The Blinn College District’s Star of the Republic Museum at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park is inviting guests to walk through the past in its new Texas history escape room.
Runaway Scrape Escape is a physical adventure game based on historical events during the Texas Revolution. Groups have 45 minutes to solve a series of logic clues, hints and games in order to escape and prevail the oncoming Mexican Army led by the notable Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.
Lisa Berg, curator of education at the museum, said the attraction was something she knew guests would enjoy.
“We wanted to have something interactive and cost-effective to help bring visitors into the museum this summer, and we found something based off a video game, and with the help of the escape room in College Station it all came together,” Berg said.
As a new form of entertainment, escape rooms are taking the country by storm. Cities around the state are adding these attractions to ignite mystery and teamwork. Runaway Scrape Escape combines traditional escape room characteristics with education, according to Berg.
“We have been working for about eight months on this project and we wanted to add little clues from the Texas Revolution so people can really learn but also have fun doing it,” Berg said.
The room’s setting is based in 1836 after the Alamo fell and was in the Mexican Army’s control.
Barbara King, lead domestic interpreter at the Barrington Living History Farms, connected with the museum to help test the escape room.
“It was challenging, but if you put the clues together it can be really enjoyable,” King said. “I think the thing that I enjoyed most was that it incorporated original sources and it really helped me learn more about the revolution, and it most definitely sparked my curiosity.”
Along with the escape room, the museum will host its Hands on History event for children on the first three Saturdays of the months of July and August. The crafting event includes museum admission and features activities such as rope making, basket weaving and corn husk dolls.
Houston McGaugh, executive director of the museum, helped sign off on the attraction, which he says brings in two audiences.
“With the upcoming summer attractions, we had two types of audiences we wanted to reach,” McGaugh said. “First we wanted to have kids and families learning how to work together and have fun doing it. We also wanted to aim at the college crowds from Bryan-College Station that don’t have many things to do in the area that want to learn more about Texas history,” McGaugh said.
The Runaway Scrape Escape will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month. The escape room is open to guests ages 10 and up and is designed for families or groups with one adult chaperone.
For more information, visit www.starmuseum.org.