Alton Room Escape
Alton Room Escape offers family-friendly escape room experiences. Rooms include "Trails End," "The Dam Control Room" and "Captain's Quarters." Alton Room Escape is located at 319 Ridge St., Alton, IL.
Escape on Main
Main Street St. Charles is home to Escape on Main, which features a "Pirate Treasure" room. Escape on Main is located at 340 N. Main St., Suite 205, St. Charles, MO.
Escapology
Escapology, located in an entertainment complex with Kokomo Joe’s in St. Peters, has five rooms that include themes like “Budapest Express” and “Scooby Doo and the Spooky Castle Adventure.” Escapology is located at 4105 N. Cloverleaf Dr., Suite B, St. Peters, MO.
Mastermind Room Escape
Mastermind Room Escape has buildings in both St. Louis and St. Charles. The St. Louis location offers escape rooms based on the "Elf" and "Home Alone" movies during the holidays. Other themes vary by location. Mastermind Room Escape in St. Louis is located at 440 N. 4th St., Suite 290, St. Louis, MO. The St. Charles location is 3900 S. Old Highway 94, St. Charles, MO.
St. Louis Escape
St. Louis Escape offers several spooky rooms geared to older guests, including "Jurassic Island," "Haunted Hotel" and "Dracula." Those looking for a more family-friendly adventure can check out "Wonderful Wizard of Oz." St. Louis Escape is located at 1517 South 8th St., St. Louis, MO.
Escape from St. Louis
Escape from St. Louis features three rooms, including "Carnival of the Cosmos" and “Wizard Quest.” Escape from St. Louis is located at 7403 Manchester Rd., Maplewood, MO.
The basics of escape rooms
• Many escape rooms are suitable for older children. Most escape room websites recommend 12 or 14 as the minimum age. Parents will need to use their discretion when choosing a family-friendly experience if they plan for the entire family to participate.
• Plan to take all your selfies before you enter the room, since phones are typically banned once the door closes and your adventure begins. Most have lockers to store your valuables.
• Your group will be assigned a host to facilitate your game experience. You won’t see them, but they’ll see you. Policies may vary with escape rooms, but usually your host, or “game master,” will prompt you three times if your group needs extra help.
• The room will have a maximum number of players allowed. Be sure to book the entire room if you’d rather not be grouped with strangers.
• Groups have a maximum of 60 minutes to escape the room. Of course it’s recommended that you don’t leave the room, but doors are opened for emergencies.
• It’s generally a good idea to book online in advance. Certain rooms (i.e. the “Elf” and "Home Alone" movie-themed rooms at the holidays) fill up quickly.
Inside tips for beating the clock
St. Louis Escape offers these pro tips to increase your odds and look like an escape room prodigy:
• “Team work is the most important aspect to winning.”
• “Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your game master. Getting stumped and stuck is no fun."
• “Every escape room is different; some feature more logic-based puzzles, while others have a mixture. Be prepared for anything."
• “Do not climb on anything. I have never heard of an escape room that puts clues out of reach from a standing position. Don’t waste your time trying to climb on top of anything.”
• “Remember, sometimes to solve a clue in the last room, you must sometimes go back to the original rooms.”
• “Yell out what you find so everyone knows.”
• “Work on things others aren’t working on."
• “Keep all keys in the locks. You never use the same key for more than one lock.”
• “Not all escape rooms are the same. Do your research before you go.”
• “Above all, go with an open mind, clear head, and win or lose, have fun.”
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