Top 5 Escape Rooms in Asheville-A local's Review

Escape Rooms are kind of funky. Asheville is kind of funky. Ipsi facto, Escape Rooms suit Asheville particularly well. As a result, there’s a plethora to choose from, but that’s as much of a problem as it is a benefit—too many choices spoil the soup, as the old saying goes.

Luckily for you, dear traveler, what lies before you is nothing less than a systematic breakdown of five such choices, their relative advantages, and the local information to make the most of whichever Escape Room you choose.

So, without further ado, I invite you to read on and familiarize yourself with the Escape Rooms in Asheville.

Your Attention Please: Unfortunately, since the writing of this article, entries 1 and 4 (now marked with asterisks) have been closed. Rather than erase all mention of these escape rooms, I've chosen to let them stand as a testament to how things once were and how they may be again.

1: A-Escape

If you’re looking to escape downtown’s hustling bustle, A-Escape is the Room for you. In contrast to The Conundrum’s retro-urban aesthetic, a drive down to A-Escape trades high-rises for suburbia and pay-by-the-minute parking for free parking. That’s right, free parking. Absolutely delicious, I know. Combined with prices discounted over the Summer, A-Escape holds a firm position among the more low-key, low-cost Escape Rooms in Asheville. In terms of timing, Wednesday and Thursday are fairly slow compared to A-Escape’s busier weekend hours. Plan your visit accordingly.

In Context: It’s pretty distant from Asheville’s cultural-economic heartland. While it may not be as congested as downtown, correspondingly, there’s less to do in the area. However, there is a corn maze nearby.

Want a Challenge? Leave your kids in the aforementioned corn maze, while you try out A-Escape. Whoever escapes their respective predicaments first gets to go home, while the other is stranded for all eternity. Don’t have kids? Leave whomever is youngest among your friends/co-workers/spouses/etc. in the corn maze instead.

2: Fox-N-Otter Adventure Escapes (South)

Stay outside of downtown, follow the compass south, and you’ll find yourself in the vicinity of Fox-N-Otter's South Asheville location.

What do diminutive canines and water-loving mammalians have to do with escaping a room in 60 minutes or less? I’d say its their primal, animal craftiness; their determination to solve any puzzle, no matter how overwhelming it may seem at first. I’d say it’s their will to thrive and survive the brutal trails of Mother Nature, no matter the cost.

All that aside, one of their six rooms is specifically calibrated for children, making this escape room in Asheville the premier family option. Then again, the other five rooms are nothing to sneeze at, and Fox-N-Otter's establishment assures me that one does not need offspring to enjoy their offerings.

In Context: Speaking of animals, Fox-N-Otter is located directly above Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack. It’s a bit of a local staple, and for good reason. The lines may be long, but if you visit Fox-N-Otter beforehand, there should be plenty to reflect on while you wait.

Want a Challenge? Complete one of Fox-N-Otter’s challenges while pretending to be an animal of your choice. Remember: most animals don’t have opposable thumbs. Or a concept of math. Or language. They probably don’t like being trapped in rooms very much. Take on these parameters, and Fox-N-Otter may just become one of the most challenging Escape Rooms in Asheville.

3: Breakout

Journalistic objectivity aside, Breakout wins this writer’s award for the best Escape Room in Asheville. So long as you don’t mind sojourning into Asheville’s beating heart, you’ll find Breakout hits just about all the right notes.

With a wide variety of rooms, easy booking, private-only events for up to 8 people, and an amicable staff, I think you’ll find Breakout is worth its relatively high rates.

Open seven days a week from 10am to 11pm, there should be plenty of time to fit Breakout into your schedule, while avoiding its busier Friday and Saturday hours.

In Context: Breakout is located on one of downtown Asheville’s best street for eating. Whether you’re in the mood for Mediterranean, Chinese, curry, bar fare, or classic Southern delicacies, you’ll find all such options within walking distance from Breakout.

Want a Challenge? Beat the 42 minute, 22 second record for Breakout’s Casino room, set by yours truly (and some friends who may or may not have carried me through it). If the record has already been broken by the time you visit Breakout, beat the new record. I must be avenged.

Businesses Mentioned

A-Escape

(252) 621-0341

12 Balance Lane Suite 20, Asheville, NC 28806

https://www.a-escape.com/

Fox-N-Otter Adventure Escapes (South)

(828) 585-4302

3749 Sweeten Creek Rd Unit 2, Arden, NC 28704

https://escaperoomsasheville.com/

Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack South

(828) 676-3222

3749 Sweeten Creek Rd, Arden, NC 28704