Follow Rameses into Wonderland

Across McCorkle Place, you see Rameses running toward the Old Well, nervously checking his pocket watch. But when you get there, a large hole in the ground has swallowed up the water fountain and the mascot! You peer down, and a gust of wind blows you into the opening. When you stop falling, you are in Wonderland, searching for the way home.

This scenario introduces participants to “Rameses in Wonderland,” Chapel Thrill Escapes’ latest challenge: a magical Lewis Carroll-inspired escape room built in the basement of Cobb Residence Hall.

The creators can’t reveal the specifics of this Alice-like adventure because that would spoil the fun. But mad tea parties and a Cheshire cat probably figure into the games, puzzles and riddles players need to solve. However, in a Tar Heel customization, the White Rabbit has been replaced by Carolina’s ram mascot.

In 2019, Chapel Thrill Escapes became the first student-run escape room nonprofit in the country, making the escape room craze more accessible and affordable for Tar Heels. The experiences are fun but also educational, teaching people how to work together by trapping them in a room until they can solve a series of puzzles.

“What interested me most, and is still my favorite part about Chapel Thrill, was the collaboration inherent to the project, which requires a creative, multifaceted team to complete in a successful manner,” said Riley Harper, CEO of Chapel Thrill Escapes.

Chapel Thrill Escapes was founded by three seniors — Cam Champion, Phillip Smart and Dan Hirst. The Morehead-Cain Foundation gave them access to the critical funding required for their first escape room, “Escape from the Bell Tower.”

In that adventure, players must solve a complicated maze created by a Carolina chemistry professor to protect a powerful “immortality gem.” COVID-19 ended the in-person experience early, but the group adapted the room to be playable online for free as a way of memorializing it.

Chapel Thrill Escapes changes the theme of the room every year, starting with brainstorming and planning phases during the early fall. Students in the organization get to build puzzles and decorate the room to create the most immersive experience it can be.

“I love the people involved and our ability to deliver something for the community,” said Mariana Chavez Guerrero, executive director of Chapel Thrill Escapes. “Everyone that has joined Chapel Thrill Escapes comes from such different backgrounds and academic interests, yet we all are able to handle so many different moving parts of what it takes to launch a room.”

The current “Wonderland” escape room was built in the Cobb basement with support from Carolina Housing, whose executive director, Allan Blattner, is an adviser and key player in the organization’s development. BeAM Makerspace gave the group access to tools, equipment and workshop training. Their business team works alongside Innovate Carolina, 1789 Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub and Meantime Coffee.

“Without them, we wouldn’t have the resources to be able to create this amazing opportunity for students and the community,” Guerrero said. “I love the collective feeling of pride in the room once it is finally complete. Being able to actually see something that we all put countless amounts of hours and work into is an extremely rewarding experience — especially once we see the community embrace it with so much love.”

Players can reserve spots now for “Rameses in Wonderland” experiences in January. Tickets are $12 for Carolina students and $18 for faculty and staff. Another Carolina-themed escape room at 128 E. Franklin St. is scheduled to open in spring 2024.