The 12 best escape rooms in San Francisco
Come for the culture but stay for the escape rooms, San Francisco has some amazing ones to play.
The Escape Game
Very Positive
145 Jefferson St, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
Palace Games
Overwhelmingly Positive
3362 Palace Dr, San Francisco, CA 94123, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“First room to try at Palace of Fine Arts. Top notch with great interactive puzzles that were unique to Houdini’s story. A must play for those who are experienced escape artists. Warning: there are some jump scares and walking through the dark at times.”
christina41
163 games played
Palace Games
Overwhelmingly Positive
3362 Palace Dr, San Francisco, CA 94123, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“Excellent room as are all of the games at palaces Escape. Unusual by modern standards in how much you reused the same game elements over and over. But it worked. I loved how the game is designed to require teamwork for many of the tasks. The theme was unusual and familiar at the same time. And of course the set was fantastic. Loved it!”
maxwellkristin
423 games played
Palace Games
Overwhelmingly Positive
3362 Palace Dr, San Francisco, CA 94123, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“Wowowowow wow! The Edison is brilliant and deserving of all the hype! The major puzzle, as well as the final puzzle, are so inventive and they stand out as some of my favorite experiences in any escape room ever! I literally felt like I was in a real life Mario platformer video game at some points. The spectacle was illuminating, and the theatrics were superb! We completed as a team of 2, though we needed to call in game masters to complete some puzzles and we technically went overtime from the recommended time limit. So note that you really want at least 4 people to solve all the heavy teamwork puzzles together, but it is possible with less. The game masters were very accommodating and willing to let us see it through to the end. And the end is worth it!”
whiteangela
114 games played
Palace Games
Overwhelmingly Positive
3362 Palace Dr, San Francisco, CA 94123, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“This room was loads of fun and easily made it to my top 3 rooms ever. Set design, tech, story and puzzles were all well integrated and thought out. It was an experience from start to finish and I look forward to doing their other rooms.”
v
vargassamuel
59 games played
The Escape Game
Overwhelmingly Positive
150 Kearny St, San Francisco, CA 94108, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“Literal A+! The Playground had me grinning the entire time! Grade school/playground is such a cute idea and underused theme! The story and intro video is so hilarious and fitting. I loved how puzzles reflected different subjects. It was absolute fun to play around in the playground itself, and the whole atmosphere brought back so many colorful, nostalgic memories! As someone who grew up always trying to make top grades, it was so satisfying to see every A+!”
whiteangela
114 games played
“So far, my favorite game at The Escape Game besides Ruins. Split start is utilized well, set looks fantastic, and clever puzzles that make you feel smart. Above all, it’s a very immersive experience, from lighting to sound design to the set and puzzles themselves.”
eugenephillips
32 games played
The Escape Game
Very Positive
150 Kearny St, San Francisco, CA 94108, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
“This is my personal favorite of The Escape Game rooms and I strongly recommend it. The set design is awesome and the story is engaging as well. The room itself was not too hard, but was still fun to progress through the different stages. On the whole I feel all of The Escape Game rooms are fairly easy and this continues that trend, which isn't a bad thing. Definitely a strong recommendation for beginners or those who just want to have a good time.”
b
brian26
33 games played
Red Door Escape Room
Very Positive
90 W Hillsdale Blvd, San Mateo, CA 94403, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
Red Door Escape Room
Very Positive
90 W Hillsdale Blvd, San Mateo, CA 94403, USA
- Escape room
- IRL
Timeliner: Train Through Time
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
The Great Houdini Escape Room
Palace Games
- Escape room
- IRL
“First room to try at Palace of Fine Arts. Top notch with great interactive puzzles that were unique to Houdini’s story. A must play for those who are experienced escape artists. Warning: there are some jump scares and walking through the dark at times.”
christina41
163 games played
The Roosevelt Escape Room
Palace Games
- Escape room
- IRL
“Excellent room as are all of the games at palaces Escape. Unusual by modern standards in how much you reused the same game elements over and over. But it worked. I loved how the game is designed to require teamwork for many of the tasks. The theme was unusual and familiar at the same time. And of course the set was fantastic. Loved it!”
maxwellkristin
423 games played
The Edison Escape Room
Palace Games
- Escape room
- IRL
“Wowowowow wow! The Edison is brilliant and deserving of all the hype! The major puzzle, as well as the final puzzle, are so inventive and they stand out as some of my favorite experiences in any escape room ever! I literally felt like I was in a real life Mario platformer video game at some points. The spectacle was illuminating, and the theatrics were superb! We completed as a team of 2, though we needed to call in game masters to complete some puzzles and we technically went overtime from the recommended time limit. So note that you really want at least 4 people to solve all the heavy teamwork puzzles together, but it is possible with less. The game masters were very accommodating and willing to let us see it through to the end. And the end is worth it!”
