An entertainment attraction is closing at Destiny USA after seven years.
The Museum of Intrigue, an interactive mystery-solving escape room-like experience, announced Friday that it will be leaving the Syracuse mall at the end of April. A finale event, “I Am the Sheriff Now: A Live Action Game,” will take place on April 19 starting at 6 p.m.
The museum will be open every Saturday and Sunday until April 20. All gift certificates for play passes will be honored until that date.
In a letter to customers posted on Facebook, owners said they had searched for a “suitable building large enough to house our dreams” but had been unable to find a new location.
“We want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you for your unwavering support over the last 7 years,” the letter said. “Your enthusiasm and patronage is a large part of the magic that brings Intrigue, and this community of ours, to life. you have helped us reach others across the country, and for that we are grateful.”
The Museum of Intrigue opened in 2017 on the third floor of Destiny USA’s expansion area, near Regal’s IMAX movie theater.
The immersive experience was created by the producers behind the local escape room, “Escape the Estate,” and the popular Halloween attraction Frightmare Farms Haunted Scream Park. The Museum of Intrigue features actors, sets and clues in a museum-like location, and features elements of the escape room concept but removes the walls, gamemasters and time limits to provide all-ages fun.
Built off the idea of an escape room, the Museum of Intrigue eliminated the three defining elements of that genre: walls, gamemasters, and time limits. (Alaina Potrikus | syracuse.com)Alaina Potrikus
The Museum of Intrigue was one of many entertainment offerings shut down for months by the pandemic in 2020. Escape the Estate, the operator of Museum of Intrigue at Destiny USA, received a federal grant for $198,929 from Covid relief funds in 2021.
Owners said the Museum of Intrigue’s headquarters would stay in Syracuse and they will continue to search for a new location. Intrigue mobile events, educational programs and collaborations with local businesses and organizations will still be available.
Future updates about the “rehoming process,” estimated to be completed this summer, will be posted on its website, intrigueandco.com.
“Syracuse, we want to express our deepest love, gratitude and appreciation for your support throughout the years – we wouldn’t be here with you,” the letter added. “You have stood by us from a crazy cool idea to a national presence. We are eternally grateful for all the time, laughter and above all – memories. This is not a goodbye, it is ‘See you soon…’”