HBO building a real-life Westworld at SXSW this March

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

If witnessing just how terribly wrong things can go when you mix evolving androids with the sinister whims of their human guests hasn't turned you off of visiting a real-life Westworld, then you're in luck. In order to celebrate the return of the series, HBO will be building an entire town spread out over two acres of parkland in Austin for the South by Southwest festival,  which will include reproductions of iconic locations and elements from the series, such as The Coronada and the Mariposa Saloon.

This isn't the first time that HBO has brought Westworld to life, as our own Editor-in-Chief Paul Shirey attended the Westworld Experience at San-Diego Comic-Con last year, but it's certainly the biggest. The park will be open from March 9th to March 11th, and guests who have registered for an appointment at discoverwestworld.com will be picked up by a Delos Shuttle and, after being assigned a white hat or black hat, will be set loose in the town of Sweetwater. You'll be able to "live without limits" as you interact with a number of hosts, sample western-themed food and beverages, and uncover clues about what's to come in Westworld's second season. Unlike the show, I'd imagine that there are still certain activities which will be frowned upon, but it certainly sounds like a fantastic, immersive experience. There will also be a panel at SXSW on March 10th with Westworld co-creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy as well as cast members Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, and James Marsden.

Westworld will return to HBO on April 22, 2018.