whiteangela
114 games played
The Attraction
Palace Games
- Escape room
- IRL
“This room was loads of fun and easily made it to my top 3 rooms ever. Set design, tech, story and puzzles were all well integrated and thought out. It was an experience from start to finish and I look forward to doing their other rooms.”
v
vargassamuel
59 games played
The Heist
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
Playground
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
“Literal A+! The Playground had me grinning the entire time! Grade school/playground is such a cute idea and underused theme! The story and intro video is so hilarious and fitting. I loved how puzzles reflected different subjects. It was absolute fun to play around in the playground itself, and the whole atmosphere brought back so many colorful, nostalgic memories! As someone who grew up always trying to make top grades, it was so satisfying to see every A+!”
whiteangela
114 games played
Prison Break
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
“So far, my favorite game at The Escape Game besides Ruins. Split start is utilized well, set looks fantastic, and clever puzzles that make you feel smart. Above all, it’s a very immersive experience, from lighting to sound design to the set and puzzles themselves.”
eugenephillips
32 games played
Gold Rush
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
Special Ops: Mysterious Market
The Escape Game
- Escape room
- IRL
“This is my personal favorite of The Escape Game rooms and I strongly recommend it. The set design is awesome and the story is engaging as well. The room itself was not too hard, but was still fun to progress through the different stages. On the whole I feel all of The Escape Game rooms are fairly easy and this continues that trend, which isn't a bad thing. Definitely a strong recommendation for beginners or those who just want to have a good time.”
b
brian26
33 games played
Fair Game
Red Door Escape Room
- Escape room
- IRL
Prison Break
Red Door Escape Room
- Escape room
- IRL
More Escape Rooms
About San Francisco
Some of the most popular attractions in San Francisco include the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, the Exploratorium, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Fisherman's Wharf, and Chinatown. Other popular destinations include the cable cars, the Painted Ladies, and the city's many parks and gardens. There are also several popular festivals and events that take place in San Francisco throughout the year, such as the Bay to Breakers race and the San Francisco International Film Festival.
Learn More about San Francisco Escape Rooms
San Francisco is home to many escape rooms that offer thrilling and immersive experiences for participants. One such escape room is Palace Games, located in the historic Palace of Fine Arts. Their rooms are designed to take players back in time and include themes like "The Great Houdini Escape Room" and "The Roosevelt Escape Room." Another popular option is the Real Escape Game, which has multiple locations in San Francisco and offers unique escape rooms like "Escape from the Time Travel Lab" and "Escape from the Bank." Other notable escape rooms in San Francisco include EscapeSF, which features rooms like "The Experiment" and "Escape from Alcatraz," and EscapeIQ, which offers challenging and interactive rooms like "The Hex Room" and "The Elevator." Whether you're a local or visiting San Francisco, these escape rooms offer a fun and exciting way to test your problem-solving skills and enjoy a unique adventure.
How Do Escape Rooms Work?
Remember those point-and-click adventure games where you’re locked in a room and have to solve puzzles to find the key and escape? Those online games were the original inspiration for the live escape rooms you’ll find all across the world today. An escape room is an immersive experience where you (and your team of 2 or more people) are locked in a room with a series of puzzles for 60 minutes. To escape and win the game, you have to look for clues, solve the puzzles, and find the key. While most escape rooms only give you 60 minutes to complete the challenge, others may have shorter or longer time limits. Many venues are private rooms where you and your team are the only players. However, some places may pair you with other groups who booked a slot at the same time. And don’t worry about getting stuck, asking for hints on a difficult puzzle is totally normal. While the original escape room (created by SCRAP in 2007) had a fairly simple aesthetic, today’s escape games often take you into a different world. Artistic set designs, secret doors, and unique interactive elements are all part of the fun. It’s like an adventure game that you can interact with in real life. But if you’re hoping to preview any rooms before you book a game somewhere, detailed images and videos can be hard to find. To keep the puzzles a secret and preserve the experience of seeing the room for the first time, most venues only offer a few photos or a short trailer about the room’s theme or narrative. The only way to know what it’s like is to go and try it for yourself!
Find the Best San Francisco Escape Rooms with Morty
There are plenty of awesome escape rooms to choose from in San Francisco. The goal of Morty is to make escape rooms more accessible for everyone to find and play. With Morty, you can: - Browse escape rooms anywhere in the country - Read reviews and ratings from other community members - Book a room together with your friends Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned escape room enthusiast, our aim is to help you play more escape rooms and visit more immersive attractions.
Frequently asked questions
How Do I Book an Escape Room in San Francisco?
Most escape room venues don’t accept walk-ins, and time slots for popular games may fill up fast. Besides that, not every escape room is the same — some have varying difficulties, and you don’t want to get stuck playing a room that’s beyond your experience level. That’s why the best way to book an escape room in San Francisco is through the Morty app. You can get updates on new games, read reviews, compare details (including difficulty, theme, runtime) and plan an outing with friends, all on the same platform. You can even coordinate games with your friends collaboratively. Download the Morty app and book your adventure today!