Shrewsbury Prison Escape Room - The Cell

A great day out for family. Escape room was a challenge and half but plenty of help on hand and was sure a fun experience. Then did a self tour around the prison itself. A scary old imposing building with loads of history to it

I would like to start by saying the staff were SO friendly! It was really interesting getting to explore the prison before/after the escape room. My rating is purely based on the escape room element of the experience. If this is your first ever escape room experience, I think you would find it great. Unfortunately for me, I have done quite a few before. This one was very basic & not particularly challenging. We escaped very quickly. It's all done in 1 cell, so if you're in a big group, you might struggle. We had 4 of us, which I would say would be the maximum amount you'd want in there. It's a low budget escape room, with the majority of the clues giving answers to open padlocked items. Numbers just on bits etc. Nothing pops out at you. For the first time ever, I found it boring (I hate to say this) Considering the cost is the same as other escape rooms, I don't think it gives good value for money.

A really great fun activity for the family! The staff were really great - very helpful and informative. We would go back

I attended the Cell Escape Room with my 10 year old daughter and her friend. What a fantastic experience the girls loved it. The team at the prison could not have been more helpful and friendly and the tour around the facility was a insight and a delight

I think I must've been on something when I booked this up - I couldn't work out what the £110 charge was on my credit card bill; eventually I realised that I'd paid £27.50 each for four people for this escape room experience. Unfortunately, that's on me for not paying attention whilst booking up last minute. A very poor set up, not very clear clues & quite frankly I was bored. I feel mugged over and would not recommend this to others.

Would recommend the prison escape, was really enjoyable and the characters were so funny!

We really enjoyed this escape room. Michelle was great at providing clues when we needed them even though she was managing 7 escape rooms at once! We hadn’t had much luck escaping from recent ones we had tried but we managed this one and felt the level was just right. Definitely don’t book this one if you’re an expert though as you’ll no doubt find it too easy! We would have given it 4/5 stars but there were a few downsides: - One of the padlocks that was imperative to us getting to the next stage didn’t work. It took a while for us to ask for help as we just assumed we had got it wrong and then it still took a bit of time after that to finally get help so overall I’d say we lost about 15 minutes looking for other clues that weren't there and waiting for resolution. Overall, it really tainted what would have otherwise been a fab experience - We didn’t receive the clearest instructions about where to meet and were told to get there 15 minutes early but then the briefing started bang on time so that wasn’t really needed and it stressed us out a bit because we were wandering round thinking they were starting without us -A few of the clues were a bit worn e.g., paint peeling off. I’d say this is a very minor point as overall didn’t think it affected our game but combined with the padlock that didn’t work, you just can’t give it 5 stars

Disappointing experience. The Escape Room was basic, clues didn’t flow/ follow a structure- £90 for 1 hour for 3 of us is considerably over priced.

A great day out with lots of interesting history.

Michelle with a hair flick was an incredible experience guide! The reception clerk was such a pleasant soul woth real experience! What an amazing experience through and through!! DO NOT MISS THIS

An absolutely brilliant experience. Our first escape room and we didn't know what to expect, but it was great fun and sufficiently challenging and engaging. Staff were also excellent. A great thing to do!

Took my son and his friends to do the prison escape as part of his bday. The staff were amazing, they personalised his experience for him and made it an extra special for him. Big Toni, whisper, Chantelle, Ellis, the teacher 'Miss Anna Gram', the doc, the governor, all the actors were amazing and made this a truly immersive experience for everyone. We highly recommend 👌

Malcom is the goat and really good experience

Malcom is the GOAT great tour would recommend

Would highly recommend a visit especially the escape from a prison cell. Very unique experience and with full access to explore the prison for an insight into prison life. Staff were very attentive and added some humour into our visit.

A great hours challenge! Prison wardens were too nice. We really enjoyed the challenge despite failing misrebaly! Well worth the visit and experience!

