Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square

Escape room center · Franklin Square

Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square

Escape room center · Franklin Square

1

922 Hempstead Turnpike 2nd floor, Franklin Square, NY 11010

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Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null
Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square by null

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Themed rooms challenge groups to solve puzzles and escape  

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922 Hempstead Turnpike 2nd floor, Franklin Square, NY 11010 Get directions

challengeescaperooms.com
@challenge.escaperooms

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922 Hempstead Turnpike 2nd floor, Franklin Square, NY 11010 Get directions

+1 516 888 0202
challengeescaperooms.com
@challenge.escaperooms

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Sep 15, 2025

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@eater

I Took Real Chefs to Esscape’s ‘Kitchen Nightmare’ Escape Room in NYC | Eater

"Set in a basement in Long Island City, this culinary-themed escape experience, conceived and run by Ess Hospitality partners Melanie Lemieux and Kyle Radzyminski and unveiled on Friday, September 13, forces players into the fictional backstory of a closed speakeasy bistro with a murderous chef. Guests are stripped of belongings, locked into a small waiting room, and guided through meticulously staged back-of-house environments — from a greasy fryer and a cluttered, grimy grill lined with order tickets and stained recipe pages, to a fog-choked hot room with chainsaw-like buzzing, an intercom-delivered bartender hint system, and a warped, slowed loop of Tom Jones’s “What’s New Pussycat.” The finale moves through a sterile walk-in freezer into a gore-filled chamber with whirring electric drills and a blood-dripping body bag; most set pieces and props were scavenged from the owners’ restaurant storage to create an unsettlingly authentic mise-en-scène. The puzzles are deliberately challenging — three professional chefs struggled and ultimately screamed at the concluding jump scare — and the attraction advertises a low success rate (roughly 60% reach the penultimate room, 30% don’t escape the kitchen, and only two groups have fully escaped)." - Jenny G. Zhang

https://www.eater.com/2019/10/31/20942107/escape-room-kitchen-nightmare-horror-chefs-esscape-lic-nyc
View Postcard for Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square

Camila Moreno

Google
Truly had the best customer service I could have ever asked for, so sorry I forgot his name but thanks a billion to the kind young man working August 16th 2025 at about 9 PM. He made the night even more fun! We did the Psycho Next Door room (the hardest one) and it was truly challenging! We called for a hint so many times, and the kind worker was so patient and funny! The room itself was really cool, and well thought out.

Adam Friedman

Google
While the room was fun, it’s really false advertising. We did The Sweet Shop room and the photo on their web site, attached to this review, is NOTHING like the actual room. I wish I would have taken a photo of the actual. But if you are expecting the room to look like the photo, you will be disappointed. It really feels like a half decorated old bedroom that they made to look like a sweet shop, but it doesn’t. Other escape rooms are more immersive with new technology. This is an old school style escape room. It’s all based on unlocking boxes, no hidden rooms or electrical activations. For the price, we were disappointed. Maybe we are used to more modern escape rooms that are immersive, incorporate technology and have multiple rooms, this is not. We were entertained and the employee was nice and friendly but price should have been much lower for this type of room.

Payal Vithlani

Google
We had a great time here. The staff are so friendly, especially Sebastian. Thank you guys! We hope to be back again soon.

Robert Damato

Google
We visited Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square with our three teenaged Grand Kids on 2-21-2025. We had the best time. Although we didn't solve the room escape, we had a great time trying. The guide at Challenge Escape was a young lady who was very helpful and accomodating! It was a challenging yet fun experience! We will definitely be back to Challenge Escape Rooms - Franklin Square as we now know the logic of it! Excellent staff and great place for a family game day!

bheart 567

Google
Omg this escape room was sooooo much fun!! We had such an amazing time at this location. It was perfect. This is my second room I've ever been to and I must say if you are up for brain teasers nd all that good stuff, this is the place to go. You will surely get your creative juices flowing when it comes time to crack the codes. Its sooo worth it. I got ours on groupon for about 40+ bucks for the two of us. It was myself and my son and he said he had a really great time as well. The room we did was called the sweet shop and it was sooo much fun. he keeps telling me he wants to go back and so going back it will be. On the other hand, the attendant was cool, down to earth.. not over bearing.. but welcoming to say the lease. Anyway, go here and have fun with your friends family by yourself.. who ever haha but just go!!!

