Make Your Escape
getting out of these escape rooms takes teamwork
Mike Seitz, photos by Luong Huynh |
As the door was locked behind us, the one-hour timer started ticking down. My friends and I began searching every nook and cranny of the room for any clues to help us accomplish the goal before us: Find the key to unlock the door before time ran out. Over the next hour, we solved many puzzles and clues until the path to freedom unraveled before us.
As we got closer to our goal, something became clear: This was incredibly fun and exciting.
Getting out of the ordinary isn’t always easy, but that is exactly what Jennifer and Justin Fonfara have brought to Eau Claire with Tactical Escape 101. Opened recently in Building 2 of Banbury Place, this new attraction offers a unique opportunity to the community and businesses of the Valley. The concept is this: You and at least one other person are placed in a room and have one hour to escape. By figuring out the puzzles, putting the clues together in the right order and working as a team, you need to figure out the code for a safe that holds the key.
“Our main purpose is cooperative team-building events,” Jennifer told me, “and to add an entertainment value to the community that currently doesn’t exist in an adult realm.”
Tactical Escape 101 has two rooms in Eau Claire for folks to solve, along with four at their Rice Lake location and two in Hayward. Here in Eau Claire, the rooms are titled “Panther in Paris,” a Pink Panther-themed room which can include up to eight people, and “Mission Possible Eau Claire Embassy,” which can accommodate up to 12.
Every room has a unique theme and involves a different series of clues to solve, so no two are alike. They aren’t easy either. The puzzles are complicated and putting together all of the clues can be difficult, so the general draw of customers is 18 and older, although younger people are allowed, too.
Don’t be intimidated by the challenge, however. While many escape rooms run on a success rate, Tactical Escape 101 operates on what they call a “success philosophy.” The rooms are monitored by camera and microphone. After 30 minutes, Jennifer or Brandon will check in on participants to see how they are doing. If a clue is needed, they’ll be more than happy to provide assistance. Tactical Escape 101 wants customers to solve their rooms, even if help is required.
While this can be a great way to spend a night out with friends, this is also an excellent opportunity for businesses. Being a team-centered activity, Tactical Escape 101 brings out the strengths everyone involved, and teaches you to respect those qualities in each other.
“I’ve literally had restaurants send their servers or kitchen staff through,” Jennifer said. “Rice Lake Weighing Systems sent their entire human resources department to learn to work as a team, to learn to realize who their emerging leaders are, and to realize every person on a team has a role to play.”
When my friends and I tried the Mission Possible Eau Claire Embassy room, we were joined by Kylie and Angela, two girls from the Twin Cities. Not only did they go through both rooms here in Eau Claire, but also went through all four rooms in Rice Lake the day before.
“We drove two hours just to do this,” they told me. “We always try to find different stuff to do. We like to be adventurous, so this sounded like something perfect to do. It was definitely a different experience; it was really fun.”
If two rooms aren’t enough, a third will eventually open in Eau Claire but Jennifer and Justin need time to develop an appealing theme for the Valley. Jennifer told me that in the next couple of months they should have the third room ready for use. They didn’t reveal many details, but Brandon told us it will involve more than just finding a key to get out of a room. Be on the lookout for that in the upcoming months as they get settled into their new location.
To learn more about Tactical Escape 101 or book a room for future use, check out their website at tacticalescape101.com. You can also send them a message on Facebook.
