J. Lorraine Ghost Town Hosts Westworld SXSW Experience

“Hosts” have invaded Ghost town! Over the course of the last three weeks, our favorite local attraction has been transformed into HBO’s hit drama series, Westworld. HBO crews have been working tirelessly to recreate the town of Sweetwater to give SXSW ticket holders an immersive experience. The journey begins in Austin where attendees will have a full Delos experience. It will be their last taste of modern life before arriving at J. Lorraine Ghost Town in Manor. Once there, they will go through the iconic wooden door and step into Westworld and watch it come to life. The park features iconic locations from the show including The Coronado Hotel and the Mariposa Saloon. The park will also feature actors who will be playing the “hosts”. Guests will be able to interact with them and participate in different narratives that will take place around

town. Superfans will be put to the test as they will have to find hidden clues about what’s to come in season 2. “Every room has a secret to it that, either the actor knows and will tell you if they want or, you have to find it for yourself. It’s all about reading the space,” says producer Justin McCoy. Over the last few months, there has been a lot of speculation about where HBO would recreate the famous town of Sweetwater. There were reports that Willie Nelson’s Ranch was in the running but Manor was A no-brainer for producers. “We liked the charisma it had,” said Justin. “It was off the beaten path… We were looking at different spaces near Austin and outside of it but this was our favorite. There are also some urban legends about the burgers here but we haven’t tried it yet.” Crews did get a chance to try Tamale Factory in Downtown Manor. “We tried a really good tamale spot up the street and was really delicious,” he said. Manor has recently become Texas Film Commision Certified, making Manor a film-friendly community. The city has a history of hosting notable films and the future looks bright for more. “There is a lot of really good opportunity here especially when doing historical reference pieces,” Justin said. The crew will be leaving behind replica furniture and decorations so the community will be able to get a chance to see some of the work that has been done. To find more information about the Westworld Experience visit discoverwestworld. com.