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Downtown business, The Lemoore Labyrinth, can often leave its customers completely puzzled, or wanting even more
Together, they own The Lemoore Labyrinth, and they describe the unique business as an "exclusive escape room experience." The business, located at 339 West D Street, is in Suite F, an upstairs office area in the old Lemoore Advance building in downtown Lemoore.
Their upstairs business doesn't sell anything tangible unless you consider the ability to navigate the complexities of puzzles as a worth-while product. The thing is, people, seem to love mysteries, from the simple crossword to the difficult word puzzles dominating the Internet.
Puzzles are designed to challenge the mind, and that's precisely what the Lemoore Labyrinth does to its users. The Labyrinth challenges its customers to solve a series of unique puzzles, which once solved, enables them to successfully navigate a series of rooms littered with more alluring and often difficult-to-solve mysteries.
“It’s for people of all ages,” said Tommy Nix.
“All the puzzles are designed for kids and adults,” added Rachel.
Participants form teams of from two to 8 persons who upon entrance to their first room work together to discover the clues needed to escape. Escape usually involves finding a key, a key combination, or activating some mechanism that will unlock the final door, allowing access to the next room – and the next series of puzzles.
It’s not easy, especially for elderly newspaper editors.
Thirty-three-year-old Tommy Nix is a Lemoore native and a member of the Navy Reserve who currently is employed by Mettler-Toledo, a significant manufacturer of scales and analytical equipment. Wife Rachel, 32 a Navy transplant, attended school at Kings Christian, moved to San Diego and then returned to Lemoore. She is an on-air personality for HITZ104.9 where she does interviews, plays music and takes calls.
And when she’s not playing music, she spends some of her spare time frustrating Labyrinth users from kids seven to 100.
The two started Lemoore Labyrinth in 2017 after visiting their first "escape room" on their 10th anniversary. They enjoyed the experience so much they decided to open their own escape room experience in Lemoore, and in December of 2017, they began the Diamond Heist, their first room. Other rooms followed.
All the rooms are demanding on the mind. For example, their escape room Zombie Outbreak seems to be the most popular. “You have to find an antidote, so you don’t turn into a zombie,” said Rachel Nix. “Once you find the antidote, you’re free to escape,” she said.
Not everybody successfully navigates the series of puzzles. "We do have people that don't make it out ... and we let them go on a little longer," said Rachel Nix. However, many excel at the game and easily navigate it, escaping in record time. Their names go on an MVP wall.
There are elements unique to all the rooms. For starters, they're team-based with a maximum group size of between four to 8 persons. Teamwork is necessary as some team members will discover clues that can help other team members.
The objective is always to escape the room which involves finding a key, a key combo, or activating some mechanism that unlocks the final door.
The puzzles are numerous and often challenging. They involve finding hidden objects around the room or completing a small crossword puzzle. There is pattern recognition as well as visual and spatial reasoning. The problems are challenging to find.
There is a time limit. Users almost always get 60 minutes to escape. The typical escape rate is anywhere from two percent to 60 percent. Rooms often contain hidden doors, locks, and keys.
For additional information, you can contact Tommy or Rachel at (559) 817-9600 or email them at nixworx559@gmail.com. The Lemoore Labyrinth is usually open Fridays through Sundays and is available weekdays to groups, who call far enough in advance to book.
You can visit the website at https://www.559escape.com/.
