Peek behind the curtains of the whimsical ‘Dream Emporium’ at Electric Forest - mlive.com

Jun 24, 2025

The Dream Emporium during the second day of for Electric Forest music festival at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Mich. on Friday, June 20, 2025. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

ROTHBURY, MI — One of the most surreal experiences at Electric Forest can be found in the Dream Emporium area between the Carousel Club and the Dream Field.

The Dream Emporium’s multi-sensory experience debuted in 2023 as a major change to the festival grounds, replacing The Hangar, an airplane hangar that transported you back to 1940s.

Festival-goers wait in line for the Time Travel Agency inside The Hangar during Electric Forest Music Festival on Thursday, June 28, 2018 at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Michigan. Joel Bissell | MLive.comJoel Bissell | MLive.com

A mime plays an accordion outside a photo booth that leads to multiple secret rooms in The Hangar, a new stage at Electric Forest on Thursday, June 25, 2015. The festival at Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury Mich. continues through June 28. (MLive.com file photo)

The Hangar had multiple rooms filled with entertainment and games. The Dream Emporium elevated the experience by transporting attendees into a whimsical, dreamlike world.

MLive took a behind-the-scenes tour on Friday afternoon, an experience that festival attendees can purchase as an add-on to get an inside look at this immersive world.

The tour was led by Suzanne Down who serves as the lead creative director for the Dream Emporium. Down worked with Nova Han on The Hangar set before Han became the creative director for the entire festival.

“The Dream Emporium is a space for play and a space to encourage people to connect,” Down said. “It’s a crazy world outside, so this is our gift to the forest to give people a place just to be, to be accepted, to play, to have fun, be silly.”

On the exclusive tour that festival attendees can purchase as an add-on, guests can travel room-to-room without the crowds and hear stories from the production members.

Upon entering the enclosed hangar, visitors might find themselves stepping into a talk show television set, or perhaps lounging in a room designed to immerse one under the sea.

At the center of the maze of rooms is the Bureau of Dream Management, which acts as the brain’s central room that knows about all dreams. Festivalgoers can meet with dream team members who will send them on quests to find specific rooms hidden throughout.

The Bureau of Dream management inside the Dream Emporium at Electric Forest music festival at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Mich. on Friday, June 20, 2025. The room serves as the central brain steam inside the interactive area with over a dozen unique rooms, festivalgoers can complete tasks to be issued a “Registered Dreamer Card”. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

Once you complete the task of going to at least three rooms and sharing your experience, each participant is granted a plastic card certifying them as a “Registered Dreamer.”

Each year, the production team makes modifications to the 14-plus rooms to keep things fresh, but some of the staples remain the same. Some rooms change themes and others are updated for a better experience.

The interactive human car wash inside the Dream Emporium at Electric Forest music festival at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Mich. on Friday, June 20, 2025. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

Other rooms feature activities like roller skating, a personalized birthday party room, and even a human car wash where participants can “cleanse” themselves in a rainbow-colored tunnel.

Festivalgoers rollerblade at the disco themed roller skating rink inside the Dream Emporium at at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Mich. on Thursday, June 19, 2025. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

One of the standout attractions is a professional wrestling ring hosting live matches, adding an unexpected thrill to the journey.

A wrestling match inside the the "Dream Emporium" during the second day of for Electric Forest music festival at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Mich. on Friday, June 20, 2025. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

There is also a paper imagination room, where festival attendees can relive the days they were young children or have a story read to them by a monster under the bed before ascending to an intricate cloud dream room.

A festivalgoer takes a slide into the paper immigration play room inside the Dream Emporium at Electric Forest music festival at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Mich. on Friday, June 20, 2025. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

The monster room inside the Dream Emporium during the second day of for Electric Forest music festival at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Mich. on Friday, June 20, 2025. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

The cloud room inside the Dream Emporium during the second day of for Electric Forest music festival at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Mich. on Friday, June 20, 2025. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

The maze-like facility is meant to immerse festivalgoers in a place where they can forget about the real world for a moment.

The 13th installment of the whimsical four-day Electric Forest music festival is scheduled to run through June 22.

Electric Forest is produced by Madison House Presents and Insomniac Events.

For more Electric Forest coverage from MLive, click here.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.