"Hysteria in Boothill", the world's first mixed reality attraction at PortAventura

Salou. Costa Dorada. 28 September 2024. With the arrival of the Halloween season 2024 at PortAventura World, the park has officially presented Hysteria in Boothill, the world's first mixed reality attraction, which mixes physical and virtual reality using glasses and a sound system for each visitor who dares to experience the adventure. 

What is Hysteria in Boothill?

The new attraction is set in the 19th century in Penitence, in the area of Far West of the park, and is experienced inside a house where the former maid of the McGregor family welcomes visitors by explaining that, one day, the 3 members of the family disappeared and no one knows where they are. Since then, a medium has been trying to contact their spirits…

From this moment on, intrepid visitors who want to experience the adventure are equipped with Meta Quest 3 glasses and a sound system that combines, on the one hand, the reality of the physical space of more than 200 m2 completely themed where the story takes place and, on the other hand, virtually generated supernatural beings and environments. This produces a unique mixed reality experience for each visitor.

Hysteria in Boothill is not exactly a passage of terror, although it does give some scares, and for this reason PortAventura World says that it is a family experience, since it can be visited by those aged 12 and over although up to 14 years old minors must be accompanied by an adult.

Hysteria in Boothill duration, price and opening times

The Hysteria in Boothill attraction lasts 10 minutes and has an additional price of 7 euros per person which can be purchased:

• up to 30 minutes before the experience in the Far West souvenir or game area
• from 30 minutes before the opening of the experience in the same attraction

Hysteria in Boothill's opening times vary depending on the day of the week, but in the Halloween period (until 10 November), the opening times are as follows:

• weekdays, from 11.30am to 5.30pm
• Saturdays, from 11am to 8pm
• Sundays and from 28th to 30th October, from 11am to 6pm
• 31st October, from 1pm to 8pm

Visitors pass Hysteria in Boothill recommend it

The tests carried out on Hysteria in Boothill with 10,000 visitors the park's new features since last August have been very positive, with an average score of 8 out of 10, according to Andreu Tobella, director of digital projects at PortAventura. At the presentation, Tobella said that the department he heads, which was launched two years ago, has a long history in the field of innovation and improving experiences for park visitors. Thus, it has already launched a virtual queue system and several digital games that are currently running in the park.

Tobella wanted to emphasise PortAventura World's intention to continue working day after day to create unique and unforgettable experiences and memories for the hundreds of people who visit the park every day. In this sense, Hysteria in Boothill opens up many possibilities both for the development of new initiatives within the park, and for creating games and attractions that can also be exported to other similar entertainment spaces.

The development of Hysteria in Boothill has been possible thanks to the collaboration between PortAventura World and the company Spatial Voyagers.

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