LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — From the minute you walk into Escape IT — the horror-themed escape room just a few minutes off the Las Vegas Strip — you’re reminded of uneasy memories of the Stephen King movies that brought Pennywise to life.
But that next step is the scary one, opening the door and walking into the world created by horror virtuoso Jason Egan and a team of technicians who have recreated the classic in 16 rooms that challenge guests to solve their way out … only to get to the next room.
“I’m not done yet,” Egan promises as he continues to work on what he says is “by far the biggest escape room in the world.”
Egan’s accomplishments include Fright Dome, which started in 2003, as well as attractions Escape Blair Witch and The Official SAW Escape. He’s been doing it since he was a kid in Nebraska, turning his basement into a haunted house.
Escape IT is part museum, part arcade, and part gift shop. But it’s 100% a trip through the horror masterpiece, and it’s been up and running for just over a week.
Paramount loaned museum pieces including an original Pennywise costume, the bikes from the original movie and even details like the paper boat and the skateboard, all on display for guests to see up close. Egan even has the three doors on display.
Egan said he spent the last 14 months building what’s there now, and Chapter Two is set to open in a couple of months.
More information and a link to make reservations are available at escapeit.com.
The attraction is at 273 S. Martin Luther King Blvd., across from Costco. The exterior is unmistakable, with signs for “Township of Derry Public Works Facility,” Jade of the Orient and the bright marquee of the Capitol Theatre.