Looking for a unique adventure?
My friends and I tested out our problem solving skills to see if we could beat the clock to escape the room we were locked in at Houdini’s Room Escape.
Our visit began in the lobby where we attempted to solve a few puzzles before our group was called back to our designated escape room.
As we entered our room, we were given instructions and the objective.
Our room theme was “The Lab.”
The Z-virus is destroying humanity, turning people into enraged brain eaters. You are trapped in an infectious disease lab and represent our best, and last, hope for a cure. Not only do you have to find the cure for this terrible virus, but you also have to figure out how to get out of the lab, and do both in 60 minutes!
I’ll be honest that I was a little intimidated by our theme as someone who did horribly in Chemistry. Ironically, my dad delivered an unusual bonus gift to my kids a few days before our visit to Houdini’s Escape. My mom was REALLY good at organizing things which included keeping ALL of my report cards from kindergarten through high school.
Ironically, I only needed English to graduate but took a Chemistry class because it would look good on my college application…..but not so much if I failed it for the year. I even went to tutoring and worked to get 100 extra credit points but Chemistry and I just didn’t mix. So how ironic that our escape room theme felt like a high school flashback.
Our team of 5 was joined by another team. We also lucked out that they had occupations in the science field but I’m also happy to report that our group also contributed to solving a lot of the puzzles and challenges.
This experience is a fun team builder. It adds an interesting dynamic if you are paired with strangers because everyone has different personalities when they are working under pressure. My advice would be to be vocal when you have an idea that might help with the challenge and sometimes you might even have to be really persuasive if you feel like you are not being listened to. Everything is trial and error so don’t be afraid to try. If you are truly panicked, you can also leave the room if you need to at any time by pressing a special button.
Our group escaped the Lab with time to spare. 8 minutes and 58 seconds to be precise. It was such a great sense of accomplishment from an experience that was challenging and fun! I’m not giving away any clues either because that would spoil the fun!
During our visit, we also got to take a look at “The Tower” escape room. There are currently 3 different themes that you can try with more in the works.
Built in 1932, the Carew Tower is a Cincinnati Landmark. Its art deco architecture makes it one of the most beautiful buildings in the country. Its observation deck gives you the best views of the tri-state area. When you enter The Tower, you’ll feel like you are on the observation deck over 500 feet above Cincinnati. Follow the clues as they lead you and your fellow tourists from one puzzle to another. But remember, the last elevator goes down in 60 minutes, so you better hurry!
I was really impressed by this room because of the meticualous detail. The gift shop even looks the same if you have been to Carew Tower. You really get the feel of being on top of the observation deck.
Houdini’s Room Escape is open to the public on Thursday and Friday nights and all day Saturday and Sunday. They can also open up during the work week for your organization or company – morning, afternoon or evening – whichever best fits your schedule.
The cost is $28 per person during our normal operating hours (Thursday and Friday nights, Saturday and Sunday). If you only want to be with your group for the challenge make sure that you book the entire block of the tickets available during your time slot. The rooms are set up for 8-10 people. It’s recommended that players are age 13 and up because the challenges are really geared for adults.
Thanks again to Houdini’s Room Escape for hosting our visit. We had a great time and I definitely would love to try another challenge again in the future.
You can find out more about Houdini’s Room Escape from their website.
Houdini’s Room Escape is located at 9309 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, OH.
(One of our first challenges was finding the location. The building is not directly on Montgomery Road so here is my tip for you, look for the building with Saxby’s Coffee and drive behind it. There is a sign for Houdini’s Escape on Montgomery Rd. but we didn’t notice it until we were leaving.)