Last week my kids and I were lucky enough to be beta testers for a brand new Escape Room experience that’s now opwn at St. Alban’s Centre in Adolphustown.
For those of you that aren’t aware, an escape room is a game where people are required to solve a series of puzzles within a certain amount of time to accomplish a goal, typically finding the key to unlock a room.
Since we had never participated an escape room before, my 14 year old daughter, 11 year old son and I checked off the boxes for ‘newbies’ and ‘children’. Volunteer Sharon Johnson figured we were a good test case to run through the clues in hopes of Escaping St. Alban’s.
What Sharon didn’t realize is that Plumley’s are renowned for being unable to locate anything. Ever. For instance, I can’t find ketchup in my own refrigerator and the kids typically misplace their electronics 8 to 12 times per day, every day.
Going in, I was afraid we may never reach the end and be trapped in the old church forever. However, with the help of Glen Wallis and Ashley Groth providing hints & clues when needed, we were in good hands.
The backstory for this escape room is a very cool one. It’s based around a bank heist that took place in nearby Bath, Ontario in 1945. As the story goes, the robbers stashed their loot in the church before escaping across the Glenora ferry.
They hoped to return and someday to collect their fortune, but they were either shot or imprisoned and the stolen money was never reclaimed. Now 77 years later, it’s up to Escape St. Alban’s participants to find the missing cash before the church is renovated.
The St. Alban’s Centre provides a perfect backdrop for a game like this. There is so much history inside the walls of this old church, and by searching for clues and looking items that may not quite ‘fit’ within the decor, you can’t help but see things in a different way. It’s a very fun way to learn.
We’re happy to say that, with Glen & Ashley’s help, we were able to escape and find the treasure in just under the allotted 1-hour time limit.
It was a lot of fun and I would definitely recommend giving this experience a try. My kids are already asking to try out other escape rooms in the area and I’m definitely game. I asked them to look up other escape room locations in the region on their phones, but unfortunately they can’t find their devices.
What a surprise.
Escape St. Alban’s is available Thursday through Sunday this summer. You can learn more and book a time here.
