The FRIENDS Experience: The One in Manila AND The One with the Late Birthday

- October 15, 2025, Wednesday.

- You have NO IDEA how long I have waited for this!! The FRIENDS Experience is an immersive pop-up museum based on the 90s series, FRIENDS. The FRIENDS Experience has been done in countless cities all over the world. As a big fan of the series, a running gag of my life (until now that is) is that I kept missing it in other cities due to bad timing. I guess this time, it was meant to be and conveniently in Manila, at Solaire! Perhaps the heavens felt sorry for me, because the FRIENDS Experience opened a week after my birthday, so I bought a VIP ticket as a birthday gift for myself. I was also one of the first few people to buy a ticket, because I saw an ad about it on the first day of ticket sales and almost none of the slots were filled. (Thank You Lord!!!!)

- I went on a weekday because I knew most people would go on weekends. I heard how long the lines were, which made me happy that I bought a VIP ticket - it was a bit more expensive but it allowed me to skip lines in photo spots and a 10% discount on souvenirs at the gift shop (and I knew that I would be buying myself some FRIENDS merch!!).

This can be found at the ground floor of Solaire, where the shops are. Taking a photo with this couch is free, and perfect for those who don't want to buy tickets.

- Dressed in my best 90s-inspired fit, I waited patiently for the gates to open, since I booked the earliest weekday slot, which was 2PM. The staff let us in a bit earlier, perhaps in anticipation of long lines (by this time, all slots for our entry time have been sold out!) I was the first one in line, and with VIP privileges too!

- Upon entry, guests are made to watch an introductory video about FRIENDS with an orientation from the staff about the dos and don'ts inside the museum. As an immersive museum, guests are usually allowed to touch the items in the replica sets. I guess the usual problem, however, would be people cutting lines or being too rowdy.

Can't believe I'm here!! By the way, this is located at the second floor, around the area where the theater is.

The door that opens to the FRIENDS world.

Intro video.

- The first set and photo spot was the fountain with the iconic orange couch as seen in the opening credits. There is an official photographer here, but personal phones can also be used too. I also want to acknowledge as early as now how helpful and skillful the staff were at taking photos (I also intentionally visited on the second week of opening as I knew that the staff would be used to taking good photos after a week of customers. Boy, I wasn't wrong!)

The only thing missing is an umbrella, which the cast used in the opening credits.

So no one told you life was gonna be this way (clap clap clap clap)!!!!

- After the fountain, there is a corridor with the clothes worn by the 6 main characters, and a few memorable props used throughout the series' 10 seasons. There were autographed scripts on display too, as well as wigs with various hairstyles that Rachel (played by Jennifer Aniston) had through the series - that many ladies tried to copy in the 90s!! The hall leads to the staircase with a sofa, where Ross (played by David Schwimmer) would tell Chandler (played by Matthew Perry) and Rachel to "PIVOT!!"

I think these were exactly the same clothes used in the series. (Also see their most notable lines at the base.)

Autographed scripts.

The many hairstyles of Rachel.

PIVOTTTT!!

- The next set replica is the boys' apartment, one of the two main apartments shown in the series. For the most part, it was resided by Chandler and Joey (played by Matt LeBlanc). It has the two "LA-Z Boy" Recliners that they both love, as well as a model of Hugsy, Joey's penguin stuffed toy. Adjacent to the boys' apartment is a model of the unforgettable look  that Joey had in what was supposed to be a filler episode; he wore all of Chandlers' clothes at the same time to spite him at a time when they're supposed to be in a hurry to get dressed to attend Ross' function at the museum.

Rachel's love letter to Ross - 18 pages front AND back!!

Science Boy - a comic made by Ross when he was a little boy.

The perfect chair to watch FRIENDS! (And yes, the TV behind me is working, and does of course show clips from FRIENDS!)

Maybe I should get myself a recliner too!

The boys' apartment has a doodle board behind their door. These doodle boards show the many illustrations throughout the episodes, which often say something about the episode or foreshadow something about the series.

HUGSY!!

Pat the dog! He's a big ceramic dog. It's a reminder of Joey's brief life as a filthy rich actor.

Could I BE wearing any more clothes????

- Outside the boys' apartment is a replica of the apartment's hallway. Though uninteresting in terms of color, FRIENDS fans know how many memories add color to what looks like a "dull" hallway. And of course. this hallways leads to one of the main sets of the series: the girls' apartment, where Rachel and Monica (played by Courtney Cox) reside for the most part of the series.     

Looking for a flat?

Reenacting that famous Thanksgiving episode.

Love the colors!!

Coffee, tea, or me?

Another thanksgiving classic: when Monica wore this turkey on her head, complete with the fez and sunglasses!

 - The final set is where the whole group usually likes hanging out: Central Perk! It is also where Rachel worked for some time after she decided to support herself, and where Phoebe (played by Lisa Kudrow) occasionally plays her songs. This was where the song "Smelly Cat" was born!

I've always wanted a cafe like this in my neighborhood.

Giant cup!

Smelly cattttt SMELLyyyy cat, what. are. they. feedingyou????

Because there weren't a lot of people, the FRIENDS backdrop from outside the cafe could easily be seen from the cafe's interior.

Couldn't resist pretend playing the keyboard on display....as a pianist myself.

Cafe exterior.

- I wasn't able to take a photo of the gift shop as I was too busy shopping, but I was so happy that they had a necklace with a pendant in the shape of the yellow picture frame from the girls' apartment. That was the first thing I got. There were hugsy stuffed toys, socks, mugs, notebooks, sweatshirts, and other amazing (slightly pricey of course) merch on sale too!

- I was able to finish the whole thing in around an hour. And because I was the first in line and was able to plan what to do and what photos to take per location (I did my research beforehand on what the FRIENDS Experience was like, because when did I not do my research??), it felt like I owned the whole place! (I told one of my friends who went during the weekend with a big crowd, she described my experience as not just "VIP", but the "VVVVIP experience"!!)  I was also quite fast that the staff were slightly concerned that I was not making the most out of the experience, but believe me, I did!! More importantly, I experienced something special and something that I really waited so long to do for my (late) birthday!!