Finding interesting things to do in the metro D.C. area is a walk in the park. But finding something exciting and engaging requires a little more digging. The Escape Room is a breakaway from the typical dinner and movie night out. It requires the attendees to solve puzzles as a group to exit the room–or to at least attempt to.
The closest one takes residence in Old Town Alexandria with three differently themed rooms. These include a wizard’s apothecary and two separate rooms set in the Sherlock Holmes universe.
From the moment you step out of the elevator, the setting is completely different from the worn-down exterior of Old Town Alexandria. The walls are adorned with various lamps, animal skulls and oil paintings. The layout of the floor is similar to a maze that separates each escape room from a waiting room filled with leather and animal hide couches and tables covered with mind games to keep your brain going.
A few minutes before your designated time bracket, the employees brief you on the do’s and don’ts of the room and statement of task. I personally chose the “Sherlock Holmes: Moriarty’s Madness” room. Our intended goal was to discover the three bombs Moriarty had placed in three different countries and learn the code to defuse them.
There are so many clues hidden around the room, some even meant to trick you. The puzzles range from riddles, pictograms, referencing the periodic table and finding keys.
Unfortunately, we didn’t work very well together as many of the group members had never met before. We were one step away from escaping the room, or in other words, finding the code to stop the bombs, when time ran out.
But either way, I don’t regret making the trip out. I personally love to get be engaged and experience things for a day of fun. This was exactly that. It was difficult in some regards, like trying to decipher what was actually the clue and what was meant to trick you. Plus since each room has multiple puzzles to work through, it’s hard to tell what’s for what. I’d recommend starting with an easier room for anyone else who plans on trying it out and with a big group of friends.
For high school students, $25 each might be a little much to shell out. But there are plenty of Groupons that cut the price in half, both for the D.C. location, which has slightly different rooms but are the same company, and the Alexandria location.
Regardless, it’s a brain-stimulating treat if you find yourself in D.C. and you’re looking for something to do with a group of friends.