Six immersive events for geeks (and their families)

Many of us are proud to say that we’re geek to the core.  Video games, role-playing games, super hero movies, comic books and other unique interests have defined the way that we grew up and turned us into the people we are today. And while some may “grow up” and leave their geek behind, others of us hold onto our love until the day we bite the dust. 

This geekiness translates into what we prefer to do on vacation as well, and so where we go and what we choose to do may be heavily influenced by what geek-passions consume us.  Today I've put together a list of some immersive events that cater to those who enjoy getting dressed up and pretending that they’re someone else.  Heck, some of them are even educational.  So look below for some locations to be if you’re a closet ninja, pirate, zombie, astronaut, fighter pilot or Hobbit.

Pirates!

Dark Star Pirate Cruises - New Jersey

Pirates in New Jersey? Really? Yup, apparently they are there, albeit in a more modern incarnation. Dark Star Pirate Cruises has a modern ship, all decked out in piratey goodness but not without what you need to make a sea journey safe.  The crew gets dressed up in their pirate rags and brings the passengers aboard (who may or may not also don their pirate outfits).  Then the ship sets sail, providing those on board with many pirate-themed distractions, from a treasure hunt to a ship battle to piratey music and dance.  They’ll even teach you the proper way to speak “pirate.”  It’s a family-oriented cruise, so feel free to bring the kids along.

Ninjas!

Koka NinjaVillage - Japan

For those that prefer ninjas over pirates, KokaNinjaVillage in Japan offers you an opportunity to both do some ninja training as well as see some ninja artifacts.  The village is designed to be “authentic,” complete with secret passages, traps and the like.  The museum holds a collection of nearly 1500 real ninja items.  The village even has its own ninja training program for those that aspire to don the black.  Both adults and kids can partake in climbing over and across various obstacles, throwing shuriken and more.  You can even opt to wear a ninja outfit while doing it all.  Once you endure the training, they present you with a ninja diploma.  It may be a bit touristy, but still sounds fun.

Zombies!

Zed Events - United Kingdom

Zed Events has to be one of my favorite companies in the entire world and no list of geek events would be complete without this genuine zombie experience.  They first made their name by offering a mall-themed zombie experience, but have become so popular that they’ve now expanded to also include a zombie manor and a full weekend of zombie survival training in the wilderness.  You can even play the part of one of the zombies, if that’s your thing.  Zed Events is dedicated to making this experience as authentic as possible and before you start they give you some weapons training and a back-story.  When you’re in the middle of the undead menace, you’ll be expected to complete certain missions or be eaten alive trying.  This is a zombie experience made by and for serious zombie enthusiasts.

Hobbits!

Lord of the Rings Tours - New Zealand

Though it may not be an immersive experience, Lord of the Rings geeks may find the experience of touring both the movies’ shooting locations and some of the most beautiful scenery in the world to be worth a piece of their vacation time in New Zealand.  There are plenty of sites to cover, so the company offers various tours depending on what you want to see.  The guides are also LotRs geeks as well, so they’ll be able to answer most of your questions about each location and many details of the film.  Both full-day and half-day tours are available, depending on how much time you have to spare, and the tours cater specifically to either families or couples.

Astronaut!

Space Camp - Huntsville, Alabama

One of the oldest and most classic of immersive experiences is by far a trip to Space Camp.  After all, who didn’t want to be the captain of the Millennium Falcon or the Enterprise (or both) when they were a kid?  You may not get to fly a starship at Space Camp, but you can learn a ton about the real life space program.  There are packages available for kids or adults and they last anywhere from a few days to a week.  During that time, you’ll get to learn things like the history of the space program, robotics and astronaut training, as well as experiencing one of those crazy zero-G simulators or a mission control room.  It ain’t cheap by far, but it’s well worth it for space junkies.

Fighter Pilot!

Fighter Combat International - Phoenix, Arizona

Fighter Combat International is just one of many such businesses that gives you the chance to fly a real plane (mostly) for yourself and without a proper license.  There’s a co-pilot on board to make sure you don’t crash and burn, of course.  You can choose to go for a military pilot experience, an air show one or, if you just want to go along for the ride and not fly, an aerobatics ride where you get thrown all over the place as your pilot does some crazy stunts.  You can even try your hands at some laser weapons systems and have a mock dogfight.  In addition, there are cameras throughout the plane so you have a nice souvenir when you’re done.  It’s pretty pricey at around $1500 for a half-day, though, and you have to be at least 12 to take part.

Other Stuff!

There are still plenty of geek experiences out there that I haven’t had the chance to list today, so I thought I’d direct readers to another site.  A place by the name of Geek Nation Tours offers a variety of things to do, from conventions to historical reenactments and more.  There’s something for pretty much every taste and they provide a nice listing of options.

Gencon knight photo courtesy of Piotrus via Wikicommons

Ninja print courtesy of Katsushika Hokusai via Wikicommons

Zombies photo courtesy of Kenny Louie via Wikicommons

Jolly Roger creator unknown (via Wikicommons)

New Zealand photo courtesy of Phillip Capper via Wikicommons

Space Camp photo courtesy of Ke4roh via Wikicommons

Fighters photo courtesy of Yummifruitbat via Wikicommons