World of Barbie to make U.S. debut at Santa Monica Place
America’s most iconic doll is getting her very own dedicated attraction.
"World of Barbie" will make its U.S. debut at Santa Monica Place, a Macerich Property, in Santa Monica, Calif., in mid-April.
The ticketed attraction will include an array of interactive and immersive experiences, along with a store where visitors can shop and build a customized Barbie set from scratch.
The attraction’s highlights include a life-size Barbie Dreamhouse that visitors can enter and explore, and where they can try out several Barbie careers displayed in various interactive rooms, and be “inspired to imagine the endless possibilities of following in the footsteps of Barbie to become a scientist, designer, music producer, astronaut and more,” according to the Macerich release.
In addition, guests can sit behind the wheel of a full-size Barbie Camper Van. They can also grab the mic and record in Barbie’s music studio, and take a look back at Barbie dolls and accessories from the past 60 years.
The space will also be available for private events and corporate parties.
The World of Barbie made its global debut last summer, opening a 30,000-sq.-ft. attraction at Square One in Mississauga, Ont. (Canada).
The Dr. Seuss Experience
Another attraction, The Dr. Seuss Experience, is scheduled to open at Macerich’s Tysons Corner Center, just outside Washington, D.C., in April.
The experience will offer an interactive immersion into the world of Dr. Seuss, where guests can journey through their favorite stories and come face-to-face with iconic characters as if they have jumped right off the pages.
"Ticketed attractions are part of how Macerich delivers great entertainment to people in our markets who, now more than ever, are seeking fun, in-person experiences," said Petra Maruca, senior VP, business development, Macerich. "As we continue to evolve our high-quality real estate to meet the needs of our communities, ticketed attractions fit well with our overall strategy of adding more uses and more reasons for people to spend time at Macerich properties. This includes more large-format entertainment tenants, more health and wellness offerings, more clicks-to-bricks and other growing retail brands, as well as mixed-use including offices, hotels and multifamily residences."
Both The Dr. Seuss Experience and World of Barbie are being brought to Macerich by Kilburn Live, a global market leader in branded live entertainment, in partnership with Fever, a leading entertainment discovery platform.
IMG, a global sports, fashion and events leader is partnering with Kilburn Live on the World of Barbie experience.
Macerich's portfolio is concentrated in California, the Pacific Northwest, Phoenix/Scottsdale, and the Metro New York to Washington, D.C. corridor. Developing and managing properties that serve as community cornerstones, Macerich currently owns 47 million square feet of real estate consisting primarily of interests in 44 regional town centers