Developed using a devastating tornado event in Little Rock's past, the latest escape room game concept in central Arkansas offers a setup that is intended to entice thrill-seekers and historians alike.
Deanna Fleming, owner of the Mystery Mansion, said she wants history to be a "living, breathing part of the escape room."
Game participants are placed into an environment in which a tornado has just struck downtown Little Rock, leaving debris strewn throughout the area and residents displaced.
If the fictional story sounds familiar, that's because its background originates from an actual tornado in January 1999 — one that left behind destruction in Little Rock neighborhoods south of Roosevelt Road and into the Quapaw Quarter near the central business district.
The Mystery Mansion, which opened last month, is in the historic Quapaw Quarter at the Foster-Robinson House, 2122 S. Broadway St.
The house, purchased by Fleming in 2005, is the former residence of the late Sen. Joseph T. Robinson, she said. It also serves as an event venue for indoor and outdoor occasions such as weddings.
Participants must solve puzzles using items salvaged after the fictional tornado, working in teams to put game pieces back together in 60 minutes, Fleming said.
The "game room" is booked for up to 10 people, and any team with fewer than that amount may be required to share the room with other people, according to the escape room's website.
To date, four teams have beat the clock during the game that also acts as a team-building exercise, Fleming said.
Fleming said the idea to open an escape room at a property she already owned came after visiting one in Nashville. At that time, two other escape rooms in central Arkansas — North Little Rock and Conway — had not opened, she said.
A second room, the "mystery room," is planned for later this year and will feature "mind-boggling puzzles, clues, codes and secrets," according to the Mystery Mansion website.
The game is recommended for children ages 14 and older, according to its website. Children younger than 16 years old must be accompanied by an adult.
More information about the Mystery Mansion can be found by calling (501) 580-1325 or visiting its website.