Bad point *Lack of sign posting around prison. *No description of where the car park was on the car parking pass purchased with tickets. *older lady with short white hair and glasses really REALLY rude in gift shop upon arrival *not enough free time to find own clues and work stuff out *also not clear from start what we have to achieve - it’s clear we need to escape but we needed a few other bits to escape too! * some of puzzles too hard *when first locked you in the cell it wasn’t clear we could start looking for clues Good point * actors were fantastic *use of prison was fantastic *props provided was fantastic. *length of game was really great too. Overall a few minor things lets its down but easily improved!

Great place. 2 mins from train station. Loved it. Great city. Prison and Shrewsbury definitely worth a visit.

A great experience, Michelle & Kate are great hosts. The Cell escape room is really good fun and a test of your skills, we eventually managed to escape with a little help from Michelle & Kate - thank you 👍🏼 the self-guided tour of the prison is informative and gives you a glimpse of life behind bars! Great fun, definitely worth a visit

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to Lucy Sutherland and the team for all the effort you put into making my sister’s 30th birthday so memorable at Shrewsbury Prison. The balloons, cake, prosecco, and prison suit hire were all fantastic touches and really helped make the day feel extra unique. We all had such a great time doing the prison escape room. It was brilliant fun from start to finish and something we’ll definitely be talking about for a long time. The prosecco and balloons especially made the experience feel even more thoughtful, and we really appreciated all the hard work and care you put into everything. We would fully recommend the experience to anyone looking for something different and entertaining to celebrate an occasion. Thank you again for helping make the day so enjoyable!

Spend over £80 just to be told your in that room it was not fun there was no jumpsuits or experince like website explained it was a number game and was really boring was very diapointed, you only got to see one small part of the prison was really diappointed and deffinetly wouldnt go again

Amazing place to visit. The staff are all exceptional and do a great job especially Michelle who deserves a payrise 😁😁

Compared to other escape room experiences we were disappointed. The experience was not state of the the art as advertised and no back story was given. The clues and equipment were tired and we felt the whole room clue/puzzles approach needs a refresh. The prison itself was really good to visit and we got a good incite to what prison life was like when the prison was in use.

Unfortunately we got caught out by the parking, which was not signed and we parked over the road. The reception staff werent too interested in advising what to do. As we didn't know this til we had been there a while that set the day up as we now expect a fine, on top of paying for two separate parking charges. The escape room was OK, we escaped which was good and made us feel a little better. Shame as it could have been a great day as part of our holiday in shrewsbury.

Parking is a bit confusing so plan before, it is behind the prison not in front. You could get charged twice if not careful. The escape room itself was great, yes I failed so I am going back, an hour went so quickly & I really enjoyed it. I am coming again I am determined to solve it!

Great setting and fantastic guide (Michelle). The puzzles themselves lacked variety and you remain in one cell for the duration.

Brilliant day out, very interesting history and the escape room was brilliant, well worth the money, sadly we didn't escape though in the allotted hour! staff were really helpful, informative and very pleasant.

We originally were booked in for Valentine’s Day and had booked our dog in the dog sitters and travelled a far distance and arrived and when we arrived they said it was cancelled and had tried to ring and emailed which they had not. Wasted time. We then rebooked and didn’t have a great experience! We spent the last 40 minutes of the experience not being able to find anyone because they were outside the gate smoking or getting fresh air! No one was outside for us to get! We were fuming. We would of been out much sooner.

The cell escape room was an awesome experience and my friends and I really enjoyed it. The staff all throughout were lovely and friendly. Such an amazing experience throughout. Will definitely be visiting again

We had a fabulous time, the prison break was an interesting puzzle & a great laugh. The actors made the experience, i cant recommend highly enough!

