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Note: the grave has closed in Boston. You can find this attraction now in Syracuse and West Nyack, New York. 5W! TS has opened new interactive adventures near Boston in Foxborough, Massachusetts: spying and 20,000 leagues.
What do you get when you combine a haunted house, a theme park attraction, a Hollywood movie set, a reality show, and a traveling museum exhibit? You can find out in an unlikely place: Boston. 5W! TS, a company founded by Attleboro, Massachusetts, native Matthew DuPlessie opened his first interactive adventure, “Tomb,” in the Fenway area of Boston in October 2004, and those who dare to enter the Pharaoh’s lair will have enough story to tell, if they get out alive!
It’s not real
Now before we go too far, it is important to note that you will not actually die . In fact, few groups fail the Pharaoh’s challenges and find themselves emerging from the attraction down the “hall of death.” Still, the possibility of doom increases the level of urgency and fear you’ll feel when you meet the pharaoh and see the skeleton of the last man who tried to loot his tomb. DuPlessie explained, “If failure isn’t a reality, people don’t take it seriously.”
About.com theme park guide Arthur Levine invited me to join him on a behind-the-scenes tour of the attraction shortly after it opened, and I must admit I was feeling a little, well… chicken. Early Tomb reviews were full of talk about death and snakes, two of my least favorite things. But I mustered up some courage and agreed to take on the role of yelling at the intrepid guy from the theme parks sidekick.
I was a bit shocked when our flashlights mysteriously went off after we entered the realistic Egyptian pyramid, but overall, Tomb proved not as scary as I feared, which was good news for my vocal cords and Arthur’s ears. Although not recommended for children under the age of seven or anyone who freaks out easily, there is nothing gory or horrible.
A new kind of urban entertainment
“The aim of the program is not to scare; the goal is to solve puzzles, ”said DuPlessie. As groups progress through the attraction, they face a variety of challenges, from playing a sequence of musical notes to moving a stone statue to solving a puzzle by turning columns inscribed with hieroglyphics. While some of the pharaoh’s requirements, like standing still on a stone while virtual snakes slide around your ankles, are individual tests of courage, most of the activities require interaction and cooperation, making Tomb an interesting outing. for groups.
“We were pleasantly surprised by both the number of corporate outings and the school groups,” DuPlessie said, adding that a field trip to the attraction is a perfect reward for students who have completed a study of Egypt.
There is a high level of authenticity to the set, which is unique in that it has been designed as a mobile facility. To create the interior of the Tomb, “We digitized images of actual Egyptian tombs,” DuPlessie said. Unlike a theme park attraction, where guests are often tied to cars, Tomb is a tour adventure, during which you are not only encouraged to play, but must physically interact with the surroundings … or perish! !
Degrees of difficulty
The tomb is truly a technological marvel. On our behind-the-scenes tour, we learned, for example, that guides leading groups through the attraction can control Pharaoh’s commands and comments by surreptitiously waving magnets over hidden panels. We also found that the entire difficulty level of the attraction can be modified to suit the participants. As each group progresses, the attraction automatically resets for the next intrepid group.
DuPlessie told us: “The great thing about this program is that it is fully automatic and interactive. We try to make you feel like you are Indiana Jones. It’s not something you’re looking at, it’s something you’re doing, ”he said. An original soundtrack further enhances the experience. It’s “full, hands-on sensory immersion,” said DuPlessie, an MIT and Harvard graduate with a background in mechanical engineering and business, who decided to seek his first job in the theme park industry in 1998 “after taking too much cubicle jobs in conventional engineering. «.
Death is not so bad
I know right now you’re wondering if we made it out alive. Being brave journalists, Arthur and I asked to experience “death,” and I’m happy to tell you that it’s not that bad. Groups that fail the final Pharaoh challenge see bright blue lights and hear a roar as they are first engulfed in the waters of the Nile and then find themselves walking through a dark tunnel of mist with laser beams into the light … and the gift shop. .
Yes, the good news is… dead people can still buy.
If you are going …
The grave is located at 186 Brookline Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. You’ll find full details on how to get there, admission fees, and more on the Arthur Theme Parks site, along with additional images of the Tomb. Call 617-375-WITS (9487) for reservations (recommended) and additional information.
The attraction is especially suitable for older children and teenagers visiting Boston.
Whats Next?
DuPlessie said there’s a good chance that, after a 12 to 18-month run, Tomb’s next home will be in Providence, Rhode Island. 5W! TS is developing new facilities that may replace Tomb in Boston, including a safe biscuit attraction like James Bond and an underwater diving adventure.
2010 update: 5W! TS has plans to open two new interactive attractions, Espionage and 20,000 Leagues, at Patriot Place in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has a preview. DuPlessie told the Globe that the Tomb could be closed in the fall of 2010 and relocated to a larger space.
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