Palm Springs: Merlin’s Magic School Escape Room for Groups

4.99

(256 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“Wait, did you just say the dragon talks?” That was my first reaction when our guide (she called herself “Professor Willow,” which cracked me up) handed us a wand and pointed to a mysterious cabinet. We were barely five minutes into Merlin’s Magic School escape room in Palm Springs, and already my niece was giggling so hard she almost dropped her clue sheet. The place smelled faintly of cinnamon — maybe from the prop books? — and there was this low hum of excitement from our group as we realized: it’s just us here, no strangers, just our own little team trying to save a school full of imaginary wizards.

I’ll admit I panicked when the magical objects started “responding” (I still don’t know how they did that). At one point, my brother tried to pronounce a spell and the lights flickered — total chaos for a second. Professor Willow just grinned and gave us a hint in rhyme (she never broke character once). The puzzles were tricky but not impossible; even my dad got into it after he figured out how to open Merlin’s secret study. There was this moment where everyone went quiet, holding their breath as we pieced together the last clue — honestly, I didn’t expect to care so much if we “saved” the school or not. But I did.

Afterwards, we all stood around laughing about who messed up which riddle (my nephew still insists he solved the hardest one), and I kept thinking about that weird sense of teamwork you get from something like this. It’s silly but kind of magical — you know? Plus, it’s nice that everything is private; no awkward strangers watching you fumble with enchanted keys. I’m still half-convinced that talking dragon is watching me through the wall somewhere.