Madame Tussauds Is Opening Its First Escape Room, and It’s Alcatraz Themed

In 1962, prisoners Clarence Anglin, John Anglin, and Frank Morris escaped from their cells at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, never to be seen again. To this day, it remains one of the most famous prison breaks in the world, and no one knows whether or not they survived their swim across the cold, choppy waters of the San Francisco Bay.

Now, you can try their daring escape for yourself. Madame Tussauds, famous for its wax museums around the world, will soon debut its first escape room, called “Alcatraz—The Breakout.” Fittingly, it’s opening at the company’s San Francisco outpost on Fisherman's Wharf, located just across the water from Alcatraz. (Luckily, once you break out, you can go get some sourdough instead of swimming across the frigid bay.)

Groups of four to eight people will have 60 minutes to break out of their faux jail cell by collecting clues, cracking codes, and solving puzzles. You and your friends play inmates who have been wrongfully convicted and imprisoned at Alcatraz. A sympathetic guard tells you of the escape plan hatched by the Anglin brothers and Morris, and suggests you get out while you can. But there's a time limit. After an hour, the guard shifts change, and the officer helping you will go off duty.

Being Madame Tussauds, there will also be a wax figure involved: Clint Eastwood, who played Frank Morris in Escape from Alcatraz, the 1979 film based on the jailbreak.

The experience will be open every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. starting Memorial Day weekend, with prices starting at $125 for four people.