Review: The Office Experience
Have you ever dreamed of visiting Dunder Mifflin? Or Schrute Farms?
Well, we have… Sort of. And we’re going to tell you what it’s like…
Yep, we had the opportunity to visit The Office Experience during our visit to Chicago. (Then, their next stop is Washington, DC!)
As you can tell, we’re huge The Office fans. So when we found out that they were opening a pop-up experience all about the show, were super thrilled to check it out!
Created in collaboration with Universal and series showrunner Greg Daniels, The Office Experience is a whole new way to enjoy the wacky hijinks of our favorite paper company.
The attraction consists of 17 rooms that allow you to walk through key set recreations, locations, and moments from the iconic TV series. It’s also brought to life by the same team behind the also wildly popular FRIENDS Experience.
From the Dunder Mifflin employee desks to the Schrute Farms beet stand, there are so many fun places to visit and activities to enjoy there—and we’re here to give you a little taste of why you should visit when it comes to a city near you.
Why should you visit The Office Experience? Here are all of our reasons to visit:
Disclaimer: We received complimentary admission to The Office Experience as media guests. However, all opinions are our own and based on our honest personal experience.
━ It’s immersive and interactive
The moment we walked in the door, we felt like we had been transported to the world of Dunder Mifflin.
The creators did an absolutely amazing job at creating exact replicas of the show’s sets and locations.
There are several interactive components as well. For example, you can pick up the phone at several of the character’s desks to hear messages or open drawers to find elements from episodes.
There are no tour guides, so you get to explore the museum at your own pace. Guests can interact with all the themed rooms and take selfies at the iconic set recreations.
━ Find original props on display
Dundies, scripts, awards, memorable props, replicas, and even original costumes from different episodes are all on display and available for you to check out!
They even included some of our favorite props from different seasons such as Dwight’s stapler in jello, and Michael’s dry erase board at the Michael Scott Paper Company. It was so surreal!
You can touch most of the props, too. Just don’t yank out anything that’s glued down or behind display glass.
━ Take home your own Dunder Mifflin Employee Badge
For just a bit extra, you can get your very own personalized Dunder Mifflin ID card.
They’ll quickly create your badge right before you enter, and can personalize them with your name and photo. It’s only $10 per badge when you pre-order a combo ticket online.
And voila, it’s just what you need to feel like a true character on the show!
━ Learn lots of trivia
The hallways are filled with interactive trivia tidbits that will not only make you smile ━ but could actually help you win at trivia night.
We loved seeing walls filled with the Employee Profiles, Memorable Quotes, Stanley’s Crossword, and Love Connection infographics about who dated who in the cast.
There are several interesting tidbits sprinkled throughout… For example: Did you know that during the last year, fans streamed a total of 57 billion hours of The Office?!
━ It’s not just The Office set
Don’t expect just the Dunder Mifflin Scranton office set. They also have sets based on so many memorable episodes!
We won’t spoil it all for you but there’s definitely a lot to see! There are sets for Beach Games, Schrute Farms, Kevin’s Chili Spill, Jim & Pam’s Love Story, Michael Scott Paper Company, and more.
If you really want to feel like you are part of Dunder Mifflin, there is even an area where you can practice reciting lines from cue cards for your own confession aka talking head video.
━ They take cleanliness and safety seriously
If you want to do something fun but want to avoid crowds, The Office Experience is a great choice.
To ensure proper crowd management, everyone must have timed tickets for entry.
They also consistently implement and follow current local health regulations. There were hand sanitizers available throughout the experience. At the time of our visit, masks were recommended but not required.
━ You can have parties here
Here’s the best part ━ you can rent out the whole place for parties!
You and your party guests can have The Office Experience all to yourselves. It’s fully customizable and available for different events such as cocktail hour, corporate events, lectures, and team outings.
━ Review: Office Experience ━ The Bottomline
The Office Experience is well done, immersive, and fun. It’s a great way to spend a few hours and relive some of your favorite moments from this popular show.
They recently ended their inaugural run in Chicago. Recently, they announced that they will now be taking the sets to Washington, DC! If the attraction’s popularity is any indication, it will most likely spread out like the Friends pop-up and travel to other locations.
Other cities will be announced later, but make sure to sign up to be the first to know!
And while you wait for the details, don’t forget to visit The Office Experience store to score your own Officially Licensed The Office™ Merchandise.
Are you a fan of The Office, too?
Do you like going to interactive pop-up attractions such as this?
Let us know in the comments below!
available at the gift shop or their online store
