Phantom Peak: Western-style immersive experience ‘will be like stepping into a movie’

A Western-style immersive experience that aims to feel “like stepping into a movie or a video game” is set to open in London this summer.

Phantom Peak, which will launch in Canada Water on August 3, is promising to transport guests to a fully realised town in the style of 19th century America — and this town will be big enough for the both of us, and plenty others besides, being spread out across 30,000sq ft.

It will feature an array of shops, restaurants and bars inspired by the era, as well as a flowing waterfall, large-scale canal system and a lake. Elsewhere there will be sunken mines to explore by boat, and a number of “hidden underground facilities”, too. Organisers liken it to an immersive theme park.

Guests will be given between four and five hours to explore the area, and there will be plenty of people to say howdy to along the way, with a cast of live actors populating the area, each with their own backstories.

Attendees will be able to shape their own experiences — whether that’s by taking a boat trip on the lake, or by paying a visit to the Museum of Phantom Peak — with “mystery and adventure lurking around every corner,” say organisers.

“The vision is to blend the best of theme parks and immersive entertainment together, brought to life in a beautiful environment that lets you escape reality,” co-founder Nick Moran told the Standard. “ We’ve spent years making beautiful sets, mechanisms and games. But now we’re putting everything all under one roof — and making it the best thing we can do. We’ve dreamed about experiencing something like this, and now we’re making it.”

“We want this to be somewhere you want to be for hours, where you follow stories and moments,” Moran added. “And every time you come back, it gets better. There’s always more to discover: it’s like stepping into the world of a movie or a video game.”

Moran has experience in the field, having previously designed the award-winning Time Run escape room in London Fields. For this latest venture, he has teamed up with Glen Hughes, whose 30-strong Tandem Set and Scenery team are in charge of design at Phantom Peak.

Phantom Peak will launch on August 3 at the League of Adventure, Canada Water Retail Park, Surrey Quays Road, SE16 2XU, and will run from Wednesday to Sunday. Visit phantompeak.com for more information.