Can You Escape The Great Escape Room?

Thank you to The Great Escape Room for giving this mama a fun night out!

When you have little ones, date nights are essential, and my husband and I try to get out as often as we can. Dinner and a movie, concerts, bowling — all of these things are fun, but what if you want to do something different for a change? Something more exciting, or maybe more challenging? An escape room might be just what you need.

If you aren’t familiar with the concept of escape rooms, they’re exactly what they sound like: You’re locked in a room, and you have to try to escape. The Great Escape Room, located in the Southside area, is one of Jacksonville’s most popular new destinations, naturally, I had to check it out.

The Great Escape Room has three rooms, which range in difficulty and all are all Sherlock Holmes-themed: Sherlock Holmes’ Library, Dr. Watson’s Infirmary, and Professor Moriarty’s Gameroom. Being escape-room amateurs, I figured we needed to go with the easiest room, so we chose Sherlock Holmes’ Library. The concept behind this room is that you have to solve the mystery and escape the room in order to be inducted into The League of the Masters of Elementary Deduction. Guests are also asked to wear a name badge, but to choose a new identity for the game. My husband and friends all had different reasons for choosing the names they did, but I decided to stick with the Sherlock Holmes theme for my name:

I selected Irene Adler, the only woman to have ever defeated Sherlock Holmes; it seemed fitting for our adventure. After we had chosen our alternate identities, we were taken into the room with one of the employees, who explained the rules to us and also told us that we had access to three hints if we needed help. Then the door was locked, our one-hour timer was set, and we had to try to escape.

While of course I can’t go into much detail, we had to find clues, which were hidden throughout the room, and use those clues to solve a series of puzzles. After we solved those puzzles, there was one more final master puzzle to solve in order for us to escape. It was difficult to find the clues, and to solve the puzzles, but we worked together, used all three of our hints, and — success! — we managed to escape in under an hour.

I’m not going to lie; when I realized we had solved the mystery and escaped, I may have literally jumped up and down and screamed.

After we got out, we headed back out to the lobby, where we posed for pictures. But first, we got to gear up with the many different props they had, and the guys in our group definitely took the opportunity to engage in their silly side. In addition to the photo props, the lobby was also decked out with other puzzle games — so you can play while you wait! — and candy, so you can choose whether you’re a “Smartie” or a “Dum-Dum.”

All in all, we had a fantastic time! It was a great night that was out of the ordinary and was both challenging and adventurous. If you’re on the competitive side, you can even try to beat the leaderboards — our team is ranked no. 3 for our division in the Sherlock Holmes’ Library room! And you never know; if you can keep your wits about you, then your team might be able to reach the top spot.

Special Offer for JMB Readers

The Great Escape Room is currently giving a special offer for Jacksonville Moms Blog readers! Enter the code “JaxMoms” when you book your room, and you’ll receive $5 off. So what are you waiting for? Can you defeat The Great Escape Room?

Cassy Fiano-Chesser
Cassy Fiano-Chesser is a Jacksonville native and mom to six kids. Her husband is a Marine Corps veteran and Purple Heart recipient. She works from home as a blogger and a freelance writer, and they currently live in the Argyle area of Jacksonville. Benjamin is their oldest, born in 2011, and he loves being a big brother. Wyatt was born in 2012, and he has Down syndrome. Ivy came next, in 2013, followed by Clara, born in 2015, who is a diva-with-a-capital-D. Rounding out the brood is Felicity, born in 2017, and Lilly, born in 2007. They love discovering things to do on the First Coast and going on family adventures, as well as cheering on the Jumbo Shrimp and the Icemen.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here