Area15 - I've not been here either....

After looking at Area 51 last week, I've found my USB pen, laptop is working and we’re back on track so it’s time to discuss AREA15.

Located West of the Strip off of the i5 (3215 S.Rancho Drive to be exact), AREA15 opened in Sept 2020. As we were all in lockdown, none of us in the UK would have the opportunity to be there on opening night, or any other night at the moment but let’s not dwell on that.

Family, friends and regular followers of my blogs and vlogs will know I’m a sucker for anything different. Whether it’s a new experience or something uniquely flavoured to eat or drink then I’m there ready and waiting. Sometimes it goes well like the Scorpion Shot at Nacho Daddy (that tequila was really nice) and sometimes it doesn’t go too well (Bud-Light Orange was something I don’t think I’ll try again).

I think we saw the AREA15 building when in Vegas in 2019 but didn’t take much notice, and then over the last few months there have been some things on social media about it that have piqued my interest. We have booked Vegas for June and so it was a place of interest to look into. Whether we end up going in June is still questionable. Anyway, here are my findings…..

First the good news, entry to AREA15 is free, but currently as they’re limiting numbers due to COVID you have to go onto their website and reserve a (free) ticket. It’s been described as an experience mall and that’s where I found the term extremely fitting. A mall is a place where you buy things, in AREA15 you can walk around in wonder at the amazing experiences and art installations that are available to you but in order to experience most of them you have to pay. You are more than welcome to walk around and book whatever takes your fancy but some experiences are more popular than others and so buying a ticket online in advance is recommended. They do have an app but it’s not available for people in the UK, there may be restrictions to anyone outside of the US but I don’t know. It’s a shame as it gives you a synopsis of each exhibit allows you to book reservations with ease. I’ve actually emailed the app developers asking if it will ever be available to non-US residents.

There are also a few places to eat and drink, there’s even a Secret Bar hidden inside one of the exhibits and I know where it is because, well it’s because I read about it in an online article about AREA15.

AREA15 does have its own website so it would be easy to ignore the rest of this blog and just go to www.area15.com. To be honest, you could just Google AREA15 and get the information from people who have actually been there instead of from me, at home, in the UK, currently only allowed to go to the pub garden but where’s the fun in that?

Welcome to AREA15

From what I've learnt from researching into this place some exhibits over time may be changed so this info is only as accurate as of now. I would assume some of the larger exhibits though would remain but what do I know.

Outside of AREA15 is what is called Art Island and here you will find numerous different pieces of art and this part doesn't cost a thing and is one of the permanent exhibits.

The Omega Mart is also permanent which is good because I really want to see this exhibit as it looks like a giant grocery store. It's not cheap though - $45 for Adults, $40 for Children and $35 for NV Residents but it does cover over 52,000 square feet and it is where you'll find the secret bar. It's surreal and bizarre - some would say it's completely bat-shit crazy, I'd say it's right up my street.

A few slightly cheaper exhibits/experiences are Birdly and Haley's Comet. Birdly is a flight simulator with a difference - for $13.50 you lie flat on your stomach and flap your arms with the wind in your face as you soar over a variety of digital landscapes. It's far more extravagant looking than it sounds but then again, so is most of AREA15. Haley's Comet is cheaper at $18 and is Americas first indoor, electric dual-track suspension ride. It's like zip lining on steroids as you hang/roll glide and race against a friend over AREA15..

If you're a fan of Van Gogh for $35 for adults, $19 for children and $25 for locals with ID, this 30 minute art show celebrates his work in a 360 degree digital art immersive experience.

Back to a cheaper exhibit and Museum Fiasco by 'The Cluster' is an abstract 12 minute experience using sound and light technology to explore the relationship between space, time, and perception. This one costs $17.

Who here likes the Blue Man Group? I'm not a fan but here at AREA15 there is an exhibit from Blue Man Group's Chris Wink and it's called Wink World. This exhibit is all psychedelic with a carnival funhouse vibe with black light art pieces and infinity mirror rooms. It's $20 for the potentially migraine inducing exhibit so you'll find me just outside of it selling knock-off Migraleve.

The OZ experience is a $100 virtual reality experience and Particle quest is a far cheaper AR experience ($8) - it's described on the AREA15 website as ;

"Unlock the secret backstory lurking just beneath the surface of AREA15. Once you put on your Particle Quest Mask, you’ll discover a world of surreal nano-particles triggered by the art and architecture all around you. But there’s more to the story than just lush and trippy visualizations—grab your crew and follow the particles as they help you discover the mysterious origins of AREA15."

