House of Spirits – Perfect for a Halloween Date Night

House of Spirits: A Haunted Cocktail Soiree is a new twist on a Halloween party for adults. Presented by Meyer2Meyer Entertainment (Kaleidoscope Experience) and Fever, House of Spirits infuses a cocktail party with haunted entertainment and a rich back story. The event encourages fancy attire and provides each 21+ guest with six themed mini-cocktails to collect throughout the two-hour experience. House of Spirits is free-roam, meaning guests can choose how much interaction they have with the spirits within the house – they can follow the mysterious clues and uncover the secrets, or simply sip their drinks while watching the creepy live entertainment. Either way, there is plenty to keep guests entertained during their stay at the eerie L.A. mansion.

A Doorway to Another World

The titular house is a gorgeous mansion in the heart of Los Angeles. The creaky floorboards, dim lighting, and two basements provide an appropriate home for the spirits within, and set the delightfully macabre mood. Guests are encouraged to explore the grounds, the hidden rooms, and the narrow staircases as they please (watch your step, especially if wearing heels). The glow-light garden outside provides fleeting relief from the demons contained within the walls, but also holds some sinister secrets – just look closer…

House of Spirits also uses the location to nicely delineate the different immersive experiences guests can have. The main ground floor is essentially the “safe” zone with several bars, musicians, and roaming characters. In a room off to the side, guests can grab a seat to a twisted puppet show which tells the history of some of the spirits residing there. Upstairs, however, is a scavenger hunt of sorts, in which guests must face fearsome and impressive demons to collect six talismans, unlocking a future interaction with the Mistress of the House. The two basements house two different, more intense experiences – one akin to a haunted house, the other reminiscent of an Urban Death vignette (with full nudity). With the floors of the house separating the different kinds of experiences, guests should be able to stay well within their comfort zones – or know where they can push their boundaries even further.

Taking Flight

Each guest is given a tarot card when entering the House of Spirits. This tarot card – the Changeling – is a handy way for the House and guests to collect their specialty cocktails. The six bars within the mansion each offer a separate mini-drink themed to the event – Taste of Fall, The Delmont, Magpie, Black Magic Margarita, Salud, and Goya’s Ghost – the bartenders punch a hole in one of six skulls present on the card, noting it has been collected. There are also two outdoor pop-up bars at which guests can purchase other drinks if more liquid courage is needed to explore the haunted house or face the basements.

A Dark History

House of Spirits offers more than just a cocktail party for fans of Halloween. It also has a rich narrative and history created for the house and intricately woven through all the characters, rooms, and experiences. Based on real life artist Francisco Goya and his Black Painting fresco series, House of Spirits tells the tale of artist Francisco Vega. Vega was so distraught after his wife passed away that he painted six gruesome Spirit Paintings, each representing a demon inside him. In the hopes of having his wife brought back, Vega painted a seventh work of art which opened a portal, allowing the evil spirit of loneliness to corrupt and taint future residents of the House. These are the spirits – and demons – that pervade the evening, stuck in their endless loneliness.

Vega’s six demonic paintings come alive upstairs, each demon absolutely stunning in their design. The actors portraying these six monstrous creatures are all frightfully fun and interact with guests in their own creepy way – jump-scaring people, clawing the walls, growling and snarling, or simply tilting their head to one side. The Caretakers of the House, who roam the ground floor, are also impressively dressed and designed; they take pride in their grotesque appearance, bickering about which one looks the best. Those lurking in the basement are best left for you to discover on your own. The characters throughout the House of Spirits are so fabulous and well-done, I wish there were more of them.

Discontented Spirits

Each ticketed experience lasts for two hours, which seems like a lot but becomes problematic when the crowd size is as large as it is. Characterized staff members helm the upstairs and basements, letting only small groups in at a time, to prevent overcrowding. But the main floor is awash in people, the lines spilling into the open party areas. It can become difficult to move around, especially with drinks in hand, and find characters to interact with. On the same note, the house is quite large and it’s impossible to know when you have seen and/or done everything (if that’s your intention). I was lucky enough to chat with one of the roaming characters, as well as get pulled into a secret room by another, but there are so many nooks and hidden delights that I would have liked more time to explore everything and interact with everyone.

A Night of Frightful Delights

House of Spirits makes for a fun night out for those who like searching for and discovering a rich narrative, as well as those who enjoy a spooky night of cocktails and haunting music. I love what Meyer2Meyer and Fever have created, so much so that I only wanted more of it. The stunning creature design, animated actors, and tasty drinks come together for a perfectly eerie night among the spirits.

House of Spirits is running now through November 2^nd. Tickets are $65 and include six mini-cocktails and two hours of immersive entertainment; purchase tickets HERE.