The Ministry Of Peculiarities - Azusa, California

John Nguyen

I've done a lot of escape rooms in my life. All in different states and countries but this was the best one I've ever seen.

From the moment you find the place and enter, it starts. The puzzles are fun and innovative and all the employees are great at running the show.

Be sure to pay close attention to the story! I will definitely be keeping an eye out of their next escape room.

Calvin Lu

I've done a good amount of escape rooms, but this place is truly special. What an amazing experience from start to finish!

The staff was amazing, which really started with Emma and Brooke's commitment and excellence to remaining in character. It's up there with the best live actor experience I've had, in that they're both able to riff off your group responses and dynamics seamlessly.

The immersion, from storytelling, script, and puzzles were so fun. I honestly wasn't wondering about the time component, but wanting to truly progress the story. The set design and puzzles were perfectly balanced in that while it was linear in how you follow and progress, it fit perfectly within the setting and there were some mechanisms that I really enjoyed.

It wasn't a scary experience, but a slight spookiness given the context of the story, so I still would recommend this to anyone as it's not really anything that would be off-putting for scaredy cats (such as myself). Would gladly recommend this place to anyone and I look forward to their next room!

Travelbug USA

Such an amazing experience! It was so theatrical and the actors were just amazing! The production value was also pretty extraordinary! I have done a lot of escape rooms and this one definitely has been added to my top 5 fave rooms! If you like escape rooms that completely immerse you, then this is the one for you!

Bethany

I have been to many escape rooms, and I think this one was one of my very favorites! I wish I could erase my memories of last night so that I could play it again. The sets, the costuming, the acting were all top notch!! They say they are working on a second room, and I am looking forward to taking my family to play it as soon as it opens 8D

Kathleen N

Word from the grapevine is that once you experience this gem of an escape room, anything else after will pale in comparison. The calibre of this escape room is just something else. If escape rooms were a sport, the Ministry of Peculiarities- Hope End would be the gold Olympian. There is all the Hollywood magic in this quirky, quaint, and brilliant escape room. Please go experience this spectacular wonder.

I highly recommend that you request for actresses, Paris and Ellie, to be the characters in your escape room experience. They nailed their performances.

Here's 2 versions to my review: a TLDR and one with a bit more details.

TLDR version: What an incredible escape room experience with immersive storytelling brought to life by phenomenal actors/actresses. The moment the doors open for you to enter the establishment, your adventure already begins. I strongly feel that having 6 people minimum is a good, starting number (even though the actual minimum number of people is 4) for your investigation. The story is that an estate, called Hope End, can't be sold because it's haunted. As agents working with the Ministry of Peculiarities, your mission is to find out how the occupants who once lived in this home met their demise. The sets throughout are characters themselves. The puzzles/clues range from easy to more challenging, but there are hints (like good, hilarious ones too) along the way. This experience is perhaps the most unique of any escape rooms currently out there, and the attention to detail and care that goes into this is evident in every corner and crevice of the space utilized. I cannot recommend this enough for a unique and memorable experience.

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Here's my detailed review (if you're curious to read more): 100/10 absolutely recommend this escape room without reservations. What an extraordinary and gripping escape room that is deeply immersive from the moment you set foot at the door of the establishment.

In particular, please ask for Paris to be the actress in your story. She is worth more than her weight in gold for her performance.

This is story-telling at its finest with notable acting. The premise of this escape room is that as agents, you've been summoned by the ministry to solve what happened to the occupants who lived on this ancestral home called Hope End. The home is deemed unsellable because it's haunted. Once upon a time, the occupants who lived here met their demise, with the peculiar exception of Dolores Wright (née Hope). And thus, your investigation begins.

The mechanics of the rooms, the costumes, and the makeup are all fantastic. The rooms you'll encounter are each so unique with so much attention to detail, that it will take time to take this all in. At some point in your adventure, you'll wonder who you can trust. Be forewarned, there are also some eerie moments especially because you're in the dark at times.

I am no escape room enthusiast nor connoisseur, and I'm definitely a novice. But I will tell you though that if I made it through, you will too. See, I tend to shy away from games, especially partaking in escape rooms, because I feel I am awful at them. I can usually imagine my anxiety kicking in, in enclosed spaces, and I would be the weakest link/dead weight to my team. Did I also mention that I am a first-class wimp? So be forewarned because there are elements about this escape room that can come off eerie, but the nature of it is not horror or gory. Thank goodness.

So much imagination, heart, and love went into the creation of this escape room, that I could absolutely tell the moment I entered. I immensely loved the time I spent here with my friends because this escape room was so well-written and highly executed, so I will treasure this magical experience. I hope to be back soon to explore the other missions when the Ministry of Peculiarities sends word.

A. A.

Amazing immersive experience. To call this an escape room is an understatement. This is by far one of the best escape rooms we've done. The actors, Brooke and North were amazingly talented and passionate. The improv and comedic timing was on point every time and so much fun. Thank you so much for an unforgettable experience. The rooms, puzzles, and production value was top-notch, creative, unique, and beautiful. We drove about an hour and a half to experience this, and it was totally worth it! Definately something you need to experience if you live in socal.

Douglas Boyer

My family and I have done many escape rooms across several states over the years, but we have NEVER had an experience like this one. The Ministry of Peculiarities presented us with the most unique escape room we have ever experienced. The immersive atmosphere and interactivity were absolutely off the charts. I have never seen an escape room staff so professional and engaged. The staff are clearly experienced actors with uncommon wit, as demonstrated by their ability to adapt to any number of spontaneous curveballs I and my family threw as the story unfolded. The staff's improvisational skills were even more impressive as they incorporated those curveballs into the overarching narrative with callbacks as the story progressed. We drove almost an hour to get to the location based on the excellent reviews, and it was more than worth the travel. This review does not do the site justice. Please do yourself a favor and go there immediately!

James Ritts

Our group had a great time! Emma and Paris delivered really wonderful performances and improv.

It’s a very meticulously crafted blend of immersive theater and escape room, both at a very high level of production quality - the actors are believable in their roles and skilled at rolling with the personality of the group; and the puzzles are challenging but embed a logic you can (for me, slowly) learn to reason about.

Anyway, it was frickin great. Thanks for showing us such a good time