could each indulge in our own preferred virtual reality adventures. As the family techie and VR enthusiast, I made a beeline for the hardcore high-tech options – Virtualis VR’s free roam zombie combat experience, which lived up to all the hype.
Suited up head to toe in haptic gear, wielding a heavy-duty VR rifle, I was launched into a 25-minute fight for survival in a post-apocalyptic wasteland swarming with frighteningly realistic undead. Crouching behind abandoned cars, scavenging ammo from dilapidated buildings, narrowly escaping hordes of snarling zombies – my heart raced with exhilaration from start to finish. Virtualis VR’s untethered setup and Hollywood-level production quality delivered one of the most immersive VR encounters I’ve had to date. This is an absolute must-do at Area15!
Meanwhile, Patty and the kids went the more playful, fantastical route at Oz Experience – a poppy, brightly colored choose-your-own-adventure style journey geared towards families and kids. This social VR shooter lets groups battle and banter their way through themed levels bursting with wacky creatures and environments. I popped in to catch the tail end of their game and found the three giggling hysterically as they took turns riding unicorns through candy mountain battlescapes. Oz delivered all the technicolor charm and family-friendly fun it promised!
Re-fueled by chocolate milky bubbles from Rocket Fizz candy shop and boozy milkshakes from Emack & Bolio’s, we compared our epic VR adventures over Area15’s signature cocktail – the Cosmopolitan. With glowstick necklaces lighting up our smiles, we gushed about everything we had experienced so far.
Omega Mart and Wink World seemed to be the biggest crowd-pleasers, while Birdly, Oz VR, and Virtualis delivered our preferred flavors of adrenaline. “This place is every gamer-nerd-creative’s wildest dreams come to life!” I raved. Even my wife, who typically doesn’t care for video games or avant-garde art, was over the moon about Area15. “I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” Patty marveled. “Like a virtual reality theme park for adults!”
With sore glutes from all the walking and scrambled brains from sensory overload, we called it a night…but the kids can’t wait to return someday soon! “Best family trip EVER!” they proclaimed in unison. I couldn’t agree more. Area15 exceeded my already high expectations on every level – unique art and entertainment experiences that stimulate your consciousness; bars and eateries that nourish your soul; and gift shops to satisfy your inner child. Come with an open mind and prepare to have ALL your senses electrified!
Area15 Hits & Misses
While 95% of our Area15 adventures scored a perfect 10 in our books, a few fell slightly short of amazement. Come to think of it, the few that missed the mark were targeting adults vs the family-friendly options which ALL delivered.
For instance, my son John wasn’t quite tall enough for the intense Haley’s Comet thrill ride, which left him sorely disappointed. Had the staff properly communicated the height requirement (54 inches) we likely would have skipped it altogether. We made the mistake of waiting in the long queue only to have him rejected at boarding with teary eyes.
Similarly, the Museum Fiasco light and sound show proved underwhelming for my artsy daughter. She was intrigued walking in but left saying “That was it?” noting it lacked narrative cohesion.
As for me, the bars were a bit of a bust. While certainly visually stunning establishments decked out in eye-popping colors and designs, the actual cocktails fell disappointingly flat. In a mixology mecca like Las Vegas, I guess I was hoping for some true spirit-forward showstoppers based on the avant-garde vibe Area15 exudes. But alas the bartenders served up amateurishly balanced drinks that looked far better than they tasted.
A few other minor gripes:
- The food options are quite limited, making it tricky to fuel up on the fly between adventures. With various dietary needs and tastes in our crew, we often found ourselves wandering in hungry circles. This will surely improve in time as AREA15 expands though!
- Entry/re-entry can get confusing and frustrating. You need to stop by guest services to scan your ticket every time, but the lines often bottleneck. Self-service kiosks would help immensely.
- Some of the offerings like Five Iron Golf and Emporium Barcade felt randomly shoehorned into the space…rather than creatively aligned with the whole interdimensional concept. These could easily be swapped for more experimental exhibits!
- Most experiences fell on the shorter end timewise, usually 25 minutes or under. While perhaps intentional to keep crowds flowing, after investing energy to gear up and emotionally buy-in you often wanted MORE. Open-ended adventures like Omega Mart scored top points here!
Overall though, these were minor nitpicks in an overwhelmingly positive experience for the four of us! Given the sheer amount of ground we covered over 2 days ‘virtually’ warp speed, our feet and minds were exhausted by the end in the absolute best way. “Can we pleeeease come back every year?!” the kids begged. Yes, yes we can!
The Takeaway
After months of eager anticipation building ever since Area15 first broke ground, I’m ecstatic to report it exceeded my already high expectations on every level. As a longtime gamer, virtual reality enthusiast, and self-proclaimed experience junkie, I couldn’t imagine a more spectacular adult playground purpose-built for me and my adventurous ilk.
While Vegas offers endless entertainment, Area15 is truly breaking the mold with its genre-defying mix of art, tech, retail therapy, F&B, and sense-firing spectacle. Everywhere you look, something eye-catching is there to intrigue and astonish. Whether you’re seeking adrenaline-pumping escapism or avant-garde inspiration, Area15 delivers all flavors of WOW.
My family can’t stop raving about our epic 2-day exploration. While all four of us entered excited yet uncertain of what to expect, we left utterly spellbound – ears ringing, skin tingling, cheeks aching from nonstop grinning, and minds delightfully disoriented from overstimulation… in the best possible way ever!
Kids and adults alike will uncover untold hours of entertainment uncovering the marvels within. Come ready to walk, talk, eat, drink, think, laugh, gasp, scream, question reality, and have ALL your senses electrified by the creative geniuses behind Area15’s ever-evolving exhibits. This is not your mama’s mall food court or blockbuster movie experience – this is the future of experiential entertainment; and honey let me tell you, the future is PHENOMENAL!
I simply cannot wait to return again…and again…and again as Area15 continues ripening into its full mind-melting glory. Mark my words: this adult playground is going to reshape the future of entertainment in Las Vegas and beyond!
Conclusion
Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed this little virtual tour of Area 15 from my family’s perspective! What started as a tech nerd dad’s dream weekend ended up delivering way more WOW for way more of us than I could’ve imagined. I have a feeling Area15 is going to do great things for tourism and entertainment in Las Vegas over the coming decade.
As they say, this groundbreaking complex is not yet fully “activated” – so expect even bigger, wilder, crazier concepts still to come! We will definitely be back to experience Phase 2…3…and 4 of Area15’s maturation into the ultimate adult playground.
Have any of YOU visited Area15 yet? What exhibits and experiences blew your mind or fell flat? Let me know in the comments! For all of you fellow tech nerds, gamers, creatives, and weirdos – I cannot recommend AREA15 highly enough. This is MECCA for the visually and intellectually curious!!
And for the tamer folks just looking for a good time, trust me, you don’t have to be an artsy fartsy Burning Man aficionado to have an absolute BLAST! Area15 offers something to WOW everyone. So do yourself a favor and check this place out, pronto! Just don’t forget to book your tickets online first, or you may find yourself stuck waiting in long lines.
Check out more such VR experience reviews on TheVirtualReviewer.