If you’ve ever navigated the chaos of the SDCC convention floor, you know exactly why an offsite is a lifesaver. This weekend, we headed over to Paramount’s ‘The Lodge’ at San Diego Comic-Con 2025 to see if it lived up to the hype.
Since it’s located away from the main convention center madness, The Lodge feels much more like a destination than just another branded booth. It’s a massive space with a huge variety of different “worlds” to explore, and honestly, it was one of the most interesting things we did all weekend.
Exploring the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Holodeck
We started our walkthrough with the Star Trek section, which was a massive highlight. To celebrate Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3, they built an oversized Starfleet holodeck that felt genuinely immersive.
It wasn’t just a single photo op; but an interactive space with different vignettes that allowed you to actually step into the environment. We spent some time in the ‘Intergalactic Love Lounge’ grabbing some drinks, and the Starfleet Academy area was a great spot for fans looking for some exclusive themed swag. It was a nice, chill way to experience the franchise without feeling like you’re being rushed through a marketing line.
The Dexter: Resurrection ‘Vault’
The mood shifted completely when we reached the Dexter: Resurrection section. Tucked away behind a sleek wine cellar is the “Vault”—an unsettling, meticulously curated shrine to some of history’s most notorious killers.
It was a total 180 from the bright, high-tech energy of Star Trek. The space was designed to feel chilling and precise, capturing that dark, eerie atmosphere that Dexter fans expect. It was definitely one of the more intense and memorable parts of the whole activation, and it felt very authentic to the show’s tone.
Quick Hits: Mission: Impossible, NCIS, and More
Because the activation was so large, we couldn’t get into every single detail, but there were a few other spots that were definitely worth noting:
- Mission: Impossible: For the action fans, they recreated the iconic 1996 scene where Ethan Hunt is lowered into a high-security vault. It’s a great photo op if you want to grab a shot of yourself in that legendary suspended pose.
- NCIS: Tony & Ziva: This one was pretty clever. It looks like a cozy Parisian café on the outside, but once you step inside, it transforms into a stripped-down, gritty safehouse filled with surveillance gear and passports.
- The Landman Patch Café: A faithful recreation of a watering hole in Midland, Texas. It was a cool, relaxed spot to grab a drink in one of their souvenir mugs.
- CBS Sports Clubhouse: For anyone needing a break from the “fandom” vibe, the clubhouse offered a stadium-style atmosphere with NFL jerseys and even a little target practice challenge on the turf.
The Verdict: Was Paramount’s The Lodge Worth It?
Overall, Paramount’s The Lodge at SDCC 2025 was a success. It’s rare to find an offsite that actually feels like a cohesive experience rather than just a series of disconnected booths, but they managed to pull it off. Whether you were there for the sci-fi immersion, the dark thriller vibes, or just a themed drink to escape the convention floor, there was something there for everyone.
Did you make it out to The Lodge this year? Which part was your favorite—the Trek holodeck or the Dexter vault? Let us know in the comments and check out last year’s Lodge here:
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