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thevalleyadvantage.com
June 10, 2016
The Great Escape
ON THE INSIDE The latest happenings in our area Page 2
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by Christopher Cornell ADVANTAGE EDITOR
Most businesses want you to come in. But one of the hottest new attractions is one people try to get out of. They’re known as “escape rooms,” and one opened recently at 350 Main St. in Dickson City. “Escape rooms are an interactive, audienceimmersive entertainment experience that appeals to individuals, couples looking for a datenight experience, bachelor and bachelorette parties, Red Hat groups or a group of friends who want something different and unique,” explained Mike Heffner, one of the owners of PA Escape Rooms. The challenge lies in solving the puzzle of the room by discovering and then using the hidden clues in the room. The clock is ticking, and you must use your intuition and communication with team members to solve the mystery before time runs out. “There is a ‘gamemaster’ dedicated to each game room who is responsible for the flow of the game as well as providing clues should the team need one,” he said. “Escape rooms can be enjoyed by all age groups. We have had children as young as 10 to some folks in their 70s.” All four of the business’ partners are employed by Reapers Revenge, the popular Halloween attraction in Clarks Summit. After becoming aware of the escape rooms concept, and visiting one in Orlando, Florida, “we became addicted,” Heffner said. “After playing multiple rooms — not to mention some epic fails — our focus turned to opening our own rooms,” he said. After a search for a location,
Mike and Gail Heffner, two of the partners of PA Escape Rooms.
they settled on Dickson City. The location has two rooms so far but will eventually have five rooms that will accommodate four to 10 people each. “We have been welcomed into the community and look forward to working with community leaders,” Heffner said. “We will also be hosting weekend events to benefit local charities on several occasions throughout the year.” The group’s biggest challenge is letting people know it exists. “There are still a lot of people who have no ideal what an escape room is,” Heffner said of
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the area. “Educating the public is our biggest challenge. Since social media is the primary form of advertising, word is spreading fast and we have seen many return customers who have completed both rooms.” Heffner said the concept was first developed by the Chinese as team-building exercises for business and industry. “It has slowly developed into recreation and is relativey new to the U.S.,” he said. “Currently there are only about 500 rooms in the United States. That number is expected to double by year’s end.” For many Americans, their first exposure to the concept may have been in an episode of the network TV sitcom The Big Bang Theory, in which the main characters, all highly intelligent, made short work of the room they tried. But Heffner stresses that you don’t have to be a genius to solve the puzzles. “It only requires one to think outside the box and the willingness to experience something totally unique,” he said, also stressing that unlike Reaper’s Revenge, it’s not a “scary” experience. “One of our rooms, called ‘KAOS,’ is a little creepy but not scary.” Still, these are people with extensive experience in the fright biz. “Eventually in future development we plan on adding a room geared toward the scare factor,” Heffner revealed. As business grows, Heffner and his co-horts — Gail Heffner, Travis Rhode and Paul Kotran — plan to open at least four more locations in eastern Pennsylvania. “The goal is to reach 25 or more rooms,” he said. If your group is up to the challenge, visit PAEscapeRooms.com and follow the booking instructions.
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