You may not be ready to return to your office, but you may be tempted to visit the recreation of a fictional workplace that's the centerpiece of Chicago's latest pop culture pop-up. Developed by the same team that put together "The Friends Experience," a two-floor space at 540 N Michigan Avenue now hosts "The Office Experience," which is filled with painstaking replicas of sets from the beloved NBC show, screen-used props and plenty of opportunities to snap photos that will make you look like a resident of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Developed in collaboration with Universal and series creator Greg Daniels, "The Office Experience" is made of 17 rooms that allow you to walk through key locations and moments from the series. Nearly everything is interactive, which means that you can sit down at Michael Scott's desk, open a drawer to reveal Dwight's stapler encased in Jello and pick up phones throughout the the office to hear dialogue from the show. And there are plenty of details that fans will appreciate, from items from Dwight's desk dangling in a vending machine to the presence of Utz- and Wegmans-branded snacks.
Once you make your way through Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch, you'll find even more areas to explore, including a section devoted to Schrute Farm, Pam and Jim's wedding and the "Beach Games" episode. One of the more clever sections of the pop-up is a pair of confessional set-ups, where you can mount your phone in a stand, sit down in front of a window with blinds and record a perfectly-framed documentary-style confessional.
Amidst the various recreations, you'll find some genuine, screen-used props and costumes from The Office, including various Dundies trophies, some of Pam's sketchbooks and outfits that correspond to Michael Scott, Pam, Jim and Dwight.
Downstairs at the entrance to "The Office Experience," guests can browse a gift shop that's themed around the Dunder Mifflin warehouse, complete with stacks of copy paper (available for purchase for $10 per 500 sheets). The gift shop area doesn't require a ticket, so anyone can swing by to buy sweatshirts that reads "Nard Dog," DVD collections of The Office and special Chicago-themed Dunder Mifflin apparel.
In many ways, "The Office Experience" is exactly what you'd expect from an interactive tribute to the workplace comedy—even casual fans will recognize the familiar sets and props, while devotees will likely be impressed by the attention to detail. Tickets to the self-guided experience are on sale for $37.50 to $45, depending upon your desired time slot. "The Office Experience" will begin welcoming guest on October 15, and is currently scheduled to run through January 17.
Not sure what to expect? Check out some photos of the pop-up below.
