Interactive Hot Wheels experience to take off at Tysons Corner Center tomorrow

TysonsReporter.com December 14, 2023 at 1:18pm

Entrance to Hot Wheels Central hub (courtesy Mattel and SEE Touring Exhibitions) — Hot Wheels Champion Experience will open at Tysons Corner Center on Dec. 15 (courtesy Mattel and SEE Touring Exhibitions)

Mattel is ready to hit the gas pedal on its new Hot Wheels Champion Experience in Tysons.

The interactive exhibit will open to patrons at Tysons Corner Center at 9 a.m. tomorrow (Friday), a week later than previously anticipated. It’s located on the mall’s second floor in the former Old Navy space next to Barnes and Noble.

The temporary, 16,000-square-foot pop-up will combine physical and virtual environments to enable visitors to design, drive and race Hot Wheels vehicles “without headsets, goggles, or other equipment,” according to a press release.

To bring Hot Wheels to life, Mattel partnered with SEE Touring Exhibitions Inc., a themed entertainment provider that also brought a Sistine Chapel exhibit to Tysons in 2021. The companies say the concept responds to a demand for interactive events in retail as an alternative to “passive consumption.”

“We recognize the importance of spending quality time together during the holidays,” Mattel and SEE Touring Exhibitions said. “Hot Wheels Champion Experience provides an opportunity for families to come together, regardless of their age, to enjoy a shared, nostalgic, and thrilling experience.”

Attractions include augmented reality rooms, a monster truck competition, a game where participants can defend Hot Wheels City from monsters, and Hot Wheels Central, where patrons can track how they’re performing on the various challenges and collect digital memorabilia.

Some exclusive clothes, toys and other merchandise will also be available.

Tickets for 90-minute time slots are currently on sale, starting at $32 for teens and adults and $25 for children. An end date for the experience hasn’t been announced yet, but the ticket vendor currently shows available dates through Feb. 25.

Hot Wheels is rolling into Tysons Corner Center one week after the arrival of CAMP, a toy and entertainment retailer whose new, permanent store is currently accompanied by an interactive, “Encanto”-themed experience. Disney Encanto X Camp opened on Friday, Dec. 8 and appears to be sold out for the rest of this year.