Are you ready to make your great escape?
You have 60 minutes. The clock is ticking. Can you and your teammates solve the clues to make it out in time?
Escape rooms are cropping up across the nation, a new craze based on a concept that first started in Japan.
I first tried the escape room concept at a competitor’s escape room attraction in November. I was in Orlando on a girls’ weekend getaway with my two sisters, our mother and my 11-year-old niece. I first learned of the concept on Groupon. After a little bit of convincing and answering the “what is it again?” question a couple of times, we all agreed to give it a go, and ended up enjoying ourselves so much, we went back the very next day to try a different room.
The decision to go for a second day was orchestrated by my niece, who was a bit apprehensive about going in the first place! In fact, she had so much fun, she had planned to have her February birthday party there — that was, until we found out that Jacksonville was getting its very own escape room.
The Great Escape Room opens in Jacksonville Friday, Jan. 22. The Jacksonville location, which is situated near Beach Boulevard and I-295, will be the fourth Florida TGER location. Other locations include Orlando, Miami and Tampa, as well as, locations in five other states.
Groups of up to 12 people are locked in a themed room staged with hidden compartments and secret passageways. The group has to work together to solve the clues and try to make it out in under an hour — bragging rights are at stake! Only about 20 percent of the groups who attempt the escape manage to make it out in time, according to TGER.
Full disclosure of my experience? The clues were tough, and we needed a couple of hints in order to make it out in time. It was extremely fun though — to lose yourself in a room for an hour, challenging your brain and feeling the adrenaline pumping! Plus, there’s the whole bonding experience you get with your team, which is why this concept makes the perfect candidate for team building or private parties.
A soft opening will take place Jan. 22-31 with a special promotional rate of $10 (per person) tickets.
For groups to have exclusive use of the room, a minimum of 10 tickets must be purchased at one time. Online booking is available. Unaccompanied minors need to bring a waiver signed by a parent or guardian. The waiver can be download online.
TGER is located at 11651 Central Parkway, Jacksonville. For more information, call (904) 203-8358 or visit www.thegreatescaperoom.com/jacksonville.