Monalise830

Google
Very Cheap set up and the game host seemed very cold and annoyed by our presence. Definitely won’t be going back. (Franklin square location)

delgira godzhaeva

Google
Don’t go there if you have allergy. It was very dirty there, I am allergic to dust and till the end of the day I didn’t feel well after the escape room. The sweet shop room is small but it was fine for 5 of us, 2 adults and 3 kids, the only issue was that it was too stuffy. It was hard to figure out in which order you need to go to open boxes, the tasks inside are interesting, but no logical structure from the beginning to the end (at least for us). Thanks for the assistants who gave us more than 3 clues and at some point we got engaged into the game ) The game itself is fun if it would be a little bit structured and of course if the room would be vacuumed, all items which you are supposed to touch would be cleaned.

Kesha Thompson

Google
We had a great time! It was a great experience overall. This is really an activity to activate your cognitive skills it is also a great way to work together with your friends or family. This was our first time experiencing the the challenges of the escape room. We are already planning our next visit. One downside is that the room was a bit small for six people also, it was very hot in the room. The host was very gracious and helpful.

Tahira C.

Yelp
I had six kids in this escape room on a very hot day hoping this indoor activity would be comfortable. The air conditioning was not working well. the room was very hot and uncomfortable for the kids. I am very annoyed by this and would like some refund due to their poor conditions. It was about 87 degrees today and this scale room is located on the second floor. It was HOT. The decor of the escape room itself was ok from the pictures I saw on my kids phone. I don't recommend this escape room. I paid $210 for a hot room for my kids and nieces. it was not worth it.
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Nora D.

Yelp
You have to book online and there is a service charge. The experience was great the gentleman who checked us in was very nice and courteous. We did the Sweet shop it was a good challenging experience and lots of fun.
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Annie C.

Yelp
We just had our sons 13th birthday party here. We had 18 kids and broke up into 3 rooms. The staff was fantastic in helping to coordinate the times and rooms. It was well organized and we had a great time (even though we did NOT escape). We will definitely be going back to try again.

Vanessa C.

Yelp
Had so much fun here! We did the Alice in Wonderland themed room yesterday and it was a blast. Would surely go again. Definitely recommend. Staff was nice too
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Amy M.

Yelp
I took my daughter and her friends here for a birthday celebration. Since they were all under 16, I had to join them. We did the sweet shop room and it was challenging especially when its your first time. It was quite challenging and the kids really enjoyed themselves. It was a good thing I did join them since I don't think they would of escaped without my help. The experience in the escape room was great. Parking was another issue. I was able to find the parking room BUT it was packed and someone was blocking the entrance so I had to park in the street. We were about 5 minutes late because of this. Overall a great activity for a group and really makes you think.
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Kristin Z.

Yelp
We went in as a group of six - 3 adults, 3 kids and full disclosure- we did not escape. At first, the guy who got us started seemed to be a bit aloof and not at all friendly. But, he was helpful and patient with the hints so, he gained a star. We did the Sweet Shoppe room and as far as the actual room and props are concerned, it was underwhelming. That said, the clues were hard and it made for a fun time. Pro tip: When they have you Practice the locks, pay attention.... especially with kids. We figured out a clue and a kiddo put it in the lock wrong so we assumed we were wrong.... wasted a lot of time and a hint. So overall, fun concept, not worth $28/per person for an hour. And also, if you're going with kids under 14, you have you reserve the entire room. Luckily it worked out for us because we intended on 6 and this room was for 6 but, that would suck.
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Silvia F.

Yelp
Went to this place with 5 of my friends. We chose to do the unsolved crime and things were going pretty well until we got stuck on one of the clues, we knew exactly what to do but the code wasn't working so that caused us to not be able to move on and find the rest of the clues. Once we were done the assistant comes in and he realized the room was poorly set up they totally gave us the wrong clue and that was why we couldn't figure it out. I asked if there was anything he could do for us since the reason we didn't solve it was their mistake and he said NO! He could maybe give us a discount for next time. Honestly I would never ever go there again and I totally didn't appreciate it them not doing anything about their mistake. He pretty much just told us sorry sucks for you guys and sent us on our way. There's plenty of this places around, Dnt waste your time going to this one!!!!
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Chandani R.

Yelp
Staff and service was great! I had a Groupon and made an appointment over the phone seamlessly. When we got there it was super easy to get started with just a short introduction. My group did the Sweet Shoppe and it definitely was a fun challenge! I highly recommend coming here for any group activity. Although my group couldn't unlock the room we still had fun! And at the end we took a nice picture.
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Denise M.

Yelp
I just did this tonight for my birthday and we had a great time!! we didn't win but it was so exciting to try and figure out. a few more clues would be nice and if you knew which clues went with which puzzles would have helped but it was still fun. my friends and I want to try another room. we did the Carnevil themed room.
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Stephanie A.

