Interactive dinner theaters—particularly interactive murder mystery dinner theaters—have been a mainstay of pop culture for decades, but this fall, you’ll have a chance to experience it like never before: Napa Valley Wine Train’s ’80s-themed murders The Mystery Dinner will be held on September 26 in California Wine Country. In honor of the 30th anniversary of the Napa Valley Wine Train, the so-called "Total Murder of the 80s" event... had a lot going on. This isn’t just a wine train. This is more than just a murder mystery dinner. This isn't just an 80s themed party. All of this can be catered for at the same time, with an exquisite multi-course meal aboard a vintage train.
I believe the phrase “Here For It” is what I’m looking for right now.
As you may have guessed, the Napa Valley Wine Train is located in the Napa Valley region of Northern California and its routes are over 150 years old. Originally built in sections by Samuel Brannan, with the first section completed in 1865, the Napa Valley Railroad once ran from Soscol to Calistoga. Calistoga); the route was expanded a few years later with the completion of a connection to the California Pacific Railroad station at Adelante (now American Canyon). Speaking of the California Pacific Railroad, when the NVRR went into foreclosure, they purchased the Napa Valley Railroad, and then in 1885, the entire lot was purchased again by the Southern Pacific Railroad.
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It was then that the route began to narrow. In 1929, Southern Pacific Airways ceased passenger service to Calistoga; subsequently, as cargo service declined throughout the 20th century, routes outside St. Helena were also abandoned. But in 1987, the newly formed Napa Valley Wine Train, Inc. purchased the former Napa Valley Railroad, and, well... apparently, it all worked out for everyone. favorable. The Napa Valley Wine Train first carried passengers on September 16, 1989 and has been running ever since.
Today, the Napa Valley Wine Train's route runs between downtown Napa and St. Helena, passing through 33 different wineries and vineyards, including Beringer and Robert Mondavi. Mondavi) and other big-name wineries and vineyards. These cars are vintage; they were built in 1915 and were once the first-class cars on the Northern Pacific Railroad's most luxurious trains, and have been lovingly restored to the height of luxury. Many of the train's rides are themed; in fact, the Murder Mystery Dinner Theater Tour, created in conjunction with Murder Mystery, a national theater company that specializes in interactive dinner theatres, is actually a common occurrence.
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What's special about this Murder Mystery Dinner Tour is that it's celebrating the Napa Valley Wine Train's 30th birthday - so it's an ' 80s Murder Mystery Dinner Theater Tour. The regular Murder Mystery Wine Train ride is set in the 1920s, with bobbed hair, trendy dresses and fedoras, giving it a Prohibition-era feel; however, the Totally 80s Totally Murder Wine Train ride is set in It’s set in 1989 – the year of the Napa Valley Wine Train’s first journey – so as you try to figure out what “what” is, you’re welcome to don your best big hair, neon and acid-wash denim . A big concert by rock star "Poison Ratenstein" goes wrong. (Yes, really. That's the setup. Have fun, kids.)
The entire experience lasted just under three hours, although the actual train travel portion only took up about two hours. Check-in begins at 6:15 p.m.; boarding begins at 6:30 p.m.; show starts at 6:45 p.m. The train left the station at 7pm and returned at 9pm - with the hope that the killer would be revealed and given the punishment he deserved. But beyond the murder and mayhem, the tour also includes four courses of gourmet dining (this is dinner theater, after all); menu highlights include shrimp cocktail as an appetizer, mixed green salad, goat cheese and toasted pecans, and more, filet Steak as main course, and chocolate lava cake with raspberry jam for dessert. Um.
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One drawback is that the Napa Valley Wine Train's murder mysteries tend to sell out quickly. In fact, the "Totally 80s Totally Murder" event may already be full. But even if you miss this, Murder Mystery Dinner Tours happen year-round—so as long as you don't mind taking the regular 1920s-themed tour instead of the 1980s-themed tour, you still have some options. Remaining dates in 2019 (excluding September 26) include October 5, October 18 and November 2.
For more information, visit the Napa Valley Wine Train’s website. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some Aqua Net to dig into...
