Looking for a place to spend the night? Well, you can’t stay overnight – at least not yet – although that may be in future plans, but you can, and should, spend the evening Elsewhere at The Madcap Motel.
Located in DTLA’s arts district, the immersive mix of walk-through theater and clever art installation might remind you a bit of Meow Wolf’s immersive offerings, and also reminded me, at least, of the 2019 film Bad Times at the El Royale, but it’s entirely unique.
Motel “guests” check-in at a comfortable lobby and wait their turn to enter, entertained by an improv-prolific maid who serves as de-facto leader of small groups of motel guests into another waiting room, a motel-suite.
From there, you’ll meet a mad, or semi-mad, scientist, various walking shrubbery, mysterious maids and other staff, and explore a wide range of surreal and super fun room installations.
You’ll travel into a storyline that is all about time travel, alternate dimensions, and the mysterious disappearance of one J.D. Sando, the motel’s original owner. You’ll uncover weird worlds and a variety of possibly illicit relationships in the bargain.
There are plenty of photographable moments for your social media sharing of choice, as well as lively improvisational performances, super cool miniatures, and a clever path through one door into another room and into another time.
Along with the elements of a missing person and assignations – noir aspects that brought to my mind the Jeff Bridges-starring El Royale film, there is of course a distinct hip art vibe coupled with Alice in Wonderland.
From the minute dioramas…
…to the oversized, step-inside TV and giant chair, guests enter one White Rabbit hole after another.
It’s a lot of fun and has a more intimate feel than other installation experiences, involving its “travellers” interactively with character encounters as well as experiential rooms.
Yes, a smoke effect may transport you into space, a beam of light lure you down a distant corridor, and a visit to the very “alive” greenery-filled courtyard encourage you to sit awhile.
You’ll also be privy to false doors and magical mirrors, an enormous blue/green coral reef, vehicles trapped inside walls and others filled with a jungle of plants.
There’s groan-worthy broad humor, lively performances, and abundant art and design, but above all else, your stay comes with a special kind of room service – a willing transcendance of disbelief into a magical throwback of pure fun.
You’ll find rooms at a slant and floating furniture; strange emerald green plants alight in terrariums; miniature desserts and towns and undersea life caught inside incandescent portholes, and more.
The experience takes somewhere around 90 minutes, and guests of all ages will enjoy their mini-vacation. We sure did!
Like any good traveler, if you want to bring home a souvenir from your trip, you can do that, too.
Tickets are $40 for adults; $30 for kids; 3 and under are free. Purchase in advance online.
- Genie Davis; photos: Genie Davis and Jack Burke
