Do your kids love a good puzzle? Take them to one of these NJ escape rooms, where they’ll get to make their way out of a staged set filled with props, clues, locks and riddles. They’ll need to solve the mystery before the clock runs out to escape. You can expect everything from hidden keys to word puzzles to secret codes. It’s a great option for a rainy or cold day. Check each venue’s website to find out if tickets need to be purchased in advance and the max number of players. Here are some escape rooms that’ll put your crew to the test:
Adventure Rooms
119 Grove St., Montclair; 973-746-0050
This is one of the few NJ escape rooms that guarantee you a private room every time, meaning you don’t have to share it with strangers. Swiss Original is a bare bones kind of experience that focuses on clue hunting and opening locks above all else. Your crew will solve puzzles and conduct experiments to make their way out. Kids ages 10-13 must have a parent present.
Amazing Escape Room
Locations in Cherry Hill, Freehold, Montclair and Princeton; 732-333-0448
Eight-and-uppers have a wide range of room choices at every locale. Princeton sci-fi fans will love the Time Travel Room, where they’ll be transported to the past, while music buffs in Montclair will jam in the studio looking for a lost record.
Escape AC
Tropicana Atlantic City, 2831 Boardwalk, Atlantic City; 609-246-7772
This beachside venue just lifted its 18 and up restriction to include all ages (though guests ages 13+ are recommended). Try one of the AC-themed rooms including Casino Cage, where you’ll have to dodge security and snag valuables before cashing out, and The Boardwalk, a one-of-a-kind set that will bring on major nostalgia for any Jersey Shore lover. All minors must be accompanied by an adult.
Escape From the Ballantine House
Virtual, presented by the Newark Museum of Art, Newark
Set in the museum’s 1880s mansion, Escape from The Ballantine House challenges you and your team to race the clock as you try to find the hidden Ballantine Beer recipe and escape the house before you get caught. You’ll need a computer and a smartphone to play.
The Escape Game New Jersey
American Dream, 1 American Dream Way, East Rutherford; 833-263-7326
The game plays like a Hollywood blockbuster, with twists, turns and jaw-dropping surprises around every corner. The 60-minute adventures bring stories to life. Work with your crew to find clues, solve puzzles aned complete the mission. You are guaranteed to have fun!
Escape at the Shore
513 Tilton Rd., Northfield; 609-569-0481
This spot has four unique rooms that vary in theme, but are equally thrilling. The most kid-friendly? Weird Science: Escape the Oddities will take you into the workspace of an alchemist who discovered an elixir for everlasting life; find it in 60 minutes for your freedom. Little landlubbers will also love Pirate’s Plunder, where they’ll have to solve Captain Kidd’s puzzles to escape. Kids ages 8 and up can participate alone with a parent-signed waiver.
Escape Room NJ
Locations in Hackensack and Madison
See a real ghost in The Otherside (there’s a non-scary version of this room, too!) in Hackensack, or go back to medieval times in King Arthur’s Castle: The Holy Grail at the Madison spot. Recommended for kids 12 and up.
Escapology
300 South Ave., Garwood; 908-232-2222
Spy your way out of Castro’s Cuban palace, head to the Wild West for Arizona Shootout, find a killer on the Budapest Express and more. Kids ages 8-12 can play with an adult present. Best part? You and your posse get the room all to yourself, a rarity for NJ escape rooms.
Last Minute Escape
Various locations; 201-919-6252
Steal a pricey diamond in Morristown, explore the ocean floor in Montclair or flee a cursed palace in Wayne. Anyone 13 and up can play, but kids under 16 need an adult.
The Other Tales Escape
245 Diamond Bridge Ave., Hawthorne; 973-963-4142
Choose from a hunt for a mysterious relic in The Forgotten Room and a slew of unexplainable mysteries in The Anomaly. While it’s recommended that kids be at least 13 years old, 10- to 12-year-olds are welcome to play with an adult.
Solve It Sherlock! Escape Rooms
708 Hwy. 35, Neptune; 732-455-1616
Head down the shore for a pirate-themed adventure. Pirates of the Golden Skull will have you hunting hidden treasure and dodging the wrath of Captain Calabaza. Kids ages 10-15 need an adult chaperone.
Trap Door Escape Room
Locations in Morristown and Red Bank
Fearless kiddos 13 and up will love Witch Hunt, a chilling adventure back to the 1600s. F5 is an obstacle course/escape room hybrid in which they’ll flee from an oncoming twister by making it to the storm cellar before time runs out. At the Red Bank location, fight a zombie apocalypse or the Bogeyman.
5 Wits
4270 Palisades Center Dr., West Nyack, NY; 855-955-WITS
Barely over the border to NY, you’ll venture through a 3,000-year-old tomb and come face-to-face with the ghost of an ancient Pharaoh. If that sounds too intense for him, try hunting a giant dragon in Drago’s Castle or battling an alien in Deep Space. Kids should be older than 7.
13th Hour Escape
105 W. Dewey Ave., Wharton; 862-244-4454
If your kid likes being spooked, try this macabre venue that doubles as a walk-through haunted house in the fall. Ideal for preteens and up, the mission is to uncover dark secrets about homicidal maniac John Hayden and his notorious family.