Prison - Escape, Worst escape room ever done I have done dozen of escapes from, all over the UK and America. I Travelled from London for my birthday yesterday 14th March, to do the Prison Escape at 11am. I Have seen and wanted to do this prison escape for some time. I Very much looked forward to it. We arrived early, had a brief wander but waited outside for my time slot. There was another 2 other people waiting also, was told someone would collected us around 10.45. 10.45 came and went, 11 then 11.15 so I decided to check what was happening. We were advised that they had moved meeting area and we were told to wait in to wrong location. Not the end of the world, just poor communication. At the start we were given a brief, this was read by the chap who was playing “the boss/chief” in all honesty, the way he was slurring and struggling to read the script from the clipboard I honestly thought he was drunk. We met the other people playing characters as part of the live escape room, it all seemed somewhat weird to have a teacher, gym instructor and cook as part of the escape. We started off being locked in a cell for 30 Minutes, had to open a box with clues….. that was about as normal as The escape room got. After the other 2 were let out the room we went to a classroom, where the “teacher” spoke to us about being reformed and “do not do drugs” no idea what this had to do with escaping. Then we went and met Cookie in the kitchen. Deciphered some anagrams that spelt out food dishes. Not sure what this had to do with escaping. Then went to meet the gym instructor, had to do some basic “exercises” can’t actually remeber what the point in this exercise was. This then led us around some of the other parts to meet “the boss” at this point I was rather boards and said to my partner, this was the worst escape room I had done. Poor planned, poorly executed, actors don’t seemed to not know what was going on, or where we were to go next. I must stress, that I am really disappointed at the whole experience. For £69pp I expected it to be much better. The actors looked like they wanted to be anywhere but there, as we were 2 small groups of 2. This for me wasn’t an escape room, I honestly dont understand how any of it married together to form this game. I was that disappointed about the whole thing I didn’t want to stay for the guide tour that I paid extra for at 2.30. I didn’t want to wait a hour so we left. The only whole trip, for me was ruined and a waste of time. It was nothing like it was advertised, total waste of time and money, I won’t be recommended this to my friends who wanted to book for their birthday. It was a complete waste of time. The whole experience including travel and hotel accommodation made this event an extremely expensive disappointment.

We visited Shrewsbury Prison and decided to try the escape room. It was in an old cell, with authentic furniture, etc. There were a series of puzzles to solve that were each "just about right" in our experience for a fun family escape room, challenging enough to keep us thinking, but very solveable. There was an emergecy release button so if you were feeling claustrophobic - we didn't but thought we might - it was possible to leave at any time. Our warden / guide was Michelle who struck the right balance for us between being in character and being helpful. Michelle was always on hand if we needed help, and gave it in just the right way, whilst also explaining about the prison. It made a huge difference having Michelle on hand! Would definitely go back.

We really enjoyed the Escape Room. It was well organised and the ‘screw’ looking after us (Michelle) was great. Well organised, clear instructions and helped us out when needed… A self guided tour of the Prison was included so great value for money.

A brilliant and most enjoyable escape room experience! Really well thought-out puzzle , great setting, and just the right level of challenge to keep things exciting. It was engaging from start to finish and so much fun to work through as a family. Would absolutely recommend to anyone looking for a fun and memorable escape room experience! 🔐

We booked the escape room as a means of bribing out teenage son into a day out and were pleased to find access to the prison came as part of the ticket! Escape room was fun - primarily due to the novel prison cell setting and excellently hosted with a well balanced combination of jailer and two months DNA evidence in February games host! The puzzles were set at a good level for a family - challenging but guilty doable with something for everyone! Was interesting looking round the prison and lots of interesting information & displays. Mostly scary to realise that the prison only closed within the last 20 years so was occupied within our lifetimes. I’d say more suited to over 10s who can read & comprehend. Prison is situated in central Shrewsbury, so after 2 hours exploring, 90 minutes in the escape room we were able to make a day of it and explore the town.

Had a brilliant time. The friends we went with were more practised at escaping than myself and my husband (thank goodness cos we would still be there!) Our Officer, Michelle was awesome too. Good fun. We loved her. ❤️🙌

Definitely wear warm clothes, its really cold. Nice experience, definitely worth a visit

The experience was well organised. When entering the cell it looked deceptively simple, after investigating there were lots of engaging puzzles to solve in order to escape The Cell, it was not easy, but we did it. The self guided tour was eye opening, with lots of interesting facts regarding the running of the prison when it was in use and its inmates. Great coffee in the restaurant too!

