Writer / Matt Keating
When The Escape Room Fishers opens this fall in The Edge building at 8890 E. 116th St., guests can expect five totally new interactive escape room experiences.
Brendon Harbron, co-owner and Chief Game Designer for The Escape Room, said the entrance of the new place will look similar to a shop or library.
“The lounge will have a secret entrance that will look similar to an old-fashioned speakeasy door,” Harbron said. “I think people are going to love it. It will have five brand new themed and unique escape rooms.”
They will include two Race Rooms, a Titanic Room, a 1776 Room, a World War II Prisoner of War Camp Room and a Castle Room.
“We are building on the tremendous success we have here at the original location,” Harbron said while in the Bank Heist Room of The Escape Room Indianapolis, 200 S. Meridian St., Suite 220, Indianapolis. “People have told us how much they love it here and how much fun it has been for their families, friends and co-workers to have fun while building relationships.”
The Escape Room opened in October 2015.
Scott Neal, founder & CEO of The Escape Room Indianapolis, said participants love the teams of six to 12 people and being locked into one of the puzzle rooms.
“They are left to uncover clues, solve puzzles and discover keys that will allow them to escape within one hour,” Scott said. “The challenge really makes them work together as a team. Everyone has a different skill set that they bring to the table.”
Scott and his wife, Marjorie, saw a similar escape room when they were traveling in Hungary in October 2014.
“I was nervous when we first went there but then realized how much fun it was,” Scott said. “I wanted to do something similar here, and I knew it could be a success if it was done right.”
It was.
In 2015, Harbron and his wife, Jennifer, visited a similar venue in another state and had an incredible experience. Upon their return to Indiana, they began the process of opening an escape room in Indianapolis. During the process, they crossed paths with the Neals, and rather than becoming competitors, they sat down together and combined ideas to create The Escape Room Indianapolis.
“We felt it would be a much better venue if we took all of our best ideas, put them together and created something better than either of us would have come up with on our own,” states Jennifer, co-owner and Corporate Event Planner. “We all bring different skill sets to the business and are extremely happy to be able to bring such an experience to our own grassroots Indiana.”
Several companies have booked The Escape Room Indianapolis during the week for new corporate team building retreats and outings. Schools have found it to be a new field trip experience. It has also been a popular tourist attraction during major events at The Indianapolis Convention Center such as GenCon, PopCon, FFA and the National Girls Volleyball Tournament. Indiana residents have also enjoyed the local flavor in the various rooms.
“All of the puzzle rooms have a different theme: Hoosier Hysteria, a KGB Interrogation Room, an Art Gallery, a Jail and a 1920s-era bank,” said Marjorie, a co-owner who is also the Human Resources and Marketing Director. “The customized pieces, artifacts and memorabilia enhance the experience. We have really tried to pay attention to detail.”
“We are a startup company of people who really didn’t know each other when we started The Escape Room,” Marjorie said. “Everyone is gifted in different ways.”
The Escape Room Fishers will have several surprises to enhance the escape room experience, and there will be the continued attention to detail with history added in. The owners state, “Attention to detail is important. If we can bring history to life through this interactive experience, we have created even more of a one-of-a-kind place to build relationships and learn along the way. We want people to feel as if they are really in 1776 or on the Titanic. Creating a place to do this in a fun atmosphere with family, friends and coworkers is our goal.”
Co-owner and Charitable Giving Coordinator Daniel P. Chillemi said, “We have created an experience that is a unique entertainment alternative. Nothing like this existed in Indiana when we started The Escape Room Indianapolis.”
Chillemi is looking forward to The Escape Room at The Edge, which will feature a vintage race and restoration shop as one of the rooms people have to escape from.
“People are going to have to race against the clock and each other to get out,” he stated. “I think the Fishers location is an ideal spot for the new Escape Room. We studied different locations, and Fishers matched up perfectly with what we wanted. We want to bring the fun and unique experience of our downtown location to Fishers.”
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