If you have never been to an escape room, this may be your chance! Tallahassee’s newest themed experience, Hourglass Escape Rooms, opens Thursday, January 21, 2021.
Located in what was previously a community church, Janise Padgett, one of the masterminds of the project, explains they wanted the space to have a sort of “face-lift”. Their intention is to give the space a multi-chambered and theme-park like quality that would be very interactive for guests.
Keith and Janise Padgett are the local owner-operators of Hourglass Escape Rooms. Keith started the parent company, Art-FX Studios, in the 1980s (eventually adding on Escape Theory in 2019). While the company has rooms throughout Colorado as well as in the Orlando area, this will be the first in northern Florida.
For context, an escape room is an immersive game that allows players to discover clues and solve puzzles to accomplish an overall goal or mission within a given period of time. Currently, the website lists two rooms that will be available for guests, with two more sets to open after the grand opening:
- Secrets of the Pharaohs: “Picture this: You and your friends enter the dark tomb, with only a torch and a flickering flashlight to guide you. You have one hour to retrieve the time medallion and use it to return home before all is lost. Ancient hieroglyphics cover the walls; could they be a clue? Your team finds a strange box, but it does not easily open. Who knows what other secrets Pharaoh Khaba’s tomb holds for those brave enough to enter…” (Difficulty: Hard)
- Murder in London: “There’s been a series of murders in the dark alleyways of London. We think it has to do with another time medallion that we’ve located. The murderer might even possess this medallion. A Scotland Yard detective was murdered on the corner of Commercial and Hanbury streets. Start by searching there for any evidence the police may have missed.” (Difficulty: Medium)
The difficulty of the escape rooms will range based on the theme the guests decide to play (though the difficulty can be adjusted based on each group’s preference).
When asked about the connection and theme between the two escape rooms, Padgett explained: “Imaginations are a wonderful thing. We set out to create an experience where people would feel as though they are being transported through the Hourglass so to speak— to another time and place. Our Time Professors assist groups who accept the challenge to travel through the Hourglass in a quest to solve the mystery each experience holds and find the time medallions to safely return before their 60 minutes runs out!”
As for what makes Hourglass different than other escape rooms? “Hourglass Escape Rooms is not your typical escape experience. Hourglass combines the best of both theme park quality and hand-crafted interactive puzzles that immerse escape-goers into adventures of a lifetime.”
After years in the making, it seems the company is all set for its Thursday debut!
For job opportunities concerning Hourglass, you can apply here or email them at hourglassescaperoom@gmail.com.
For reservations and further information concerning Hourglass, you can check out their website here, as well as their Facebook and Instagram.
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