If you found yourself traveling along the Long Island expressway in Suffolk County, when passing through the town of Hauppauge, a certain structure may have caught your eye, as it very much stands out from the drab, industrial buildings surrounding it. It’s an all-black, foreboding structure, with one word etched upon its striking facade: Gotham.
Given its unique and mysterious look, you might find yourself wondering, whatever could be contained within? Simply put, Gotham – located at 1745 Express Drive North – is a goth-inspired entertainment and event venue created by owner Matt Guiliano as a successor of sorts to his previous business at that location: the former indoor baseball training facility, Play Like a Pro.
However, the previous Play Like a Pro location some years ago gained fame – and a degree of infamy – when Matt began operating a haunted house at that location: Chambers of Hell, which is consistently ranked among the very top spook-houses in New York State, with events held throughout the year and not just during the Halloween season.
In fact, Chambers of Hell became so popular that it caused Matt to completely rethink his baseball business; that, along with a health scare he has since recovered from, was the genesis of the idea that eventually would become Gotham.
“I decided to get out of the baseball business and see if I could reinvent myself, and I ended up opening up the Gotham event venue in the front of the building in September of 2023,” he said. “Gotham is an amazing concept, and it has so much potential, and we can really do anything you can think of here.”
Matt said that he went with a dark and gothic theme for Gotham in order to tie it into the Chambers of Hell haunt, figuring that the client base for each would cross-pollinate with one another, so to speak; this, more than likely, would not have been the case if he had continued to run it as a baseball training facility, he noted.
“I figured I could tie it into the haunt if we did goth shows, and it really allows us to expand upon the concepts that we use for Chambers of Hell,” he said. “We've added a full-contact show for the haunt and a serial killer show, all sorts of interesting things, and it really ties into the overall theme of the venue now,” he said. “However, back when it was a baseball facility, it was just a weird vibe. People would come in to practice their batting and they would see coffins and gargoyles and find them scary....it just wasn't the same audience. So, I feel with this new vision, the venues just complement each other now.”
Upon entering Gotham, you will find it oozes atmosphere and exudes a dark beauty; black is the name of the game here, with dim lighting and the occasional bit of neon providing contrast. The front features a lounge area complete with comfortable seating and doorways leading to other parts of the venue, including an event hall – complete with stage lighting and a DJ booth/sound system – that could be used for performances and hosting a multitude of events, such as weddings or birthday parties.
If you're looking for a night out, Gotham's in-house events span a wide variety of genres, ranging from comedy acts, bands and haunted "Call of Duty" laser tag games to escape rooms, a lounge with a full bar, and stage performances, including a recent Edgar Allan Poe themed speakeasy that recreated several of the master of the macabre's most well-known stories in front of a captivated audience.
Another very popular attraction at Gotham is a terrifying take on the escape room concept known as The Mangler, which involves a masked maniac who can only find his prey based on the sounds they make; this necessitates the group locked inside the escape room to function as quietly as possible, lest one of them be captured and imprisoned by the masked Mangler himself, reducing their chances of making it out before time is up.
“People can lure the Mangler away by making a sound in another area,” Matt said. “The actor playing the Mangler can assist in the pacing of the game...if the team is getting through it too fast, he can interfere, but if they're going too slowly, he can back off. It's very intense and very scary.”
Matt said since opening Gotham's doors last year, response has been incredibly positive, especially given the fact that the facility truly stands out from the standard nightlife fare found on Long Island.
“People really love it so far, and we're continuing to evolve in order to find our niche. Gotham is really coming into its own as an adult playground. In fact, we recently opened a large area outside in the back of the building where there is ax throwing, cornhole, and bucket ball,” he said. “You can just come into Gotham, relax in the lounge and have a few drinks, then go and throw some axes or participate in an escape room. Sometimes we put movies on in the event space...we're just trying to evolve into a varied destination for adults who want to have a great night out and enjoy themselves.”
Matt concluded by saying that bringing Gotham to life allowed him to tap into his creative side as never before, and he's looking forward to continuing to grow and align it with his vision for years to come.
“I'm pretty much an executive producer in the place…I decide how the lighting is done, I create all the different events and their respective vibes,” he said. “It's really fulfilling and I'm very proud of what we have going on here. We're trying to change the game and create an immersive experience while giving people the most for their money, and so far, I'm very pleased with how it's going.”
To find out more, look at event listings, or book an event, please call 631-846-0363 or visit their website at https://www.gothamli.com.