Can you escape?
Kids 10+ who want a real birthday
Detention is built for younger players: no scares, age-appropriate puzzles, and a whole classroom to search. Celebrate afterward at our 8 outdoor picnic tables, or head to a neighbor with a private party room.
Yes, and Detention is the room built for it. It welcomes kids ten and up, skips any scary elements, and leans on puzzles kids can work through together. One room holds 4 to 12 players, and if your group is bigger, a second nearly matching Detention room means up to 24 kids can play at once. Kids 10 to 12 play Detention for $25 each.
For birthdays with guests ten and older, Detention is the right call. There are no jump scares and no sudden lighting shifts, just a search-and-solve story built around teamwork. The setup: your group starts out chained to their desks after their teacher, Mr. Picard, steps away for the hour. From there, the challenge is to track down a hidden key, get past the school’s locked computer, and fix the class grades before time runs out. Since there are two of these rooms, a bigger party can split into two groups and play at the same time.
Guests 13 and older can step into the Jail Cell instead, and anyone 16 or up can try the Haunted House of Alice. Splitting a party across two rooms based on age works fine, since each room runs on its own.
Here’s what to expect once you’ve booked:
Guests under 18 need a parent or guardian to handle the waiver signature. And if anyone in the group is under 16, an adult needs to stay on site for the entire game.
Food isn’t allowed inside the lobby during regular hours, but that’s not a problem since there are picnic tables set up out front, eight of them, ready for cake, snacks, or whatever the party needs. If you’d rather celebrate somewhere indoors afterward, several of our neighbors downtown have private party rooms worth checking into.
A few small things make the party smoother: have everyone wear closed-toe shoes, show up with time to spare before your slot, and plan around that 75 to 90 minute window from arrival to the photo at the end. Booking a slot takes a few minutes at escape618.com/booking/. For anything outside the ordinary, like a bigger party or one outside regular hours, the form below is the easiest way to reach us.
Detention is open to ages 10 and up. It's built to be the most family-friendly room, with no scares and a strong focus on puzzles.
Every player signs a digital waiver on arrival. Guests under 18 need a parent or guardian to sign on their behalf.
Yes, if anyone in the group is under 16. An adult needs to remain on site for the full game.
Yes. There are two nearly matching Detention rooms, and together they can hold up to 24 players at once.
4 - 8 PLAYER
4 - 12 PLAYER
4 - 8 PLAYER
Smaller groups welcome. Call us for group sizes under four and we'll work it out.
A $35 deposit locks any booking. The deposit counts toward your final bill.
Free reschedule up to 24 hours out.
The things people ask before bringing a big group.
We recommend booking 1-2 weeks ahead for groups, and earlier for weekends, holidays, and October. Short notice? Call (618) 416-7300 and we’ll always try to make it work.
Yes. Group events can be scheduled any day, any time, by appointment, including Monday through Wednesday when we’re normally closed. Call or email to set a time.
Yes. Book the whole building and every room is yours, with no other groups in the lobby. A full buyout holds up to 40 players at once: The Jail Cell (4-8 players), our two Detention rooms (4-12 players each, 24 total), and The Haunted House of Alice (4-8 players).
Yes, and it’s all free. The best spot is the lot right behind our building (the old Ben’s / Belleville Public Library lot). There’s also unmetered street parking all around us and a big lot behind the Lincoln Theatre, a short walk away.
Tickets are $35 per player plus tax. Military with ID is $30, and kids 10-12 in Detention are $25. To book, you pay one $35 ticket up front, and the rest is due after the game. Pay all together, split it up, or have us invoice your company. We accept tax-exempt paperwork and can provide documents for your records on request. Schools, nonprofits, and large corporate events can get custom pricing, so call for a quote.
During regular hours, food and drinks aren’t allowed in the lobby, but your group is welcome at our 8 outdoor picnic tables out front. For private events outside regular hours, let us know ahead of time and we can approve food and drinks inside. Need a party room? Sugar High, Bennie’s Pizza, Papa Vito’s, Casa Maria, Grüv, and Copper Fire are steps away on Main Street.
Most group requests come back within one business day. Standard single-room bookings can be made on the booking page.
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