In a turn of events reminiscent of the intricate puzzles within its walls, Park City’s only escape room venue — Escape Room Park City — is set to bid adieu to its home at the base of Old Town, in the Gateway Center.
The unexpected closure is not due to dwindling interest but rather the result of their lease not being renewed. Despite a thriving business and avid fans, owners Dirk and Shirin Spangenberg are locking up for the last time on March 31.
Since opening in 2016, Escape Room Park City has woven itself into the local fabric. Out-of-town visitors and locals, including schools and charities, frequented the five puzzle rooms — the result of Spangenberg’s unique contributions to Park City’s social life after several years of hosting Park City Food Tours and being Park City residents for over 30 years.
“My husband has more of an engineering brain, and I have more of a puzzling brain, so we decided to give the idea a try and built five rooms,” Shirin Spangenberg said. “We have built everything in house and have come up with all the puzzles ourselves. The Mine Trap is based on Park City history, The Great Pirate Escape is super fun, The Parlor room is a Who Done It, The Travel Room is very puzzle heavy, and the Dragon Room is our new and hardest room.”
Stepping into an escape room, participants are immediately thrust into a narrative by a game master aiming to captivate their minds, while requiring them to scour for clues, decode messages and solve intricate puzzles. It’s a race against the clock in which deadline-style teamwork is paramount. Each room is a crafted microcosm that challenges groups to communicate effectively, use creative thinking and leverage each person’s strengths.
The escape rooms range in price from $37.99 to $39.99 and have been the setting for countless celebrations, team-building retreats, and adventurous nights out, allowing between three to 10 players to experience 70 minutes of this puzzle-solving experience.
Now the story of Escape Room Park City faces its own cliffhanger — the owners have decided to sell the business instead of relocating. This would be a turnkey opportunity for the right creative owner, they said.
“We would love to help someone else open the Escape Room,” Shirin said. “We know they are amazing rooms, and people have a great time. People are really upset that we are closing. It was a really great experience for us as a family. We are empty nesters now and don’t want to do the daily anymore.”
The sale invites potential buyers to envision a continuation or expansion of this endeavor, only in a new location. The couple has pledged extensive support to make an ownership change smooth as possible, even documenting their rooms from a player’s perspective to assist future game masters.
“We would help them set the rooms up and help put them all together. We have a template of how the game master for each room works, and we are also video-tapping all the rooms from a player perspective,” Shirin said.
Interested parties can reach out to the Spangenbergs directly at 435-604-0556.