(First published in the Daily Tar Heel)
If you’ve been looking for something fun to do with your friends or teammates, look no further: Tar Heel Escapes is opening on Franklin Street.
Tar Heel Escapes is the sister location to Bull City Escape in Durham, which was the first escape room in the Triangle. Bull City Escape is known for providing an immersive, challenging, and fun experience for groups of friends, families, and coworkers. It has been voted The Triangle’s best place for indoor fun for four consecutive years by IndyWeek.
“A lot of our customers have played all of our escape rooms, and they are constantly asking us when we are going to switch out our rooms,” said Dan Harmon, the owner of Bull City Escape and Tar Heel Escapes. “We can't do that because our existing rooms are so popular, so our answer to that is to expand and bring on a whole new set of games and make it convenient to the folks in Chapel Hill.”
So, over the last two years Tar Heel Escapes has worked closely with the Town of Chapel Hill to get zoned and permitted to open their new location and bring a brand new experiential retail spot to the area. The new escape rooms will be located at 140 W. Franklin St.
Tar Heel Escapes will offer five new rooms, each one designed to appeal to a different audience. The first two available to book are: Raiders of the Lost Temple and Spy Code.
“With this location we are introducing a whole new set of one-of-a-kind games you can’t find anywhere else in the world,” Harmon said.
In Raiders of the Lost Temple, you are part of a team of archeologists who have rediscovered a lost Mayan temple. While deep in the rainforest you encounter some nefarious things, as well as a promise of potential wealth and riches. Your task is to unlock the secrets of the temple and make it out in time.
Spy Code offers a completely different adventure that revolves around a Bitcoin hacking theme. In this adventure, you learn about Satoshi Nakamoto’s identity and potential diabolical plans he may have with the new tech. To save the world from financial meltdown, you must uncover Satoshi’s true identity and put an end to his evil plans.
Over the course of the summer and fall, Tar Heel Escapes will introduce the next three rooms: Game of Crowns, Dr. Zombie and Shipwreck Surprise. Within each of these five rooms, the team at Tar Heel Escapes have included puzzles of all sorts so everybody can contribute.
“We like to bring different types of puzzles so there’s something for everyone. Each room offers a unique set of challenges, but all of them are focused on collaboration, teanwork, and fun!” Harmon said. “We offer different themes so players can explore a totally different “world” each time they visit.”
In the end, Tar Heel Escapes looks to create a fun, collaborative experience for everyone. Tar Heel Escapes offers exclusively private rooms, so you can focus on collaborating with the team you choose, such as your friends, family or coworkers.
“The goal is really not to escape the room,” Harmon explained. “The goal is to get in there, solve as many puzzles as you can and have a great time with the people that you're in there with.”
If you’re interested in learning more about Tar Heel Escapes, you can check the availability and book your game at the Tar Heel Escapes website or contact them at info@tarheelescapes.com.