adventures

Is 5 Wits an Escape Room?

Nope!

5 Wits adventures share a few common elements with escape games, but actually predate the entire escape room industry by several years. (5 Wits opened in 2004; escape rooms did not appear until 2007, and not in the US until much later.) If you’re a fan of escape rooms, you’ll love 5 Wits! However, you should NOT expect an escape room experience. 5 Wits is a live-action adventure experience, and works very differently from what you might expect from an escape game. For an in-depth breakdown of what makes us different, click here!

Is this wheelchair accessible?

Wheelchairs and walkers are welcome! We believe adventures should be accessible to everyone. Some adventures do feature elements of crawling, ducking, or kneeling, all of which can by bypassed without assistance from the staff. You will never be required to do anything beyond your level of physical ability, and all adventures are ADA compliant.

How long is it?

Each adventure is designed to take an average of approximately 35 minutes to complete. That is an average, not a maximum or minimum – your group may take less time or more, depending on how your adventure plays out. Bear in mind that time has little to do with score, so completing an adventure faster will not necessarily mean a better score.

Is there a time limit?

Specific games or activities within your adventure may feature a time limit (for example, defusing a missile before it launches); however, the adventure itself does not have a set time limit.

Are your adventures scary? What ages are they appropriate for?

Our adventures are intended to thrill and sometimes challenge you, not to scare you.

That said, there are some moments of complete darkness, loud sound effects, thrilling moments, and realistic special effects in each experience, as well as plenty of logic-based tasks. We do NOT advise bringing smaller children, especially those under age seven, as the experience can be too intense and sometimes even frightening for younger guests. Children under 13 MUST be accompanied by an adult 18 or older.

How hard is it?

5 Wits adventures are not meant to be insanely difficult, but they are designed to be challenging. Failure IS an option!

There is no set difficulty level, as the computer is constantly adjusting based on your performance. Even if you fail a task, you cannot get stuck in the story – however, your failure may change the outcome. Put another way: you will always get to the end, but you may not win.

What if we can't figure something out?

A 5 Wits adventure has little to do with figuring what to do – most activities are clearly explained or self-explanatory, and the challenge comes from actually doing it. In a couple instances, you may be tasked with figuring out what to do; even if you fail, you will move forward. It is impossible to get stuck.

After your adventure, you will be able to see your score and details about your ending. Bear in mind while we keep an eye on things for safety, our Adventure Guides cannot control your experience in any way, so you will not be able to ask them for help or hints from inside the adventure.

TICKETS AND ADMISSIONS

What is the availability? Do I need reservations?

You can see availability for any adventure at any time by heading over to the Reservations page and choosing an adventure.

To avoid a wait and guarantee that you can enter at your preferred time, please book your tickets in advance online. Wait times often exceed 60 minutes on weekends or peak times such as Monday holidays or school vacation weeks. Our entire schedule can be viewed and booked at any time on the Reservations page.

If your group is 8 people or more, you may be interested in purchasing one of our group packages and paying per timeslot instead of per person!

Do you sell gift cards?

Yes. Please click the Reservations tab to get gift cards for your location.

How much are tickets?

Prices may vary by location and date. Please click on Reservations for your location to see real time pricing and availability for any given day or book a reservation online.

If you are booking online a minimum 24 hours in advance, matinee prices may be available at certain times of day. These are only offered online and do not apply over the phone or in person.

Do I need a big group to do this?

Nope! The minimum group size is just 2 people, and the maximum for one adventure is 12.

If your group is larger, no problem! Our adventures are extremely high capacity, and we can accommodate groups of more than 100 extremely quickly, with very little waiting. To learn more and book a group, head over to the Groups tab.

What is your cancellation policy?

If you need to reschedule your tickets, hold them for another time, or make an adjustment to your reservation, we’re happy to help! Just drop us a line. All tickets are non-refundable.

Do I need to sign a waiver?

Yes, we require everyone in your party to sign a waiver. You will be texted a link to your waivers at the time of purchase. It is important that everyone in your party fill out their own waiver prior to arriving, so please forward the link to everyone who needs it.

Is it just our group in the adventure?

Yes! All adventures are private at all times.

I have old admission tokens; can I use them for a different adventure or at another location?

Admission tokens never expire and are adventure-specific, but not location-specific. In other words, an admission token for Deep Space may NOT be used to visit Tomb, but MAY be used for Deep Space at any 5 Wits location that offers it, without expiration.

GENERAL INFO

Are you open on (insert holiday here)?

Unless that holiday is Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter, the answer is always yes!

What does the name “5 Wits” mean?

5 Wits is named for the Five Inward Wits – Common Sense, Imagination, Estimation, Fantasy, and Memory.

When will my location get a new adventure?

The adventures are designed to be modular, and are capable of being changed out, although we do not do so on a specific basis. One of the main reasons for this is that the adventures we have are not the same every time!

It’s easy to visit a 5 Wits adventure and imagine that you’ve now “done” that adventure, but that’s really not the case – adventures are designed to be replayed over and over again! Each adventure has multiple endings (based on performance) and multiple solutions to each puzzle (randomly selected). While an adventure may appear so seamless it would have to be scripted, it is actually a living, responsive environment that will respond to your performance and change the difficulty and story accordingly. Returning guests may find additional layers of challenge that they were not expecting to encounter.

There are also secrets and what we call “easter eggs” hidden in each adventure that you are very unlikely to unlock on your first time through an adventure. Some are hidden references or sly nods, others are extra content or an additional challenge, and most of them are very difficult to figure out!

Who builds these things?

We do! All of our attractions are designed and built internally by 5 Wits.

Do you offer food? Are there food options in the neighborhood?

We offer snacks and drinks, as well as catering menus for corporate groups. If you’re looking for a sit-down meal, there are several great restaurants located steps away from each of our locations!