We Tried It: I Spent the Weekend at Neil Patrick Harris' Murder Mystery Party—and Lived to Tell the Tale

Chef Sebastian Sinclair was dead. His death was ruled an accident—or so the storyline claimed. But something felt off...

When I arrived at Neil Patrick Harris' exclusive murder mystery party at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, Mass. I knew this would be no ordinary weekend.

“As both a lifelong murder mystery fan and immersive theatre enthusiast, I jumped at the chance to create something exciting, puzzling, and unique at Canyon Ranch,” Harris who partnered with Capital One for the event, told PEOPLE. “It was a LOT of work for a one-weekend performance, but it seemed like everyone involved had a murderously good time.”

The hundred or so guests were made up of Harris's friends, industry colleagues and a select bunch of Capital One card holders, but PEOPLE was the only publication allowed in on the sleuthing.

The mystery began in my room, where I found a detective’s handbook and cryptic notes scattered across the bed. One ominously read: “Sebastian’s death never felt quite right to you. Could it really have been an accident? You are here to catch a murderer.” Another invited me to a memorial bonfire that Friday evening to honor the late chef.

At the bonfire, we met the suspects: Sebastian’s lawyer, Vincent Stone; his driver, Charlie Carr; a cooking show host, Gustavo Bassett (played by Harris's husband David Burkta); and more. Each had a motive, and the tension was high.

We gathered by the fire to stay warm in the 30-degree New England weather, covered with blankets- enjoying s’mores and hot apple cider with a splash of brandy. Crafted by Chef Dominique Crenn — who also curated the weekend’s menu — the treats added to the immersive experience as the actors stayed in character, dropping cryptic clues.

We learned Sinclair had been involved in a hit-and-run accident with his driver, Carr, which killed a child.

Later that night, I returned to my room to find a new note instructing me to meet Colton Sterling (Neil’s character) at the Culinary Rebel Café on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. When I arrived, three others were waiting, and we were given a challenge: make tarts. The winner, judged by Harris himself, would be chosen based on presentation.

My messy tart—made with strawberries, blueberries, almonds, and creams I couldn’t name—somehow won, thanks to Harris finding my “totally uninterested” attitude amusing. My prize? Three minutes of one-on-one time with Neil, aka Colton Sterling, where we discussed possible suspects and theories.

Saturday evening, the drama reached its peak during a lavish five-course dinner under a heated tent. The menu featured a Crenn Caesar salad, savoy cabbage, steak wing lamb, and soy custard, paired with fine wines. But before dinner was over, the chef’s driver, Charlie Carr, was killed.

The tension escalated when a dinner guest was poisoned for suggesting Sinclair’s death wasn’t an accident, putting her in the killer’s crosshairs.

In the end, we learned the killer and his motive: SPOILER: It was Sinclair’s lawyer and business partner, Vincent Stone, who killed Sinclair to hide the truth and save their business.

Harris told PEOPLE of the special experience, “Who knows when we’ll get to create another… but my creative synapses are firing on all cylinders right now, so fingers crossed someone gets to die again soon. Umm, wait, that came out wrong…”

From bonfires to dessert competitions to unraveling the killer’s motive, every moment was thrilling and immersive. By the time the mystery was solved, I was completely hooked—and wasn’t ready for it to end. For any mystery fan, this was truly a weekend to die for.