The Friends Experience is back! The Friends Experience reopened its flagship location in New York and the pop-up exhibit in Chicago.
© Justin Barbin – Carol Fox and Associates Public Relations
Created by Superfly X, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and Warner Bros. Television Group, the Friends Experience puts attendees into the world of the Friends television show. Centered around six friends living in New York, the show ran for 10 seasons and became one of the most successful and popular sitcoms in television history.
© Justin Barbin – Carol Fox and Associates Public Relations
While the Friends Experience was on a short hiatus to comply with COVID-19 city mandates, the demand for its return stayed strong, with hundreds of requests for pop-ups in other cities. When the announcement of the return was made, Friends fans all over the world rejoiced on social media.
© Justin Barbin – Carol Fox and Associates Public Relations
The Friends Experience features 12 nostalgia-packed rooms recreating sets and scenes from the show. Central Perk, Chandler and Joey’s recliners, the fountain and more are just a few bits of the pop culture fun.
© Justin Barbin – Carol Fox and Associates Public Relations
I talked to Jonathan Mayers, founder and CEO, Superfly X, about The Friends Experience. While New York will remain the flagship, the Chicago pop-up is for a limited time. Other locations are also being planned, but Mayers could not announce those yet.
Mayers discussed the ongoing popularity of the show, 25 years after the series finale. He also revealed his favorite Friends character and talked about a visit with live penguins. Before wrapping up our interview, Mayers gave me a scoop, though. There are plans to present other popular television shows in the same type of format. Again, Mayers could not list specific shows, but my mind started to race with possibilities I would like to see.
© Justin Barbin – Carol Fox and Associates Public Relations
As I was writing this, I saw a social media post from an old friend. Amie Szymanski Zander, executive director of Pulaski Elston Business Association, was having fun at The Friends Experience with her mom, her daughter and her daughter’s friend. Amie told me, “The exhibit was amazing! The Central Perk made completely of Legos is something to see. The pivot couch was probably our favorite.” The three generations enjoying The Friends Experience is the perfect way to summarize this pop culture exhibit.
Photo courtesy of Amie Szymanski Zander.
As a fan of pop culture, The Friends Experience is a unique opportunity to be immersed in the world that Ross, Rachel, Joey, Phoebe, Monica and Chandler brought into our homes every week for 10 years.
— John Wroblewski, online writer
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