On a recent trip to Michigan, we returned to one of my favorite escape room locations, Know Way Out,to try The Abandoned Circus. This was our second visit (we previously did Mad Hatter’s Asylum), and this location continues to impress!
Here’s our full review.
Basic Info
Escape Room Name: The Abandoned Circus
Location: Petoskey, MI
Company: Know Way Out
Website Difficulty: Medium
My Difficulty Rating: 7 / 10
Time Limit: 60 minutes
Did We Escape? No — we were one puzzle away!
Theme & Immersion
The circus theme was fantastic. The immersive props truly made the room feel like an abandoned carnival filled with secrets. Every detail added to the atmosphere without feeling cluttered.
We especially appreciated the clear story background and instructions before starting. It made the experience feel purposeful and helped us jump right into solving.
Immersion Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Puzzle Quality
This room had a great variety of puzzles, including:
- Traditional locks
- Logic puzzles
- Creative physical challenges
The mix kept things interesting and prevented the room from feeling repetitive. There was even an extra challenging puzzle tailored to one of our players’ strengths, which made for a really satisfying moment.
This room definitely requires teamwork—several puzzles couldn’t be solved alone.
Puzzle Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Hints & Gameplay
Hints were delivered by computer, which kept the immersion intact and made it easy to get help when needed.
One thing to note: the lighting was low throughout the room. It fit the theme well but made reading some clues a bit tricky at times.
Staff & Experience
The staff was incredibly friendly—and they even remembered us from our visit a year ago! That personal touch made the experience feel extra special.
Booking was easy, instructions were clear, and everything started smoothly.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Immersive circus props and atmosphere
- Great variety of puzzles
- Requires real teamwork
- Friendly staff
- Clear story background
- Memorable challenges
Cons
- Low lighting made some clues harder to see
Final Rating
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 / 5)
Even though we didn’t escape, this room was an absolute favorite. The creativity, teamwork focus, and immersive design make it a must-try if you’re near Petoskey.
Tips for Future Players
- Communicate everything you find
- Divide tasks and work as a team
- Enjoy the theme—it’s beautifully done
Have you tried a room at Know Way Out? Which escape room should we try next?