Yelp
This was so much fun, what a great night out! The room was a perfect difficulty and the 4 of us worked together and didn't feel cramped at all! More importantly we were able to find the last key with 15 minutes to spare!!
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Nichelle C.

Yelp
Family of four age ranging from 13-50 plus elderly spectator really enjoyed ourselves. We didn't ask for two many clues and didn't get out but the staff was very helpful providing as many clues as we asked. One thing different from this vendor is that they provided the clues and the answers upon completion. We appreciated that. The staff seems to enjoy their job.

Michelle V.

Yelp
Attempted the "Psycho Next Door" room and had a great time !!! It was one of their hardest rooms and we definitely felt how challenging it was instantly, but we had a wonderful staff member helping us throughout our reserved time. She explained all the instructions clearly and thoroughly and we would return to this specific location just because of her making our experience so great !!! The room itself had clever clues and was well organized and we can't wait to come back and try one of their other rooms !
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Anthony I.

Yelp
I've been to a couple of their locations and have tried out a couple different rooms as well. Overall the experience was pretty good for all the rooms. Personally I like rooms that have multiple different rooms combined. I feel it's much more realistic that way. That was the only negative with Challenge. Mostly all there rooms are single rooms. I've always gone with my GF. I would recommend trying them out.
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Kenny K.

Yelp
We did the Sweet Shoppe escape room. My wife and I and our 2 kids (6 & 8). We had so much fun and was a great challenge that we escaped from!
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Lee D.

Yelp
This was a completely underwhelming experience. Us: 2 avid escape room players. Like playing rooms just the two of us. Solve the vast majority. Current record, 13-3. This is one of the locations we lost in... and the only one where we felt that the problem wasn't us. Rule #1 broken: A prop that was necessary for a clue was able to be manipulated by us, the players, making it completely impossible to solve a puzzle. Please, if you're going to have a prop that's important to the game, make sure it can't be dismantled within the first 15 seconds into the room. Rule #2 broken: Make sure the props in the room ACTUALLY work. There's nothing worse than wading through a flash drive of information only to find frustrated selfies of people instead of the information that's supposed to be on the flash drive. Rule #3 broken: Make sure the game is fun. In this case, there was so much extraneous stuff that it was nearly impossible to solve. Overall, I won't be back. We're expert solvers, and this is just a lazy, lazy room. PS: Extra star for the sweet shop room, which was average at best, but was from a different location by the same company.

T R.

Yelp
My family and I did the the sweet toothe room. The room was small but all 6 of us fit in. Although, 6 adults may have a hard time fitting in there. The place was clean and the room was nicely decorated. We didn't succeed to finish everything and we all enjoyed. Some clues we thought were not sure to be of average knowledge as we the representative told us how we could've solved the last 3 clues we missed. It's definitely fun and I used Groupon which saved me a few dollars.

Uma Devi M.

Yelp
My fiance and I went here for Valentines day and we had the best time! We were looking to do an escape room on a budget and this was the perfect place! Although it is not as fancy as the ones you would see in Manhattan (which you have to pay $90+ for), the Psycho escape room was amazing! The story line was great, the game was challenging, and the room was set up to fit the time period of the game! In addition, the staff is very cool
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Pauly P.

Yelp
Fun experience, very cautious with covid guidelines. They cleaned often and staff was very helpful and easy to talk to.

Michelle B.

Yelp
SO GOOD!! We did The Psycho Next Door it was awesome! We lost but we were so close! We will be back for sure! Our host was awesome, set up and clues were so clever!!

Arianna F.

Yelp
We did this with our 10 year old and 6 year old daughters and had a great time!! Fun for all ages, can't wait to go back
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Heily P.

Yelp
My daughter and her friends did the sweet shop room. By the name I thought nice and easy, great for a 6 teenagers but I was so wrong, it was not easy. It was nicely set up, very challenging, and though we didn't escape it was a great time. I would def recommend this location.
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Kayla B.

