If you walk into the Flatiron Arts Building at the intersection of North, Milwaukee, and Damen, you’ll feel a specific kind of energy. It’s the smell of oil paint, the sound of floorboards that have seen a century of footsteps, and the hum of artists at work. This was the birthplace of Escape Artistry, and there is no other place in Chicago where it could have started.

While many escape rooms across the country began with "off-the-shelf" kits and generic themes, Escape Artistry and the original creator, Maren Rosenberg wanted to do something different.

When we first started scouting locations for an escape room in 2015, the "immersive entertainment" scene in Chicago was still in its infancy. There were about 5 other escape rooms in the state, with several of them unfortunately no longer around. Most people thought an escape room was something you’d find in a horror movie, not a place for a corporate outing or a family Saturday.

Today, as we look back on nearly a decade of operation, the landscape has changed - but our mission at Lock Chicago remains the same: to create "Escape Rooms" that push the boundaries of what a group of people can achieve in 60 minutes (or less) and bring people together whether it’s friends, families, coworkers, or more.

This is a love letter to experiential entertainment and activities in Chicago. We launched ChicagoEscapeRooms.com because we realized that while Chicago has some of the best immersive experiences in the world, there wasn’t a central "HQ" to help enthusiasts find them. We wanted to build more than just a directory - we wanted a curated compass for people who crave adventure. As escape room owners ourselves, we thought it was important to highlight the amazing community throughout the city and surrounding suburbs.