Fans of “Friends” can be one of the stars of the show now that a new and expanded immersive experience inspired by the iconic 1990s sitcom has debuted in Boston.
“When you come here, you get to be the celebrity. You get to experience this as if you are part of the show,” Kelly Easterling, Vice President of Experiential Design and Production for “The Friends Experience” said. “We hope that you come here and feel like a celebrity yourself.”
In honor of the 30th anniversary of the show “The Friends Experience,” called “The One in Boston,” will officially open on Friday, May 17. The experience comes with several photo opportunities as part of recreations from some of the show’s most memorable moments.
Guests can take photos while trying to “pivot” Ross’ couch up the stairs, reclining in the boys’ apartment chairs, or hanging around the table in Monica’s kitchen.
In between photoshoots, you can walk through the halls and learn more about each of the “Friends” characters, production, and costume design. Super-fans can read through Rachel’s 18-page letter to Ross, which is reimagined on the wall, or step behind the mic and sing their rendition of “Smelly Cat” just like Phoebe.
“What we tried to do is capture some of these iconic moments and spaces that people really associate with the the ‘Friends’ TV show and give them an opportunity to reconnect with the ‘Friends’ television show that they’ve come to know and love over many years,” Easterling said. “We’re thrilled with the way that this kind of flows, and we think that guests are really going to enjoy this experience.”
The first “Friends Experience” in Boston was a pop-up that came to the city for the 25th anniversary of “Friends” in 2019. The success from that 45-day pop-up, which sold out almost immediately, proved that there were a ton of “Friends” fans in Boston. So the team knew they had to come back to city, but with more to offer.
“The pop-up in 2019 was a fun, fresh look at ‘The Friends Experience,’” Easterling said. “Now we have 12 different areas over three different floors that are…more fleshed out.”
Unlike the 2019 pop-up, “The One in Boston,” will stick around much longer — until Jan. 19, 2025 in fact.
“The One in Boston” also differs from “The Friends Experience” flagship location in New York City in the sense that it is curated a different way, according to Easterling.
“The New York experience, what we have, is more of a linear experience where we kind of take you on a journey,” he said. “I think [what] our Boston friends are going to love the most is that they get to really create this journey themselves.”
“It’s almost like a playground,” Easterling added, “where you can explore and journey through this space and take the time that you need, take pictures, and linger and dwell where you choose.”
Popular quotes from each of the characters and a “Who dated whom?” timeline wall help round out the immersive experience. Of course, no “Friends” experience would be complete without stopping by Central Perk and sitting on the legendary orange couch. Guests can also buy exclusive merchandise onsite.
Super fans should also know that “The Friends Experience” — both in New York City and Boston — is the only place where they can buy a Hugsy (Joey’s most prized possession).
Tickets for “The One in Boston,” starting at $22, are officially on sale. Tickets come with timed entry, but people can try to walk up and get space if there is one available. There are even QR codes on the windows of the experience, so people can check available time slots if they’re just walking by and want to check it out.
The experience is located at 343 Newbury St. in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood.