Yelp
I NEVER leave a review under 3 stars, but I felt this needed to be the exception. Upon arriving (3/9 @8PM for the New Orleans Room) the employee at the desk was cold and came off sarcastic. After entering our room we were told that the clues in our room were "non-aligned" and therefore, we would find clues out of order, and need to decide what to use immediately and what to save for later. Should we need help, we were given a walkie talkie to ask for three clues and questions. For thirty minutes we asked for help and either received a staticky, unclear response, saying that we didn't need that clue yet, a clue that was given to us twice that was incorrect in the series of clues, or no response at all. After 30 minutes, one of the employees entered the room to say he was very busy and would answer our question. He proceeded to look around the room, pointed at a decoration, said "crowns" and left. After the hour ran out, a different employee came in the room, where we asked for him to show us how to solve the clues for the room. He said he was unsure how to, even while holding a binder that had the clues and instructions in it. Finally he walked us through it. It was clear that the clues were "non-aligned", so much so that there was no logically thinking that would allow a group to "escape the room" in an hours time without help. All of us in the room, with the exception of two, have been to escape the rooms before (some where we escaped multiple rooms in one hour), and agree: this room was smaller than usual, very dark. And more than anything the employees were ill-informed and unenthusiastic. Additionally, if you're going to have four escape rooms running at the same time, you need more employees, so that each room of customers has an equal chance to ask for clues and receive them. Upon exiting our room, we were told by another group of other customers that they had a very similar experience.
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Chanel S.

Yelp
Sooo I found this place on Groupon for about 45$ for two. I thought it was appropriate to sign up for the sweet shoppe room for my mentee and I. This was the first escape room I've been too where it was literally one room, but don't judge it by its name! It was soo hard, especially just for two brains! The room was cute and the hints were right in our faces but it was fun! lol There are a couple more rooms at the location. We parked on the street because we were running late and couldn't find the parking lot.
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Lisa L.

Yelp
The instructions were easy but we picked a hard room (the unsolved case). It was a tough room and we weren't able to escape, but we are going to try another room. It was such a fun time. The staff was friendly.
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Geraldine R.

Yelp
This was myself and my groups first escape room. We had fun even though we picked a hard room. The attendant was very helpful and we definitely will go again.
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Chris L.

Yelp
Great experience! The Killer Countdown was well thought out and challenging. We had 10 people, mid to upper 30s age range, in the room and there was enough for everyone to do. Staff was nice. Entrance a bit challenging to find. The door is not on Hempstead Turnpike, it is on the side of the building.

Yael Z.

Yelp
First time doing an escape room. We were six people and got a good deal on Groupon but were not able to choose the escape room. We did the sweet shop. Basically you are locked in a bakery and have to find clues and unlock boxes. The room is small but has a lot of boxes and locks that need to be opened using the clues. We had a good time. The staff is very friendly and helpful. I would recommend it and would like to come back and try a different room next time.
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Michelle O.

Yelp
Was a ton of fun, very helpful if we need that extra clue- totally recommend and will go again
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Alex C.

Yelp
I recently went to a different company (which shall remain nameless) and had a 0/10 time. BUT with that being said, I had a 10/10 experience at this Challenge Escape Room in Franklin Square. The gentleman Mike, was INCREDIBLE. My group did the Under The Sea room and had an absolute blast!! This is my first time feeling the need to go out of my way to write a review, mainly because of the customer service we were given. So, thank you Mike for everything! You gave us our new favorite activity and will be back to try the other rooms at this location!! We cannot wait to go back!
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Dee R.

Yelp
Visited The Escape room in Franklin square and had the best experience every. The staff was great and answered all our questions. I definitely plan on returning with a even bigger group. Highly recommended.

Kerryclare G.

Yelp
So much fun! The Wonderland room definitely makes you think! Our roommaster was awesome!

Candyce R.

Yelp
Had a great time. The staff was really nice. I went on a slow day so we were giving extra time to finish the room.

Simone D.

Yelp
What do you do with 6 of 13 year olds on Halloween during a pandemic? Take them here!! It was safe and clean and the staff was friendly and helpful. We will definitely be going back!! They had a great time!!

Kerri C.

Yelp
So much fun! Mike is a great guy, really personable and fun!! He made our time at the Challenge Escape Rooms so enjoyable. We wIll definitely be back!
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Diego P.

Yelp
what a great way to spend some time with your family The Sweet Shoppe room was perfect for kids it challenged them the whole time. when we arrived the staff was very friendly and helpful they provided clues the whole time making our experience that much better. the room will challenging even for the smartest adult but it a great way to learn to work together cant wait to try a different room next time
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Priscilla S.

Yelp
No rhyme or reason and poor prior guidance on how to solve clues/use locks. Literally just a room with a bunch of safes with locks in it. Don't waste your time.

Stephanie B.

Yelp
The kids had a great time overall. The bake shop was a complicated but we had a fun time!

Dylan D.

Yelp
I went with my girlfriend on September 14th 2019. The experience we had was absolutely amazing!! The staff member Mike was extremely helpful and made our experience a 10/10. He took his time explaining to us everything we needed to know about the Killer Countdown room and went out of his way for any help we asked for. We have completed multiple Challenge Escape Rooms at different locations, but Mike at Franklin Square was by far the best. We will definitely be back!!

