Halloween season is here! As many people have been creating their costumes and thinking of designs to carve into pumpkins, the staff members at Stanley Library have been brewing something up as well. 

Rachel Walton, Sierra Alley, and Danny Adams have put their brains together (don’t worry, not in some creepy jar) to create a murder mystery escape room! With this being their fourth physical escape room, they all agree that this is their most elaborate room yet. This escape room has been in the works for a year and they say they’ve put some hard work into it. 

“I’m excited to see people’s reactions. I love to see the joy on their faces” Alley says.

Library staff teamed up with the Theatre Department and the English Department to get every detail just right. They’ve gotten props from theatre to liven up the physical portion of the escape room, as well as from the Danville Goodwill! The team also gathered advice from Professor John Carey to contribute knowledge toward

the room’s Victorian Gothic theme.

“Carey helped us define what makes a monster,” Walton says, “It’s about morality. Are you a monstrous being through your physical traits or your actions?”

The library trio said they always make sure to put plenty of thought into their escape rooms. This one is no different, as they’re all very passionate about the Sherlock-Holmes-story-themes that they’ve put into it. Walton noted that there are nods to Victorian literature and what was going on during that time period in London. 

“You can enjoy this escape room without knowing who any of the characters are,” says Adams, “but if you do recognize some of the characters, it’s multilayered and you can enjoy it a lot more.”

The escape room takes about 60 minutes to finish. Walton says this window of allotted time makes it perfect for professors to bring their students in to play for a class. Students can also sign up in groups to participate.