Southern Delaware's first escape room to open Oct. 24 in Rehoboth

Escape Rehoboth, southern Delaware’s first escape room, is set to open in late October. Modeled after other escape rooms gaining popularity across the United States, Escape Rehoboth is a one-hour race to get out of a locked room by solving a series of puzzles and clues related to a storyline.

Groups of any size can choose a themed room to solve, from a mad scientist’s laboratory to a time machine landing at the turn of the century. However, smaller groups arriving at the same time will often be combined together, which can make for a more interesting experience.

While a new escape room recently opened in Newark and one opened in Ocean City, Md., this summer, Escape Rehoboth will be the first in southern Delaware. It will be in the commercial building across the road from Big Fish Grill and Arena's on Route 1, where the escape room could become a new tourist attraction for Rehoboth by next summer. The founders, Clint and Diane Thornberg of Lewes, said they got the idea while on a family vacation.

“We discovered our first room on a family trip to Austin, Texas, last winter and had a great time trying to escape,” said Diane.The idea truly became a reality, the couple said, when they realized there were no other escape rooms in the immediate area.

“After nurturing our other new business, Tour Lewes (an electric bike tour company) throughout the spring and summer, we were brainstorming about activities not currently available here and remembered the fun we had at Christmas,” said Clint. “At that moment Escape Rehoboth was born.”

Despite having some time left before opening, the Thornbergs said they’ve already had some inquiries and potential bookings, even by corporate groups wanting to use the experience as a team-building activity. Escape Rehoboth will open Saturday, Oct. 24, and will be open for the rest of the off-season on weekends only with multiple time slots each day.

It may not be the first escape room in Delaware, but the founders of Escape Rehoboth still hope to bring a new experience to the residents and visitors of southern Delaware.

“We’re looking forward to bringing this exciting, challenging team-building game to the beach," said Diane Thornberg.

For more information, go to www.escaperehoboth.com.