Drag Race: The Experience has sashayed into Chicago for a one-month stint. But does it bring the requisite charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent? Well… yes and no.
The RuPaul's Drag Race-themed attraction opened in Logan Square—inside a massive warehouse off Logan Boulevard and Western Avenue—on November 30 to mixed reactions. Some fans were thrilled to fling themselves into the world of glamazons and queens; others eyed it the way one eyes a suspiciously expensive cocktail—pretty, yes, but why does it cost that much? As for me, a lapsed fan longing to relive the glory days of seasons five and six (the Alyssa-Coco feud! Laganja Estranja’s “let’s get sickening”!!), I landed squarely in the realm of lukewarm.
Produced by World of Wonder—the company behind Drag Race and the global DragCon conventions—the attraction casts visitors as the main character inside some of the show’s most iconic spaces. You can strut the Main Stage, snap a selfie in the Werk Room, film a confessional and flip through racks of costumes pulled straight from the runway. There’s never-before-seen footage playing across a glowing wall of retro TV screens, an abundance of photo ops and QR-guided prompts that politely boss you from room to room.
To my surprise, the press tour I attended was nearly empty, which took some of the sparkle out of things; drag-themed activations, like queens themselves, are best appreciated with an audience. I checked in at a magenta desk shellacked with glitter and waited beneath a mural proclaiming “B*TCH, I’M FROM CHICAGO,” Mystique Summers’ immortal battle cry—though here it felt less like a boast and more like the wall trying to remind me where, how and why I’d wandered into a disco ball-filled depot on a frigid Wednesday afternoon. A replica of RuPaul’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star and an Emmy encased in glass looked on, radiating the kind of polite judgment usually reserved for houseguests who arrive unfashionably early.
The path forward wound through a labyrinth of gleaming screens, moody lighting and flamingo pink walls. Guests are given a unique QR code to use with the scanner in each room, enabling them to collect photos throughout their visit. The layout isn’t especially intuitive, but if you approach it as one giant, glittering selfie machine, the whole thing snaps into relative focus. There are costumes, clips and even a full Snatch Game set, ready for you and your friends to butcher celebrity impressions with enthusiasm if not accuracy. The experience ends in an atrium where you can retrieve your photos, sip a drink at the Gold Bar, shop exclusive merch (yes, including a “shantay” fan) and attempt a Best Friend Race-style scavenger hunt.
When it comes to Drag Race: The Experience, the word “experience” does a lot of heavy lifting—vague enough to cover anything, enticing enough to get tongues wagging and wallets opening. With DragCon—an annual drag culture expo in Los Angeles that is hailed as a cultural touchstone—scrapping its annual appearance this year, one can’t help but wonder if this is the replacement. If so, it pales in comparison to the flagship.
During its run, Drag Race: The Experience will host screenings and premiere parties across the Drag Race universe. The space is also rentable for private events, which may be when it truly shines—a place to kiki, romp and live your best life without any of the logistical fuss that can dim the sparkle.
So is Drag Race: The Experience worth it? I’d say yes, with a hearty disclaimer: It’s ideal for groups and superfans who arrive ready to play. Solo visitors or casual watchers may not leave feeling fully satisfied—especially with tickets starting at a whopping $59. But roll up with your squirrel friends and you’ll have a day that’s pure eleganza.
Drag Race: The Experience (2367 W Logan Blvd) will run until February 22. Fans can choose from two ticket tiers: VIP (starting at $177) and general admission (starting at $59). Tickets are available here.