Could you escape a jail cell in less than 45 minutes?
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That’s the challenge being laid down by the team at the Old Castlemaine Gaol in their new escape room – Break Out.
Escape rooms have become a popular adventure game where people team up to solve puzzles that help them escape a locked room.
OCG events manager Gayle McClure said it made sense to put break out” style escape rooms in Castlemaine’s historical landmark.
“When my mother in law did one in Melbourne, I was fascinated by idea,” she said.
“I just thought a prison is the perfect setting with handcuffs and everything.
“We have tried to make it a super fun. The experience of breaking out of jail is different to a lot of other escape rooms.”
Ms McClure said Break Out takes about 45 minutes to complete.
The story behind the adventure is that participants are prisoners locked in their cells who have 45 minutes to escape before the prison warden comes to search their cell.
“We started putting ideas together over a couple weeks and did template room to see how it could work before making our first proper escape room,” she said.
“It is thought provoking and you have to work as a team.
“The record we have had is about 28 minutes but the average time is 35 minutes.”
The OCG has five escape rooms that suit groups of two to three people.
Bookings of up to 10 people can be made with people working in groups of two or three to escape their confines.
“The cells really only fit two three people. Bit of a squish,” Ms McClure said.
“It is open Thursday to Sunday at the moment from 4pm onwards and takes about an hour and 15 minute per session once we have had time to explain the procedures and go through a run down afterwards.”
Ms McClure said she was attracted to the idea of escape rooms because she is a puzzle-minded person.
“It's something different and the kind of activity do with a group. It doesn’t take long and is mentally challenging.
“You get away from phones and do the activity together. That's why they are so popular.
“It’s really fun and you spend the next couple of hours after discussing the intricacies of what happened.”
The Old Castlemaine Gaol’s escape room Break Out is now open.
Groups of up to 10 people can book the escape rooms at a price of $30 per person.
Visit www.oldcastlemainegaol.com.au/escaperoom for more details.