Dena W.

Yelp
We did the bake shop room. It was fun, but we experienced several issues. The room was not set up perfectly and one of the boxes was already unlocked, which threw us off because we had figured out the code and were trying it on all the other locks, which wasted our time. Also, we were given the wrong walkie talkie, so we got someone else's requests for clues. Had to go out of the room to switch it out. Also, our timer stopped about halfway through and remained frozen so we didn't have a timer. Not well organized. My niece said she liked the other escape room place she had been to before a lot better.

Tara S.

Yelp
We had a great time. We did the unsolved case and it was challenging but a lot of fun! The staff was wonderful & parking was easy enough. Definitely a lot of fun and we are sure to return.
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Dorean F.

Yelp
I went here last night with a large group for a birthday event and had the best experience! The address is 922 which at first seems like the hardware store out front, but turn the corner on franklin and you'll see the door & sign leading you to your destination. Upon climbing the steps, I noticed that the place was decorated with key paintings/art on the walls and when I reached the top, was immediately greeted by friendly staff eager to assist me in finding my group. I waited a short while for the rest of my group to arrive, as our appointment was at 8pm. Our attendant had us in our room ready to go by 8pm sharp and set the scene. We participated in the unsolved mystery room and it was great playing detective! There are also other themes rooms that you can choose when making your reservation depending on the size of your party. For our party, we split into two groups and competed against each other with a limit of 3 hints we could ask the man behind the walkie-talkie. At the end, we emerged and took a group photo with captions we chose...many were hysterical! Thanks for a great time guys! Wish I took pics, but I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise!
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K D.

Yelp
Really disappointing. The website actually says that the "haunted" Halloween rooms are not for those who scare easily. It says you start the room shackled to a wall. Neither of those are true. I am a huge wuss about scary stuff and there was absolutely nothing scary about this at all. Even the scenery was lackluster and could have been way better. I expected more back story or something at the beginning or maybe live people in the room to jump out and try to scare you but we got nothing of the sort. Definitely not worth the $33.
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Uncle C.

Yelp
We had a great time! The staff was very accommodating to us, friendly and professional. We did The Unsolved Case and did not solve it! We are definitely coming back to give the other rooms a go. It's close by, a great challenge and a ton of fun!

Steven S.

Yelp
Two 7 year olds and two Forty somethings had the best time ever under the sea. I highly suggest bringing your kids, it makes it so much fun.
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Carlyle H.

Yelp
Drove here an hour and a half all the way from NJ. Got stuck in traffic on the way there and realized about ten minutes prior to our reservation that we wouldn't be making it in time due to circumstances out of our control (an accident causing more traffic than expected). We called and they told us we had 10 minutes after the reservation time to get there, and we told them the GPS had an estimated time of getting there at 4:42 (the appointment was 4:30). They told us if we weren't there for 4:40 we would not be allowed in. They would not refund our money nor would they allow us to go into a later time slot or different day.

Anissa R.

Yelp
My friends and I had so much fun in the killer countdown room. I highly recommend this location. Thanks for a great experience!

N M.

Yelp
My friends and I enjoy escape rooms so we decided to give this location a try. Although we wanted to try their Virus room, it was booked, so we chose to do CarnEvil instead. The room started out well: it was difficult but solvable. Our first issue was that the staff was very inattentive with paying attention to requests for clues. When they did respond, they had no idea what step we were on. Next, through no fault of our own, a lock was misplaced and we accidentally opened the final box way before we were supposed to. This meant that we lost out on being able to unlock at least five of the final puzzles. Since there were about ten puzzles total, this was especially disheartening. We were incredibly dissapointed because we still had 20 minutes on the clock. Now, because of the business's incompetence, we were jipped of what would have been a good experience. We voiced our disappointment to the staff and only received coupons for our next visit-- though I'm not sure that we will come here again.

Pam M.

Yelp
We had such a great time. Brought a friend for his bday with a crew of 8 friends. Rob made our experience super fun and we escaped just in time!! Would definitely go again!

Ana C.

Yelp
Horrible experience!!!! we went to the escape room in Franklin Square did the Unsolved case which is going to remained forever unsolved due to the a mistake from the people in charge of placing the clues. we were going pretty good until we got stuck on one of the clues, we knew exactly what we were doing but the code wasn't working because it was duplicate ( it was the wrong code) the placed the same clue twice. we wasted 20min of the hour they gave to solve the case because of that. when the assistant came all he had to say was I'm sorry with an attitude didn't offer to give us the money back since it was not our fault that they poorly prepare the room. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE AT ALL!!!!!!!!