About Us | Mystery Escape NYC

From Broadway to Escape Rooms

Mystery Escape NYC was born in 2020 when three Broadway set designers found themselves without work during the theater shutdown. Maya Chen, a puzzle enthusiast and scenic design veteran, joined forces with Jackson Reynolds, a special effects expert, and Elena Kowalski, a former neuroscientist who had transitioned to theatrical lighting design.

What began as a creative outlet during uncertain times quickly evolved into a passion project. The trio pooled their savings and transformed a vacant commercial space in Midtown Manhattan into their first escape room, "The Museum Mystery." Leveraging their theatrical backgrounds, they created an immersive experience unlike anything else in the city—blending Hollywood-quality set design with intellectually stimulating puzzles.

Despite launching during a challenging time, word quickly spread about the extraordinary attention to detail and the cinematic quality of their rooms. Within six months, Mystery Escape NYC had expanded to include two additional rooms and tripled their staff. By 2022, they were rated the #1 escape room experience in New York by Time Out New York.

Today, Mystery Escape NYC continues to push the boundaries of immersive entertainment, with plans to expand to Brooklyn and open their most ambitious room yet—a multi-floor Victorian mansion mystery—in 2027.

Our Mission & Values

Our Mission

At Mystery Escape NYC, our mission is to create extraordinary immersive experiences that transport players into meticulously crafted worlds where teamwork, critical thinking, and imagination unlock the path to success. We believe escape rooms are more than just entertainment—they're transformative experiences that bring people together and create lasting memories.

Our Core Values

Immersive Excellence

We create environments so authentic and detailed that players forget the outside world exists. Every sight, sound, and texture is deliberately chosen to enhance the story.

Inclusive Design

Our puzzles are designed to engage diverse thinking styles and abilities, ensuring everyone in the group has moments to shine and contribute meaningfully to the experience.

Narrative Depth

We believe great stories elevate escape rooms from simple puzzle collections to transformative adventures. Each of our rooms tells a complete, engaging story that unfolds through gameplay.

Continuous Innovation

We constantly evolve our designs, incorporating new technologies and puzzle mechanics to create experiences that surprise and delight even the most seasoned escape room enthusiasts.

Meet The Masterminds

Our diverse team of designers, engineers, storytellers, and game masters work together to create the most immersive escape room experiences in New York City.

Maya Chen

Founder & Creative Director

Former Broadway scenic designer with over 15 years of experience creating immersive environments. Maya oversees the creative vision for all Mystery Escape NYC rooms, ensuring each tells a compelling story through both narrative and environmental design. Her work on "The Museum Mystery" earned her the Immersive Design Award in 2021.

Jackson Reynolds

Technical Director

With a background in theatrical special effects and interactive installations, Jackson brings our rooms to life with custom-built mechanisms, lighting systems, and audio design. His innovative technical solutions create those "wow" moments that players remember long after they've escaped. Previously worked on special effects for major Hollywood productions.

Elena Kowalski

Lead Puzzle Designer

Elena combines her PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience with her passion for game design to create puzzles that challenge and delight players of all experience levels. Her expertise in how people think and solve problems ensures our rooms offer the perfect balance of challenge and satisfaction. Previously designed puzzles for international escape room championships.

Raj Patel

Operations Manager

Raj ensures everything runs smoothly behind the scenes, from training our exceptional Game Masters to managing bookings and maintaining our rooms in perfect working order. His background in hospitality management means customer satisfaction is always his top priority. His systems have helped us maintain a perfect 5-star rating on TripAdvisor for over two years.

Our Achievements & Recognition

🏆

"Best Immersive Experience in NYC"

— Time Out New York, 2023

⭐

100,000+ Happy Escapees

And counting since our founding in 2020

🎭

Immersive Design Award Winner

For "The Museum Mystery" in 2021

📊

Top-Rated on TripAdvisor

Maintained perfect 5-star rating for over 2 years

🔍

Featured in The New York Times

"Redefining immersive entertainment in post-pandemic NYC"

🤝

Trusted by Fortune 500 Companies

For corporate team building and executive leadership development

What People Say About Working With Us

"Mystery Escape NYC took our annual company retreat to the next level. They customized their space station room to incorporate our company's mission and values, creating an unforgettable team-building experience that employees are still talking about months later. The attention to detail and personalized service was outstanding."

Jessica Wong

VP of Employee Experience, TechNova Inc.

"As an event planner for high-profile clients, I'm always looking for unique experiences that leave a lasting impression. Mystery Escape NYC consistently delivers excellence. They're professional, creative, and incredibly accommodating. My clients rave about the production quality and how the experience brings their teams closer together."

Marcus Davidson

Director, Elite Events NYC

"We partnered with Mystery Escape NYC for our museum's special exhibit on ancient Egyptian artifacts. They created a pop-up escape room that complemented our exhibition perfectly while making archaeology exciting and accessible. Their expertise in balancing educational content with engaging gameplay is unmatched in the industry."