Incredible day out, for a family of four (2 adults,a baby and seven year old)) the staff were absolutely amazing, friendly, super helpful and full of knowledge and keen to share. Such a unique and beyond interesting place. I was absolutely fascinated from the very first moment! Amazing coffees and good suze food portions too!

The whole experience was excellent from beginning to end! Sad we can only do it once. Even the gift shop was a great time!!

Advertised as a state of the art escape room, however person who designed it has clearly not been to other great escape rooms. We have successfully done 20 plus rooms all over the country and this was one of the worst. Very tight space for 2 adults and 2 kids with Xmas tree in the way. Very battered and dirty props. Limited puzzles with main one difficult to decipher what you were trying to do. Lack of emersive story. Pop to escape rooms in telford or shrewsbury to see how they should be done or this one may put you off doing them. Consider enhancing with better puzzles with books, posters, keys, personal care items, or link to the Sean bean filming that took place at the prison. Wouldnt take much to make it more enjoyable and emersive. It was good that a self guided tour was included in the escape room price but even with that and the escape room we were only at the prison for 2 hours. All staff were very friendly and helpful. Dogs allowed which is good if you want to take furry friend. Take coats and gloves in winter! Kids enjoyed finding the Elf cards Has a cafe on site

What a great experience got to wonder around prison before and after so much history. Great escape room although didnt get out.

Malcom was amazing the trip was so fun!!🤩 He was very funny and made my whole class laugh. The prison was very interesting especially seeing the execution room!!

The self guided tour was great, lots of interesting areas to see with plenty of information available. Cell escape, whilst fun, was not worth the money at all. Not enough info given about where to start or what we were looking for. We initially wanted to do The Hole but the staff were helpful and said it was exceptionally dark and possibly not suitable for the youngest of our group. Be warned, the cafe and gift shop are extortionate. £5 for a bog standard pen is daylight robbery, whoever sets the prices should be stuck in one of the cells. Would I recommend a tour of the prison? Yes. Would I recommend the Cell Escape Room? No Would I recommend the gift shop? Not a chance. Cannot fault any of the staff, they were all very friendly and helpful.

Never been on an escape experience before, so a little confused as what to do as clues were a little evasive, but eventually worked out what to do with helpful hints from assistant. Once finished escape room had a leisurely stroll round the prison, very enjoyable. Worth a visit

Me and my friend also did the overnight event then the escape cell and the guided tour. Every single member of staff from the lady when entering the car park, the ladies at the over night, guard at the escape cell, guard for the tour and all the staff in between, canteen staff, gift shop staff and anyone else have all been so happy, polite and helpfull from start to finish which made the experience even more enjoyable. We are already planning our return, cant wait to see the staff again. Well done everyone.

Absolutely brilliant. The gaurd who dealt with us was exceptional. I have mobility issues and he was so caring and supportive I felt in good hands. The whole experience was taxing and very enjoyable. Thank you. Would definitely recommend.

Brilliant experience. We did the prison break and it was a great afternoon out. The actors really played their parts well and the prison itself is interesting. Definitely recommend.

This is one of the cheapest excuses for an escape room I’ve ever been to. They have a real opportunity to make something exciting out of the cells but it’s lazy, props are battered and even broken. The guy that ran it is looking after all the cells so you have to knock and wait if you need help. I’m sure he thinks he’s playing the part of a prison guard but unfortunately he just comes off as nonchalant and rude. They did say at the beginning that you won’t know when you’ve finished. Which is a bit stupid because there’s isn’t even a click of the door to indicate whatsoever that you’re finished which is pointless because you’re meant to feel the excitement and drive to get out. It was all so flimsy and the clues were either red herrings or impossible with broken props. We split into two groups and one did light and one did dark. The dark one received equally as bad feedback. Cove Attractions have ruined shrewsbury prison. It used to be a great place but now the activities are sub standard and they ruined the excellent Christmas markets it used to have. Shrewsbury prison needs a better company running their activities.