Plan Your Visit
Higgins House in autumn. Credit: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Location and Timing
An Apothecary Dreams takes place in Higgins House on the Worcester Polytechnic Institute campus. For directions and parking information, go to the Travel page.
While we anticipate that guests might take approximately 40 minutes to move through the entire installation, the only set exit time is either the end of the day or (on Saturday) the break between morning and afternoon timeslots.
Limited Openings
Groups of up to four guests at a time can book a timeslot during one of the limited entrance times for An Apothecary Dreams. Timeslots will open every fifteen minutes during open hours, with the last entrance 45 minutes before closing. To see what timeslots are available, please visit the Book a Timeslot page.
Due to the historic location and limited timeslots, we cannot guarantee walk-in availability.
Arrival
Guests will enter through the accessible entrance to the left of the Higgins House front door, where they will then be directed up a ramp to reach the check-in desk. Further directions and parking passes will be provided after booking your timeslot.
Please arrive 15 minutes early so as to ensure time for check-in. Check-in will include information about the installation, safety reminders, and the opportunity to ask any questions necessary prior to entry.
Tickets and Payment
Entrance to An Apothecary Dreams is $10 per person, cash only, due upon arrival at check-in. Please have exact change, as we cannot guarantee small bills or coinage. Please also bring a copy of the emailed booking confirmation to serve as your ticket.
Please see our Policies notice below for further information.
Accessibility
The majority of An Apothecary Dreams requires no stairs or passages too narrow for mobility devices. At least one attendant will be present and available in each area of the installation to answer questions and provide additional assistance.
For a list of potential allergens and elements that may trigger sensitivities, please see our Content Assistance notice below.
Recommended Ages
An Apothecary Dreams is intended for college-age students and adults. While the contents of the installation are acceptable for younger audiences, children between the ages of 14 and 17 will need to be accompanied by a ticketed adult. Guests who wish to bring children under the age of 13 should contact Katherine before booking to discuss options.
Visit Safety
Higgins House is both a historic building and working offices for members of the WPI community. As such, assume that if an area is blocked off, it is not part of the installation.
Please treat the space gently and with respect. Things like walls, hanging items, items that are plugged in, and accessible cords should not be tampered with. If things do not move with ease, or if they do not provide a guide for interaction, please let them be. When in doubt, ask the attendants how or whether an element can be interacted with.
Mask-wearing is always welcome and supported for any reason; WPI itself is a mask-optional environment. While there are opportunities to taste or smell things within An Apothecary Dreams, choosing not to will not interfere with the experience. If you feel sick on the day of your booking, please exercise caution and self-care and contact Katherine to discuss an alternate date for your visit.
Policies
- Guests who do not arrive 15 minutes to either side of their booked entry time may have their booking cancelled and their time made available to others.
- We are unable to offer refunds or replacement time in the event of a cancellation or an abbreviated time within the experience.
- Intentional damage to the space or the endangerment of attendants or guests may result in actions including but not limited to immediate removal from the installation without refund; such decisions will be at the sole discretion of the An Apothecary Dreams team or its WPI affiliates.
Content Assistance
The below is intended to help guests pre-plan and curate their own experience; reading it is entirely optional.
- Visual: The lighting will be low-level and include flickering LED ‟candlelight.” A slow, light-colored animation will be digitally projected against a long wall.
- Auditory: Several small speakers will have quiet music or soundscapes playing in different areas. One area will feature listening devices that can be triggered with buttons.
- Scent: Many areas involve floral or complex scents found in perfumery; while many will be covered whenever guests are not directly interacting with them, the scents are likely to be prevelant throughout the space. There will also be an area with uncovered live or fresh plants/flowers.
- Taste: Water will be available in the Sun Room of Higgins House; there may also be herbal teas (tisanes). The Great Hall will have an area with at least one historical finger food for guests to try. Ingredient lists will be available in both areas; there will be no peanuts, but there may be other nuts present, depending on the final menu.
- Touch: Several areas encourage touching or manipulating papers, buttons, constructed devices, or raw ingredients. Ingredients will have written identification on or near them. Paper and writing tools will be provided, though guests are welcome to bring their own.
- Movement: There is one short set of steps as part of the final area of the installation; let an assistant know if this presents difficulty and an alternate route can be provided. There will be seating available in the Sun Room and in limited numbers in the Great Hall, but additional seating can be requested through an assistant. Single-stall restrooms are available for guests at both the entrance and exit.
- Interaction: While there are opportunities to interact, there is no aspect that requires direct interaction with an actor or other guests in the installation. This can be a solo or group experience, depending on your preferences.