How MVM was born

It’s all in the beginning. It’s all South, where the origin of Monsterview Manor was imagined.  Four years ago we dared to venture past the Terry Fox Monument to a place of adventure, of marvelous and wonderful things.  The falls of Niagara are what we chose to visit.  Not having been there since we were just small children, visiting Santa’s Village, it was time to go back and see the evolution of the Niagara region.  Niagara Falls has been notoriously the draw and the attraction to the area; for its’ grandeur and majesty, its’ power and mystery.  This is not necessarily true today.

Now what you see downtown are Casino’s, water parks, a Skywheel,  Dinosaurs in the park, chocolate factories, museums, gift shops and (what drew us in) Clifton Hill.   In the modern-day it’s the draw to Clifton Hill that’s what brought us away from our home life up in the North.  We were looking to take a trip and discover something new, something fun, something that we would talk about for a long time with our friends and family.  It is Clifton Hill that we discovered!  There they have places that grownups can play, families can play together and friends can explore outside of the normal life of 9 to 5.

The sights and sounds of this new environment wowed us from the outside.  Even though we were on a tight budget; as we tend to be, there was still a possibility to get in on the attractions and activities just by going into each shop, store, and business.  We spent hours wondering the streets admiring all of the unique and monstrous structures, sites, sounds and an abundance of wonderful smells. Then we had an epiphany ~ Thunder Bay has the same layout, we have a “Clifton Hill”.  It’s called Red River Road!  Yes. Imagine the sites of Ripley’s Believe It or Not, The Guinness Book of Records Museum, The IMAX theatre, the wax museum and abundance of attractions all on Red River Road.  The entertainment district is already in place with the auspicious array of eateries, gastropubs, coffee shops and music houses!  Now all we need are some attractions, some gift shops, some chocolate factories and museums.

Fast forward to 3 years later to business planning 101.  Step one get a concept, step two write down what that concept looks like, step three write a business plan, name the business, secure funds.  And yes that’s just one step!  Step four, this is the big one, open the business.  This is what it looks like in real life from beginning to end, without the stuff in the middle.  We gave birth this year to Monsterview Manor, from a concept brought all the way from our small family vacation a mere 4 years ago.  If this business succeeds in being the first seed planted in this garden, imagine the growth that could be had on Red River Road.  From humble beginnings and a family dream of doing something that no one else has attempted to do in Thunder Bay, bringing a smile to people’s faces, bringing fun back into the city, breaking taboos. This is Monsterview Manor.  If they can do it in Niagara Falls and be successful for over 25 years in building up their town to being one of the largest tourist attracting towns in Ontario and economically growing the downtown core.

Start with a blank slate! And start the process of creating something from nothing.

    

A Thunderrific Time

What is this, “thunderrific time”?  What does it mean when someone says, “We never have fun anymore?”.  As grownups we sometimes forget what it means to be a kid again and have some fun; to just play.  Our imaginations can take us anywhere, but we start to forget this. As modern day adults, we have a colossal amount of things to remember to do, of responsibilities to take care of.  As time goes on our imaginations begin to slowly disappear into the abyss of the past. In a sense, adult life can become mundane. Especially when your not looking out the window daydreaming or opening new doors seeking new things to do, wondering where to find the fun.   It’s out there beyond the window pane.  Adventure, exploration, imagination, and fun!

Successfully finding something fun to do in Thunder Bay is getting easier. Let’s face it, as life gets more and more complicated, over scheduled, over burdened.   With work, care giving and family life, we sometimes get stuck in the proverbial mud leaving us without any playtime. It may seem daunting to ask a friend or coworker for ideas or for a way to create a good time.  With Monsterview Manor, things are easy.  Walk through the manor doors and have a great time! Gathering with friends, playing a game, dressing up, being a kid again, be free to just play for a few hours or for 15 minutes.

Checking out of stress is something that every responsible grown up needs to do to keep their marbles from being lost.  Monsterview Manor takes the binge watching on streaming television and turns it on its’ head, so that you can live the entertainment. Checking into your imagination is not only fun it’s beneficial for your health and peace of mind. It helps build relationships with your spouse, with your friends and your family.

If this list is your life,

• Home life is overwhelming
• Home life is routine
• Work life is stressful

Then lets make a small change that will benefit you.

• Open new doors to a world where things are different and unique,
• Leave your living room, sit down in our Chamber and have cup of tea with the Mad Hatter, with the white rabbit, with your fantasy favourite character,
• Leave your day to day self at home and bring your free self; Unchained, unburdened, unboxed self
• Get into a new mindset where imaginative juices flowing again
• Reinvent yourself

It’s time to for the “grow-ups” to go out and take that leap into the world of wonder again.  It’s easy to find something to do in Thunder Bay and have a thunderrifc time.  After all, it’s a playground for anyone that truly wants to play!  Visit the manor today.

 

Holiday Creatures of Mythology

The season of holiday magic is upon us!  Gift giving and gift receiving; gifts of all kinds, tangible ones and ones that fill our hearts with joy.  There are cheerful elves and flying reindeer, singing snowmen and Jack Frost bites, sweet gingerbread people and their houses.  The airwaves are filled with songs of holiday spirit, with the celebration of life, peace, joy and humility.  It’s truly a magical time of year.  A time to enjoy in festivities, drink hot cocoa – hot apple cider – hot beverages of any kind, good times and creating great memories whether you are with family, friends, coworkers, volunteers, or even acquaintances.

Hosting a traditional holiday sit down dinner may at times be daunting, time consuming or even seem similar to last years dinner and typically overwhelming.  The modern family, the modern woman, or even the modern man, look for new and creative ways of celebrating at this time of year that allows them to have fun with their guests and have an enjoyable time eating, drinking and being merry.  Imagine hosting just such an event or a party that you can truly say is fun, interesting and unique.

Monsterview Manor is just the place where magical things can happen, the manor staff will set up the event room, serve good times and good cheer, and take care of the post event ceremonial clean up.  Imagine being able to sit down to dinner or nibblies with your esteemed guests and enjoy yourself.

This holiday season host a celebration that you will remember for all time!  There’s nothing more fun than new experiences with friends, family and magical fairytale creatures a like.  Join us this December under the mistletoe!  Book by November 30th for December and the first 5 receive a free gift with purchase.  #holidayfunthunderbay

The “Monstertainment” Industry

The “Monstertainment” Industry 

The “monstertainment”  (entertainment) industry is made up of many levels and layers of man made substance.  There’s multi-media, print, fan gatherings and events/festivals, and seasonal celebrations that provide evidence the trends in fantasy and science-fiction over the years are still going strong.  The door to fun and fantasy never stops being unlocked!

The Best Time to Open-up Shop

October, the month of fall colours, cooler nights, great bountiful harvests and spooky delights!  Monsterview Manor is excited to say that we will be opening our doors in October in time for these things to be celebrated.  The monsters are starting to book their rooms at the manor, the accommodations are being created and the furniture is being moved in.  With all of the intense preparation the manor is taking shape and things are coming together monsterrifically!

“Unlock the door to fun and fantasy.”

A new form of entertainment is about to burst into the region of Northwestern Ontario and onto the  Waterfront District arts and cultural scene.

Monsterview Manor is a place that brings diverse communities of people together to enjoy an excellent imaginative and entertaining experience that is stimulating to all of the senses.