Q: A neighborhood family attended the soft opening of ”The Emporium” escape room in Marietta. Would you tell me about this new adventure?
A: The Emporium is the third escape room hosted by Cobb County Parks, designed and created in-house by the parks’ employees.
While the origin of escape rooms is debated, it is a popular evolving pastime as players work through a series of puzzles in a time restraint of usually an hour.
“Last fall we were trying to come up with alternatives for small bubbles and quarantined groups. I’m a huge fan is escape rooms and together with the staff we thought, ‘Why not’,” Mable House Arts Center Coordinator Libby Geiselmayr said.
“Kicking off the summer theme, we really wanted something super fun, family friendly and kind of dramatic,” she stated. “One of the top themes with escape rooms is the science lab and so we took that and turned it on its head.”
The multifaceted room has been designed to replicate the 1920′s Prohibition era: a corner drugstore/soda fountain where pharmacists compounded formulas by hand and people gathered for a variety of concoctions served by the soda jerk.
Credit: Christopher McDoniel
Credit: Christopher McDoniel
Involved in a large STEM activity without actually realizing it, participants will create science experiments, mix liquids and pull taps, Geiselmayr said.
The room is dimly lit with 1920′s music playing from the old school radio. Throughout are items from that time period: a bar with various glassware, seating, hurricane lamps, shelving with potions and tinctures, toys, candy and cigars.
“The storyline is a whodunit. It’s very much like the board game ‘Clue’,” the coordinator said. “Your cousin, the owner of the Emporium is missing and you (participant) step in to take his place while playing detective.”
Geiselmayr noted the room is aimed for ages 12 and up primarily because of the interaction with breakables and liquids. “But we had some younger kids play over the weekend and they killed it.”
Address: Oregon Park Annex, 135 Old Hamilton Road, Marietta 30064.
For more information or to register, call 678-978-2557 or visit https://cobbparksescaperooms.com/
New to Atlanta or simply have a question about this place we call home? Email your request to atlactualfact@gmail.com
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