Alley of Awe, one of the 12 interactive installation rooms to experience at HideSeek. (Danielle Blumentrath)
Danielle Blumentrath
Hide from reality and seek a world of childhood wonder at Toronto’s latest made-for-Instagram pop-up installation.
The theme is childhood nostalgia with each room decorated from top to bottom with classic trends from the ’90s to early 2000s.
The immersive HideSeek made its way downtown Toronto this spring opening March 30 and will stay open to the public for two months.
Secret Starscape, the last of the 12 rooms open to explore and take photos in. (Danielle Blumentrath)
The 650-square metre space offers 12 colourful and multi-dimensional themed rooms built to take people back in time and capture photo-worthy experiences.
It is located at 1305 Dundas St. W., just west of Dovercourt Road.
The installation where the public can experience a selection of multiple sensory installation rooms was brought to life by co-founders Lee Davis and Emanuel Katsnelson.
“As we age, we naturally take on more responsibility and stressors. However, who’s to say we can’t relive the sense of freedom and curiosity we felt throughout childhood,” Davis said.
Davis said HideSeek aims to elicit the timeless sensation of nostalgia through the use of all five senses.
“We’ve created a space encouraging society to press pause in their day and experience the playful activities and sensations we not only felt but celebrated as children,” Davis said.
Each room is designed and built by local artists for Torontonians to explore the multiple rooms filled with Velcro, Slinkys, Bubbles, and a variety of the ’90s themed props.
“My favourite room was the huge bubble room with all the balls. I remember playing with those when I was little, so it was nice to relive that,” Jordan Young said after his first experience at HideSeek.
Jordan Young pictured in Pillow Playhouse. (Danielle Blumentrath)
Young says he saw some of his friends posting about it on social media and planned to check it out.
With school and work being the main focus for most of the public right now, HideSeek was a nice break from all that, and an allotted time to just play around, Young said.
HideSeek is open Thursday and Friday 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. until June 2.
Admission is $25 and tickets are available online.