I've really only scratched the surface of what exhibits and experiences are at AREA15, there are many more but for my own sanity here is a quick rundown of the others;

• Brainstorm ($5) – Reads your expressions and responds by giving you a unique experience every time.

• Dueling Axes (starts at $35) – Axe throwing! 20% off for locals.

• Five Iron Golf (starts at $35) – Indoor golf experience featuring industry-leading golf simulators, pro teachers, and a bar.

As well as all these things to see and do there are also opportunities to sit down, soak in the atmosphere and have a drink and/or something to eat.

Sanctuary is a giant volcano-shaped dome built from natural materials and is where you can take a break and grab yourself a drink. If you want a craft beer and have a game pool or a blast on a few old arcade machines then you'll want to go to Emporium - this is where you'll find me.

For more beers and cocktails you have Oddwood - here you can sit under a 25-foot-tall digital maple tree whilst sipping on $10 draft beers, $17 cocktails or $9 bottled beers.

If I'm not at Emporium I'll be found at the Lost Spirits Distillery. It's not open yet but is supposed to be like a Willy Wonka style place with whisky and rum tasting along with amusement rides. They also advertise there being a fine dining restaurant there too but I've no info on that - Lost Spirits Distillery

All this drinking is making me hungry. There's not a lot of places in AREA15 to eat, there is Emack & Bollos for ice cream - I doubt it will be your standard vanilla cone and at Rocket Fizz you can buy old-fashioned candy and pop/soda.

The Beast by Todd English is a food hall with a difference - it's inside the belly of a dragon (I don't want to think where the exit is).

Here is a link to the menu - https://www.thebeastbytoddenglish.com/

I'm not sure how reservations are working under the current situation but the AREA15 website does advise on this.

I've left shopping last as all there is (if you don't include Rocket Fizz) is Wild Muse Boutique that sells unique, one-of-a-kind, handcrafted apparel, accessories, and art.

Thoughts……

The place itself definitely looks very interesting and somewhere I do want to go and vlog from. Even though there seems to be a lot to do, it nearly all costs money. I understand you can’t have everything for free but when looking at reviews it’s been mentioned things like Birdly costs around $14 yet the experience lasts only a few minutes. Some of them are crazy expensive too, the VR - The OZ experience must be out of this world to justify $100 for 35 minutes especially when at MGM they have VR at $50 for 30 minutes. Most things in Vegas are discounted at some point, there’s usually a deal or a voucher and I’m sure if I looked hard enough there’s probably deals for the exhibits at AREA15 such as combo tickets for particular exhibits (if not then there should be).

Personally I think I’d come here, do as much of the free stuff as possible, take lots of photos and vlog it all. For now I think I’d pay to go to the Omega Mart and its ‘secret’ bar then maybe check out just one or two of the cheaper experiences such as Particle Quest and maybe Haley's Comet.

Trying to do everything in one go is going to end up expensive and possibly tiresome with the risk of sensory overload, I’d have to come back during another visit and try something else within AREA15.

I really like the street art and murals around Vegas, especially Downtown and the Arts District. I’m not an arty person –you won’t see me down the local art museum discussing the influence Picassos Cubism phase had on the art movement of the 20th Century but you will see me taking photos of the Ninja on the side of the building on South Main St in the Arts District. My slight concern is that the art exhibitions at AREA15 may be a bit too pretentious, a lot of everything about nothing but as most of them are interactive then that’s going to be fun and will easily distract me from overthinking it all. You’re in Vegas – have fun!

When it comes to eating and drinking I’d definitely give the Beast Food Hall a go as there seems to be plenty of choice so if Jane can pry me away from the craft beers and arcade machines at the Emporium then we’ll go there.

As a side note, when reading up on The Beast Food Hall I initially read it as Todd’s English Food Hall as opposed to Todd English’s Food Hall. I was quite perplexed as to how a whole food hall could be based on English Cuisine, I guess I could open a Black Country Stall there and sell Faggots and Grey Peas, Groaty Pudding and Lardy cake for dessert.

Next stop would be Oddwood – the coffee and cocktail bar that has a 25-foot twinkling Japanese Maple Tree as its centerpiece. Something funky for my Insta looking on fleek or rad or whatever the kids say these days.

As for everything else, assuming I didn’t end up hating the place (stranger things have happened), then I’d pencil this place in for another visit.

This is definitely a place I feel you’ll need to see for yourself, there are numerous articles on the internet and videos on YouTube to give you a rough idea as to whether it’s for you. AREA15 looks like it’s my kind of thing, especially the Omega Mart so next time I’m in Vegas I’ll add it to our itinerary and I’ll give you my honest opinion of it in just one take (or two or maybe three).