I had the absolute pleasure of participating in the Escape Room LA this week. Escape rooms have been popping up all over the country and all over the world in the last few years. I only first heard of the one in New York earlier this year. Read more about my experience and see more pics after the jump!
When I first arrived, I got to meet the group of people I’d be working with. There were eight people on my team, some people had come with a friend, like me, but there were a few who came by themselves. We all went around the room and introduced ourselves, then met the founder of Escape Room LA, John Hennesy who also founded Race/LA, who briefed us on what we would be doing. The goal to all escape rooms is pretty similar. You are locked in a room and must solve puzzles, riddles, and collect clues that lead you to the key to escape the room. If you complete the task in one hour, you “win.” Kind of like the Saw movies minus the torture porn, or anything scary at all for that matter.
Escape Room LA’s theme is a 1940’s detective agency located in our fair city of Los Angeles. A lot of the clues pertain to the City of Angels during that time. Escape Room LA’s founder, John Hennessy, says:
” We’re excited to launch Escape Room LA this Fall and introduce an exciting new concept into Downtown Los Angeles. The theme of this attraction is spot on with LA’s historic core and it really throws people into a world of mystery and suspense while giving them an opportunity to be a part of a living narrative. While the experience will certainly be a mental challenge for participants and will surely get the heart racing, it’s meant to be engaging and more of a fun challenge.”
Escape Room LA was designed by award-winning set designer Jeff MCLaughlin whose work has been seen in many films and television shows and even Lady Gaga’s “Judas” video.
I don’t want to tell you too much about the clues because I want you to have as much fun as I did trying to escape if you’re able to go, but I will tell you that these puzzles and riddles aren’t easy. Be prepared to really use your brain and think outside the box. And it will take you a minute to take everything in, get your bearings, and figure out that you just need to jump in and start digging! And it helps to communicate with your team. I would know. Out of the four groups who had tried the game when I participated, our team had gotten the farthest. Alas, we did not escape.
Escape Room LA will be open Wednesdays through Sundays with prices starting at $30 per person on weekdays and $32 per person on the weekends.
