The Central Coast’s acclaimed escape room
Getting in is easy—but do you have what it takes to escape?
Such is the challenge posed by ESCAPE!, the Central Coast’s newest and most inventive escape room experience at Margarita Adventures. An escape room is a “locked” space in which guests work together to solve interactive puzzles within a specific time frame to “escape.”
Based in Santa Margarita in San Luis Obispo County, Margarita Adventures is renowned for its zipline tours, nature and adventure, and eBike tours. And right in the heart of it all is the escape adventure which is conveniently located in the main tour building.
Margarita Adventures proprietor Karl Wittstrom credits longtime Santa Margarita Ranch operations employee Frank Rodgers with conceiving, creating and building out the ESCAPE! room experience with instrumental help from SLO CAPED—Cal Poly Amusement Park Engineers and Designers.
“Frank is our very own Mr. Gadget,” Wittstrom said. “He has designed one of the most interactive escape rooms in California, leveraging computer science, robotics and analytics to create a one-of-a-kind experience.”
“The entire project was all built in-house, which is exciting for us, and we are developing more,” said Rodgers.
Rita’s Relics: the first escape
The inaugural escape room is titled “Rita’s Relics,” and is described by creator Frank Rodgers as “Indiana Jones meets Close Encounters.” The official description is:
“Rita, our resident librarian, has gone missing. As you step into her library in search of clues, the riddles will only multiply. You have one hour to find her and solve the mystery. From artifacts of antiquity to technologies from the future, you will use your hands, feet and, most of all, your mind to unlock the key to Rita’s location and become an escape room hero.”
More to come
Rita’s Relics is just the beginning. Escape is set to unveil its next room in the spring of 2024. This new escape room will be the first episode in what will ultimately become a cosmic trilogy of experiences.
In the first episode, The Renegade has been selected as the first starship in the fleet to receive an experimental upgrade to its interactive guidance system. Your team of experts must board the Renegade, update the systems, and confirm they are fully operational.
Stay tuned for this first episode of Renegade. Can you complete the upgrades in time for the Renegade to embark on its next mission?
Rave reviews
So, what makes Escape at Margarita Adventures so unique? It’s a blend of classic escape room motifs combined with an array of interactive special effects and imaginative challenges.
The room is already drawing rave reviews from escape room veterans and newcomers alike. Here’s what they’re saying:
“It was incredible. My family of four has done 50+ escape rooms all over the country and this was definitely in our top five. The prop quality and technology used is top-notch and above all, super fun!” Rachel N., Google Review
“It is incredibly well designed, well laid out and challenging. I like that hints have to be requested (and not force-fed to you) and our host was super friendly and welcoming.” Harry H., Google Review
“It was so fun and challenging! We made it, but barely. They were there with clues when we needed a little help, and super friendly at check-in. Looking forward to going again!” –Stefi B., Trip Advisor Review
Ready for the adventure?
The experience takes up to one hour and has two difficulty settings. The cost is $44 per person. The experience is an ideal adventure for groups of two to six people and ages eight and older.
More rooms and themes are in the works. Stay tuned!
For more information, call (805) 438-3120 or stop by the Margarita Adventures office at 22719 El Camino Real in Santa Margarita; open daily, excluding major holidays. For a full list of adventures, group rates, reservations, and booking calendars visit escapemargarita.com.
