The first 'Netflix House' is open with virtual reality, mini-golf and lots of selfies

"The first Netflix House is not a house. It's a former Lord & Taylor department store at the King of Prussia Mall, outside Philadelphia, Pa. Inside, fans of the world's most popular streaming service can enjoy a mini-golf course, restaurants, a movie theater, and lots and lots of places to take selfies like on a Bridgerton-style red velvet throne or an afghan-covered couch in a living room from Stranger Things."

""This is the first permanent physical manifestation of Netflix for our fans," says the company's chief marking officer, Marian Lee. "They've been inviting us into their homes for years and years." Netflix House is focused on immersive experiences, not movie theaters, Lee says. (The number of movie theaters in the U.S. has dropped by more than 20% since Netflix first started streaming content into living rooms in 2007, according to the industry group Cinema United.)"

"It will feature a Squid Game virtual immersive experience, for those who crave the excitement of being gunned down with the help of a giant mechanical doll. "What they're trying to do is blur the lines between their content, your home experience, your small screen experience, and an interactive, fully immersive, tactile, in-person experience," says Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for research firm Comscore."

The first Netflix House occupies a former Lord & Taylor department store at the King of Prussia Mall near Philadelphia. Inside, fans can enjoy a mini-golf course, restaurants, a movie theater, and selfie-ready sets like a Bridgerton-style red velvet throne or an afghan-covered couch from Stranger Things. Netflix House emphasizes immersive, interactive experiences rather than movie theaters. The first location includes a multimedia experience called "Eve of the Outcasts" based on Wednesday. A second site in Dallas will open without a screen and will offer a Squid Game virtual immersive experience. The venues aim to blur lines between streamed content, home viewing, and tactile in-person engagement while generating local audience data and social-media-driven promotion.

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