Trumansburg, New York Est. 2026
Nothing in this room is locked. That was never the problem.
Six of you. One hour. A dead man’s study where the clock lies, the letters argue with each other, and something is very obviously wrong. Find the Silver Key and you’re on the board. Miss it and you’ll be back.
- Players
- 2–6
- three to six is best
- Duration
- 60 min
- plus a briefing
- Reservation
- $75
- covers three · $25 each after
- Rooms
- One
- yours alone, never shared
- Hints
- Yours
- ask, and it costs you pride
- Fear factor
- None
- no scares, no strobes, no noise
The room · one only
The Secret Parlor
of H.P. Lovecraft
Lovecraft published The Silver Key in 1926 — a story about a man who found an object that opened doors between worlds. We built the study he wrote it in, and we hid the Key somewhere inside it.
You will open drawers that have no business holding anything. You will find letters that flatly contradict each other. You will notice the clock, and you will wish you hadn’t.
Somewhere in that hour your group stops hunting for the next padlock and starts asking what this place actually is. That turn is what the room was built for, and it is the part people describe to their friends afterwards — usually badly, and at length.
“There is a clock that ticks, but if you look closely at it, you notice that the clock isn’t ticking in normal fashion. It’s actually ticking in a very peculiar way. Without giving anything away… you take notice of the clock and you go, that’s not right. That leads to the realization that there are both space and time disruptions in the room.”
Daniel Trippett, who built it Tompkins Weekly
Four men were robbed to build these puzzles
- H. P. Lovecraft the parlor, and the Key
- Edgar Allan Poe the logic of the thing
- Nikola Tesla what the machines want
- Albert Einstein why the clock is wrong
How the hour goes
We built a mystery,
not a countdown.
Most escape rooms sell you sixty minutes of panic. This one gives you sixty minutes of the good kind of confusion — and nothing in it is waiting to jump out at you.
- 01
Before the door
A short film hands you the story, the stakes and the Key. Five minutes, and everyone in your group walks in knowing exactly what they are hunting for.
- 02
The parlor
Sixty minutes, your group alone, nobody else booked in beside you. Open every drawer. Read the letters twice. Do not trust the mantel.
- 03
The board
Crack it and your time goes up on the wall. Don’t, and you will argue about that clock the entire drive home. Both endings are good.
No jump scares, no strobes, nobody grabbing at you in the dark. Bring your parents. Bring your teenagers. Bring the friend who insists they hate this sort of thing — they are usually the one who cracks it.
Sixty groups, so far
Sixty reviews.
Five stars.
Wow, can’t believe we have an escape room of this high quality right in Tburg! The detailed decor, the encouraging staff, and the uniqueness of the puzzles… we really lost ourselves in the story! Our group included 3 generations: each age level felt both included and challenged, because each had a skill set or know how to contribute to the various clues.
Really fun, accessible, engaging, and magical!
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We had such a fun time at the Quandary!! It was definitely a challenge but we were able to complete it in an hour and 23 seconds. The theme was interesting and the clues were very cool! By far the best escape room we’ve been too, highly recommend!!
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What an AMAZING experience we had. My boyfriend and I have done other escape rooms before, but we had the best/fun time in this one (no, we did not beat it on time hahaha). It was creative and clever. I look forward to seeing future rooms! 10/10 recommend!!!
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We went as a family of five with three teenagers and it was great fun for all. Highly recommend anyone who is around the area to give this a go.
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A fabulous experience at a modest price! Our team bonded, working together to solve the quandary. An excellent experience for families or groups of friends!
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It was a terrific blend of difficulty and accessibility… I’m thrilled to have an escape room back in our community.
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A fun time! Classic escape room with satisfying puzzles and a clear theme.
The Quandary Top 10
Think you can
make the Top 10?
Get out and you go up on the board — your party, your team name, your time, and precisely how many hints it took you. It wipes every couple of months, so there is always a way on. These are the people you are up against.
Come and find us
Minutes north
of Ithaca.
Ulysses Town Square1889 Trumansburg Road (NY-96), Suite 2
Trumansburg, NY 14886
Directions 607-269-7638 info@thequandary.org
- Getting here
- Straight up NY-96 out of Ithaca and you are here. Ulysses Town Square — park right outside the door.
- Allow
- A bit more than the hour. There is a film to watch and a release to sign, and nobody wants to rush that part.
- Private events
- Birthdays, reunions, team days, class trips. We open times outside the standard five — call and we will build the evening around you.
Sessions
Wednesday – Sunday
- 2:00
- 3:30
- 5:00
- 6:30
- 8:00
Five slots a day, by appointment. Weekends go first.
What it costs
- Reservation, up to three people
- $75
- Each additional person, to six
- $25
The reservation is paid online and holds the room. Anyone you add beyond three is settled at the door.
Book a SessionSix things everyone asks
Nervous? Everyone is,
for about four minutes.
01 Are we locked in?
No. The door is never locked and you can walk out at any second, for any reason. The locks in the parlor are on the puzzles, not on you.
02 Is it scary?
Not in the way you are bracing for. There are no jump scares, no flashing lights, no loud or unexpected noises, and nobody is going to touch you. Lovecraft dealt in dread rather than shock, and so does the parlor. The unease is entirely intellectual.
03 Will we be put with strangers?
Never. Every booking is your group alone.
04 Do we need to know anything about Lovecraft?
No. A short video before you go in gives you everything the mystery requires. Readers will spot things other people will not, but nothing is gated behind having read the stories.
05 What happens if we do not finish in the hour?
Nothing terrible. The owner built this as a mystery rather than a race — in his words, “Escape rooms are reputable because you have to get out within an hour or something terrible happens. This is more of a mystery.” Plenty of good teams run out of clock and still leave happy.
06 How many people should we bring?
Three to six. Two can do it, but more minds on the same objects makes the room considerably more fun and a good deal more solvable.