Kendall Morgan
Audio By Carbonatix
At this point, we’re all glued to our Netflix accounts awaiting the final episodes of the streaming platform’s biggest-ever series, Stranger Things. So, as we prepare to say goodbye to the beloved characters we’ve fallen in love with over the course of the last decade, we’re looking for ways to visit Hawkins, Indiana, long after the final credits drop.
We’ve rounded up a list of retro-inspired activities that’ll make you feel like you’ve time-traveled back to Hawkins circa 1986 without a side visit to the Upside Down — unless…
Common Ground Games
Located in an expansive new space a few doors down from their old home on Inwood Road, this wonderland of nerdom offers everything for gamers, especially Dungeons and Dragons fans. A plethora of gaming tables with private rooms allows for more intense role-playing sessions.
Entry is $8 or a $5 purchase plus a $3 fee per game. Bring a group or sign up for an upcoming event like D&D: Vecna’s Eve of Ruins. Who knows? You might meet your own Eddie Munson along the way.
This year, make your gift count –
Invest in local news that matters.
Our work is funded by readers like you who make voluntary gifts because they value our work and want to see it continue. Make a contribution today to help us reach our $30,000 goal!
Common Ground Games co-owner DR Hanson says the place installed game demo areas in his store so players can test games before they buy them. One example: this topographic version of the popular territory gaining strategy game Settlers of Catan.
Danny Gallagher
Dolly Python
Always the best place to dig for vintage threads, Dolly Python (1916 Haskell Ave.) has taken it a step further with curated outfits inspired by the Stranger Things characters.
Salesgirl Lucy Ragsdale came up with the concept when developing posts for the shop’s social media fields. She stans Robin the most, but you can choose aesthetics inspired by Eleven, Billy, Nancy, Max, Eddie or Dustin.
“I thought Stranger Things was an absolute perfect match for Dolly because of the iconic vintage they employed in their costume department,” Ragsdale says. “I remember watching and always thinking, ‘I know exactly which rack they’d run to.’ Luckily, Dolly has a lot of clothes just like those on the show.”
Dolly Python has put together vintage outfits inspired by all your favorite characters. It’s up to you whether you should shave your head.
Lucy Ragsdale
You can play Pacman and other retro games at Free Play. Courtesy of Free Play
Free Play
The first all-you-can-play retro arcade bar in the U.S., Free Play opened its doors in Richardson in 2015 and has since expanded with outposts in Trinity Groves, Arlington, Fort Worth and Denton. Pay the $12 cover and you’ll have access to 100-plus video games of the retro variety. There’s even an official Stranger Things signature pinball table.
Interskate Roller Rink
Family-owned since 1981, this Lewisville-based rink retains the same neon look as when it opened, right down to the disco balls and seizure-inducing carpet. The soundtrack mixes classic and modern songs, but you’re guaranteed to hear some bangers from our favorite era every night.
Interskate offers plenty of roller ops for the under-21 set – but Thursday and Sunday nights are for adults only. It’s $9 for entry, with $5 skate rentals, and Tuesdays are half price. Just don’t slam your wheels into anybody’s nose if they bump into you.
At Interskate, you can roller skate until you forget about Barb entirely.
Dawson Dominguez
National Videogame Museum
Located in the Frisco Discovery Center, this temple to the history of the video game is chock-full of interactive exhibits and memorabilia. But the re-creations of a 1970s living room and 1980s bedroom are what make you feel like you’ve time-traveled into another dimension. Entry is $12 and includes four free tokens to play in the arcade on the way out.
Best of all? When you take your turn at Galaga, Centipede, Donkey Kong, Dragon’s Lair or Pac-Man, you’ll do it to a REAL ’80s soundtrack. Van Halen and Styx are mixed alongside “cool bands” like The Psychedelic Furs, giving it that authentically nuts aural feel only that decade could produce.
Take a trip back in time in Frisco. And get a chocolate at IKEA while you’re there.
John Hardie and NVG Museum
Zeus Comics
Just down the road from Common Ground, Zeus has everything to keep you going until the final season of the show premieres in 2024. Delve into the Stranger Things expanded universe with a comic book or pick up a Funko Pop! figure of your favorite character.
Netflix House
Perhaps your best chance to literally step into Hawkins resides in the just-opened Netflix House at Galleria Dallas. We called the new Stranger Things: Escape the Dark adventure “an immersive entertainment experience like no other in the city,” for good reason. This sprawling, permanent installation boasts high-quality production (it’s backed by Netflix, after all) and room design with a razor-sharp attention to detail. You’ll want to keep the walkman nearby, because you’re coming face-to-face with vecna himself here. Plus, you’ll get to explore scenes like Eddie Munson’s Trailer and traverse through a haunted maze.
This is a fully engulfing experience, too — arcade games, souvenirs and even the food (don’t skip Eleven’s waffle gelato) bring you into a reality that truly feels stranger than fiction.
Preston Barta
