Coney Island is Getting Its Own Escape Room

By Michael Gonik

The checklist for your next trip to the People’s Playground is about to get a little longer. Sure, there’s the requisite stops at Nathan’s, the Wonder Wheel, and the Cyclone, but a new escape room is also looking to make a name for itself amongst Surf Avenue’s storied attractions.

On March 21, the Coney Escape Room will open its doors at the corner of Surf and West 12th, directly across the street from Coney Island USA and Sideshows by The Seashore, as the very first Brooklyn escape room south of Midwood. Less than two weeks out from opening, images and details are still hard to come by, but according to its website, this particular iteration of the hostage-situation-as-entertainment craze incorporates “the excitement of the boardwalk, ocean breeze, and nonstop action.” It’s unclear what the latter might refer to at the moment. Coney Escape Room has three situations attendees can attempt: a murder mystery, a biohazard, and something to do with pirates, none of which seem to be based on any “local lore.” What we do know is that Coney Escape Room is from Anna Geller and Misha Koplan, the latter of whom is a former animator and designer for Blue Sky, Disney, and Skydance, so we’re expecting either some pretty impressive production value—or a pure green screen experience—here, at the very least.

Perhaps the best aspect of the Coney Escape Room’s arrival is yet another reason to pull up in the Playground during the cold months. It opens a week ahead of Coney Island’s season opening (March 28), and it will remain in operation even after the seasonal cutoff for the amusement parks across the street.