The Litchfield Park Branch Library will transform into a whimsical, puzzling world on May 2 -3 for “Escaping Wonderland,” an escape room experience, recommended for ages 12 and older.

The event invites participants to step into an environment inspired by “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” the 1865 novel by Lewis Carroll that has since influenced generations of artists, writers and filmmakers with its surreal imagery and dreamlike logic. Several 45-minute escape sessions will be available each day at the library, located at 101 W. Wigwam Blvd. in Litchfield Park.

Registration is required, with up to six players allowed per session.

Players will navigate a series of riddles, puzzles, and challenges as they attempt to free themselves from the Queen of Hearts’ domain before time runs out. According to event organizers, the experience will draw from Wonderland’s iconic characters and motifs, including the Mad Hatter’s confusing clues and the enigmatic messages of the Cheshire Cat.

Escape rooms offer a form of live-action team-based gaming where participants solve challenges within a set time limit. 

Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” is considered a cornerstone of fantastical literature. Its surreal tone, shifting realities, and nonsensical conversations helped shape later artistic movements, including surrealism and modernism. Over the decades, the book’s aesthetic, characterized by whimsical logic, dreamlike landscapes, and playful but unsettling characters, has been repeatedly adapted into films, fashion, theater, and experiential events.

Visit mcldaz.org for more information or to register for a session.