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Best Escape Room

By Readers' Choice On 6/19/25 at 12:00 PM EDT

What's a unique outing to bond with your friends, team-build with your coworkers and unplug your kids from video games? The answer to that riddle is simple: an escape room. Filled with zany, brainy conundrums to solve, our favorite escape rooms also have live actors to interact with, incredible themes (your love of steampunk and cryptozoology will finally come in handy!) and a great mix of missions for both the puzzle pros and the little detectives in your group. No codes to break here; it's crystal clear why these top escape rooms around the U.S. have made our list.

These 10 escape rooms were selected by our featured panelists and contributors and voted on by readers as the best of the best.

1. The Lodge of Lazarus Crowe | St. Paul, MN

The Lodge of Lazarus Crowe

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If you love dark academia brewed with a spoonful of paranormal, then the Lodge of Lazarus Crowe is your cup of tea. Brush up your elixir-making skills in the Apothecary, one of the easier scenarios, or dial up the difficulty in the Arcane Library as you attempt to rein in unstable magic. Afterward, you can raise a glass to victory with cocktails at the delightfully macabre Hourglass Cafe & Bar.

2. Escape Artist Greenville | Greenville, SC

Escape Artist Greenville

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You've never done an escape room like this; the award-winning Escape Artist Greenville immerses you in the story with costumed actors, interactive shows and mind-blowing set pieces, all while you try to solve the mystery to get out. You'll find a great mix of scenarios, from family-friendly fairy-tale adventures to dark and scary sci-fi thrillers. And all the rooms are private so no strangers end up in your group.

3. Cluville Kids Escape Room | Scottsdale, AZ

Cluville Kids Escape Room

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Designed for ages 6 to 14, Cluville lets your kids put on their detective hats and race the clock to solve puzzles they'll love. Missions like Secret Potion and Alien Invasion teach children science, math and the magic of teamwork. The four different rooms are so creative (and secretly educational) that Cluville has become one of Arizona's most popular destinations for school field trips. Parents are welcome to join in!

4. Escape Games PDX | Portland, OR

Family in escape room lab

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Gather your friends and spend an hour trying to outsmart the uniquely entertaining rooms at Escape Games PDX. The themes are the perfect blend of brainy and Portland weird: you can rob a prison, shake down your roommates for rent money or try to escape a lab with half your party locked in another room. You'll laugh your way through every lightbulb moment as you get closer to the answer.

5. Fox in a Box | Chicago, IL

Fox in a Box Zodiac escape room

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The place: Fox in a Box, Chicago's premier escape room. The mission: break out of jail. In the Prison, one of the company's most popular scenarios, players are locked in individual cells—can your friends figure out how to free each other? If orange jumpsuits aren't your jam, you can disarm a nuclear warhead or crack open a diamond safe instead. And your whole family can play thanks to kid-friendly missions.

6. Breakout Orange Beach | Orange Beach, AL

Family in escape room

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Espionage in a casino? Orange Beach's Breakout has an escape room for that. Stopping a runaway train or getting back your gold that outlaws stole? Breakout has rooms for those scenarios too. You'll love that each room is private; only your group will be in the room while you play. Kids can join in the fun too, so it's an ideal place to play away a rainy beach day.

7. The Great Escape Room | Queens, NY

Vintage objects for puzzle

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It's the best in Queens for a reason: the Great Escape Room's four scenarios celebrate the bizarre, the supernatural and the downright dangerous. You can sign up for a spooky séance, a plot to rob the mob, a murder mystery in the mountains or a presidential poker game gone wrong. In a fifth room, Sherlock's Study scavenger hunt, the game's afoot as you rifle through the famous detective's library.

8. The Nemesis Club | Phoenix, AZ

The Nemesis Club

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Every villain needs a nemesis; find yours at the Nemesis Club. Your job is to break into a superhero's hideout and steal a prized possession—it's a comic book come to life! If you'd rather play as a good guy, you can shut down evil robots or defend a campsite from a hidden monster. Whatever you choose, the on-site Soda Jerk Co. Milkshake Bar serves treats to henchmen and sidekicks alike.

9. Prototype Escape Games | Jacksonville, FL

Prototype Escape Games

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Looking for haunted house vibes in the middle of July? You'll have a horrifyingly good time at Prototype Escape Games, home to the scariest escape room in Jacksonville. Each private session features scare actors, multiple rooms that may shock you (literally!) and unique puzzles that Prototype guarantees you've never seen before. It's such a hair-raising experience that you'd better wear a hat!

10. Escape Room Arlington | Arlington, VA

Friends in an escape room

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Five wildly different rooms will have you coming back for more at Escape Room Arlington. From horror themes (you have to try the highly praised and highly creepy Edgar Allan Poe room) to retro arcades and supervillain lairs, there's a vibe to suit every type and age of puzzle master. Several of these private rooms also work for solo players, so you can treat yourself to a night of mystery.

About Newsweek Readers' Choice Awards

Our nominees are editorially driven with contributions from a panel of travel experts. The final list is determined by Newsweek editors. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For more details, read our terms and conditions. For any questions, please see our FAQs or email us at readerschoice@newsweek.com.

Our Featured Panelists

Cherith Fluker headshot

Cherith Fluker

Cherith Glover Fluker is an Alabama-based freelance writer specializing in travel, self-care, and lifestyle content. With a blend of experience, creativity and Southern warmth, Cherith's writing resonates with readers seeking inspiration and authenticity. Her work has appeared in Food, Wine, & Travel Magazine, SheBuysTravel, LakeLife 24/7, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Motherly and more. She also shares her voice on her blog, WhatCherithinks. Cherith is the author of the book Secret Birmingham, set to be published in fall 2025. She is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association and the National Federation of Press Women.

Misty headshot

Misty Milioto

Misty Milioto is a freelance writer and editor with 22 years of experience working with publications across the country. Publications have included Sunset; U.S. News & World Report; and Modern Luxury's suite of 80+ regional publications, such as Aspen Magazine, San Francisco Magazine and Scottsdale Magazine. She also oversees a luxury lifestyle blog at girlwilltravel.com. She loves everything from exotic destinations and outdoor recreation to exploring the bounty of foodie goodness in New Orleans, where she is currently based. You can connect with her on Instagram.

Jamie Davis Smith - headshot-Newsweek Fans Choice

Jamie Davis Smith

Jamie Davis Smith is a writer and attorney from Philadelphia who now calls Washington, D.C. home. She's traveled to more than 90 countries, often bringing her children along on her adventures. Her work can be found in The Washington Post, National Geographic, Travel + Leisure, Afar, The Huffington Post, USA Today and many other publications. Jamie can be contacted at byjamiesmith@gmail.com, and posts about her travels on Instagram.

Robin Smith headshot

Robin O'Neal Smith

Robin O'Neal Smith is a freelance writer covering food, travel, wine and lifestyle topics. A "foodie," she enjoys savoring the food and wine wherever her travels take her and finding the hidden gems in destinations to share with her readers. She resides in Pennsylvania, and her work has appeared in Potomac Lifestyle, Travel Awaits, She Buys Travel, Extended Weekend Getaways and many others. Robin has appeared on various podcasts as an expert on travel topics. She is a TravMedia member and serves on the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association board. Follow her adventures at robinonealsmith.com.