ASHLAND – Have you ever wanted to fix a time machine or rob a bank? Since time machines don’t exist and you probably don’t want to end up in jail, a new escape room opening later this summer in downtown Ashland will give you the chance to live those experiences.
Ben Garrett, a Plymouth High grad, and his wife, Ariel, are the masterminds behind Masterminds Escape Room and Game Library which is scheduled to open in late July or early August at 33 W. Main St., the former Kid’s Kountry location.
The Garretts have tried a number of escape rooms in the area and fell in love with the concept. Escape rooms require players to solve puzzles or complete tasks before they can exit the room.
“We just fell in love with it. Escape rooms offer you a chance to escape from reality by focusing on solving various puzzles and challenges,” Ben Garrett said. “There’s one in Mansfield and one in Wooster so we really wanted to bring one to Ashland.”
The Garretts are excited about the booming downtown area in Ashland and wanted to be a part of that growth by offering something more for people to do downtown after-hours, especially college students.
Masterminds will feature two separate escape rooms plus an area for people to play board games, another passion for the Garretts.
The two escape rooms will be “Time Traveler” and “The Heist.” “Time Traveler” will require players to fix a time machine to return to the present before the machine self-destructs. “The Heist” allows players to become criminal masterminds, working together to steal a valuable jewel in a museum with high-security measures.
Groups of two to 10 players will be given 60 minutes to solve the puzzles and escape.
This week, a sign was placed on the exterior of the shop and the Garretts, along with family and friends, are busy transforming the interior of the location.
The Escape Room will cost $27 and the Game Library will cost $7 to use. College students will receive a $2 discount off both prices.
Masterminds will be open Thursday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays from 6 p.m. to midnight and Saturdays from noon to 10 p.m. Ben said eventually they hope to have the business open six days a week.
For updates on Masterminds and their progress, follow the escape room’s Facebook page.
