Filmmakers transform Clovis rental home into immersive ‘Stranger Things’ experience
Although the Netflix hit series “Stranger Things” has concluded its final season, the spirit of the show lives on inside a short-term rental home in Clovis.
Mystery, adventure, 80s nostalgia, and childlike imagination are all core pillars that have made the five seasons of the show resonate with many consistently over the past decade.
Co-owners Chris Lofing and Travis Cluff sought to turn those themes into an immersive ‘Stranger Things’ experience when they opened the home to guests in November 2024.
“We wanted it to feel like a set, like you are really entering the show and feeling like you’re in Hawkins,” Lofing said.
“And we’ve accomplished that,” Cluff added.
The duo, who founded Fresno-based production company Tremendum Pictures, is known for writing and directing the 2015 horror movie ‘The Gallows,’ which was filmed in the Central Valley.
Co-owner’s background in film production brings ‘Stranger Things’ house to life
A background in film production and set design made Lofing and Cluff well-suited to bring ‘Stranger Things’ off the screen and into real life.
“We have all kinds of experience in our films creating sets and making things look like different places,” Cluff said.
It took the pair about two months to turn the 100-year-old home into what it is today. Each room is fully decked out with dozens of Easter eggs, big and small, for guests to discover.
Upon stepping in the front door, those who are fans of the show would immediately recognize a wall in the living room strung with Christmas lights and an alphabet. It’s a replica of the one used by Joyce Byers to communicate with her son Will while he was trapped in an alternate dark dimension called the upside down.
The room, one of Cluff’s favorite areas, is fully equipped with a VCR and VHS tapes of classic 80s movies, which one guest used to watch their old home videos.
The 80s themed bedroom is Lofing’s favorite place in the home, inspired by the central setting for Season three, Starcourt Mall.
“It’s like you’re stepping back in time,” he said.
Most of the unique elements of the house are hand-made, painted or drawn, and put together through thrift store or estate sale finds, Lofing said.
Like the portal, for example, which takes guests from the kitchen into another section of the house dedicated to the shows alternate dimension, the upside down.
“It took a lot of trial and error to get the pieces to fit on the wall,” Lofing said.
Behind that portal lives a life-sized Vecna, the monster from the show, aiming to end the world.
Now that the final season of ‘Stranger Things’ is out, the co-owners are considering adding a few aspects from season five to the home. Lofing said a radio station-inspired addition, called “The Squawk” in the show, has been on his mind.
As a filmmaker, Cluff credits ‘Stranger Things’ success and admiration to hitting the “four quadrant method.” This refers to creating movies or shows that appeal to all major audience demographics.
“People love this show,” he said. “Not just kids because there’s kids in the show, but adults because it reminds them of their youth, so you capture a broad audience.”
Those interested in staying in the Stranger Things House can book through Airbnb, Vrbo, booking.com or directly from the creators’ website. It costs roughly $309 per night and up, but prices vary by date and booking website.
