New venue has patrons navigating a real-life game of ‘Clue.’
Sherlock Holmes has been working on a murder case with Scotland Yard, but the situation takes an unusual turn when Sherlock uncharacteristically misses an important meeting. Instead Scotland Yard finds a cryptic note and receives a scrambled phone call from an unknown voice saying Sherlock has been captured.
You have 45 minutes to save Sherlock’s life. You need to discover who took him and figure out where they’re hiding him. While you’re at it, you realize you’ve been locked in his office, and cracking the mystery will unlock the door. Will you make it out in time?
Alexandria’s new Escape Room Live gives guests the opportunity to navigate a real-life game of “Clue.” As puzzles are decoded and mysteries are solved, patrons are engaged through logic, team building and critical thinking.
“The environment here is very cerebral,” says Escape Room owner Ginger Flesher-Sonnier.
A former high school math teacher of 20 years, Flesher-Sonnier opened Alexandria’s Escape Room after the successful launch of D.C.’s Escape Room last October. “I fell in love with Escape Rooms because I’ve always loved puzzles and riddles,” she says.
At 5,200 square feet, Alexandria’s Escape Room is the largest in the country. It offers four rooms providing unique scenarios: Sherlock Holmes: A Matter of Time; Sherlock Holmes: Moriarty’s Madness; Edgar Allan Poe: the Lost Manuscript; and A Wizard’s Apothecary: the Power of the Rings.
The Sherlock rooms opened in July and August. The Wizard room (opening late October) borrows aspects from “Harry Potter” and “Lord of the Rings” and requires guests to find five rings. It will feature special effects, including a magic mirror and wand. According to Flesher-Sonnier, the Poe room (opening by January 2016) will be “sufficiently dark, but not scary,” much like Poe.
From the atmospheric music to the Sherlock-esque wallpaper, the Escape Room provides a fully immersive experience—no detail is missed. Even the waiting area is filled with black leather sofas, dimly lit lamps, faux animal skin rugs and framed pictures celebrating the unusual and unique. Guests are invited to play board games while waiting for their turn in the Escape Room.
During the week, the Escape Room hosts team-building events for private and corporate parties. Guests have access to a party room with space for caterers. While groups may contact a preferred caterer, Escape Room Live frequently works with Alexandria’s Bittersweet Catering. Guests are also invited to BYOB and may take a glass of their favorite drink into the Escape Room during the challenge.
Flesher-Sonnier believes the Escape Room’s popularity exists because it caters to people hungry for deep experiences to share with family and friends. Her goal is to open Escape Rooms all along the East Coast and provide the highest quality Escape Rooms in the U.S.
(October 2015)
