Knoxville hosted the 1982 World's Fair, which drew eleven million visitors, and the 266-foot Sunsphere, a steel tower topped with a gold glass sphere, was built for it. The city is home to the University of Tennessee's flagship campus, the Tennessee River passes through downtown, and the Old City and Gay Street mix homes, shops and studios. The Great Smoky Mountains are some 20 miles to the south, and one of the city's nicknames is the Marble City. Add an escape room to a game day or a night in the Old City, and you have a full Knoxville plan.

Best of Morty (2025)

Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime as you immerse yourself in the 90s nostalgia at Reeltime Rentals! But wait, there's more! Legend has it that a secret Golden Membership card that unlocks unlimited video rentals across time and space is hidden somwhere in Reeltime Rentals. Unravel mysteries, solve puzzles, and embark on an epic quest to find this extraordinary card. Don't miss out on this journey through time and reel into the past at Reeltime Rentals today!

Overall a great experience! The room is very immersive and extremely nostalgic! I am a big fan of hint systems that aren’t the usual “press a button & your game master answers” type of deal. This one had a very unique & fun hint system!

Defy Escapes

ReelTime Rentals

Escape room

The monsters have invaded Tommy's room, get all the monsters back into the wardrobe before sun up, or they may be here for good.

Join in the adventure to find all the monsters in time. Fun for enthusiasts and families alike.

So here is what I have to say about this room. We played two of the other rooms at this facility previously. I really, really liked the first two rooms. I mean I loved what they did there. 

I loved our host, I thought the room was "cool"

This is a room for "newcomers" and smaller groups. 

If you are a team of vet "Escape Artists" do not come into this game excepting a challenge. come into this game to have fun, which I did.

Play all three rooms at Defy and hope "Jimmy" is there.

Midnight Monster Madness

Your Talent agent called and there's some good news and there's some bad news. The good news is, the new hit single from your band sounds great! The bad news is none of the local radio stations want to play it.

It's ok though, all you gotta do is break into the radio station, turn on the tower and put your new hit single on the airwaves before they open.

I need to be clear.....this room is super fun. I LOVED IT. It might just break into my top 20 rooms of all time. So much to love. An old school puzzle/lock game with some fun surprise elements. I think this is the standout game at this location. Hats off f to Defy for creating this room.  You guys outdid yourself. This is a contedner for best room in Tennessee, no joke IMO.

One Hit Wonder

Bigfoot has been spotted in the Smoky Mountains. Will you be able to track it down and get a picture of the legendary creature?

Tracking Bigfoot

After signing up for a free psych evaulation at the local asylum, you & your friends get more than they bargained for once they meet the asylums staff and see their strange testing method!

-----

You’ve been selected.

After months of observation, your file has been flagged for one final assessment. The doctors insist it’s routine… just a standard evaluation to determine your eligibility for release.

But something about this place feels wrong.

The staff speak in rehearsed tones. The equipment hums when no one is near it. And the patients… the patients aren’t being discharged.

Inside these walls, every action is being monitored. Every decision is recorded. Every mistake has consequences.

You and your group will undergo a series of psychological and physical trials designed to measure your cognitive stability, problem-solving ability, and willingness to comply.

The question is not whether you can escape.

The question is whether you should.

Because once the evaluation begins…
there is no opting out.


WOW. This was truly an amazing experience, from start to finish. First off, our game master Brian was extremely helpful and kind, he truly helped bring the immersion of the experience together. Secondly, the set design and props were all functioning properly, as well as very unique from other escape rooms I’ve done in the past. And third, the gameplay was exciting, challenging, and flowed cohesively in  a way that is sensible and solvable. There are multiple rooms, and the attention to detail in this room along with the unique puzzles definitely enhanced this experience. 10/10 recommend experiencing this for yourself, especially if you are an escape rooms junkie who is looking for something exciting and new from what you’ve done a million times before! :D

Escape Game Knoxville

The Final Evaluation

Reopening for 2026. Hours, dates, and admission may vary — check official site for current details.

Last verified: 8/31/2026

Shriek your way through this zombie attraction! When you enter the Chemacorp Laboratory, a closed-circuit broadcast informs you of a military experiment that has gone terribly wrong and turned all of the technicians and test subjects into aggressive zombies. Suddenly, the lock-down alarm sounds, and the only way to escape is to walk through the creepy environments of the testing facility, never knowing when a real-live zombie may startle you. The sights, sounds, and smells blur the lines between fiction and reality to get your heart racing, make you scream, and give you a scary fun thrill.

Outbreak - Dread the Undead

Outbreak Dread the Undead

Haunted house

Haunt

Other 

Reopening for 2026. Hours, dates, and admission may vary — check official site for current details.

Last verified: 8/31/2026

The unremarkably named VAULT 67 is one of many secure containment facilities located around the world with the dire purpose of securing entities, artifacts, and creatures that are too dangerous to let roam among humanity.  The facility uses both ancient magics and state of the art technology to trap, contain, and monitor its collection.  The power and threat of each entity/item varies and a variety of containment techniques are utilized.  Most can me housed in simple titanium and crystal cases reinforced with runic spells.  Other, more powerful entities/items require more elaborate containment.  These restless entities require environments that not only secure but also distract and placate their occupants to make them more manageable.  These containment zones recreate environments that are familiar for its residents allowing for less confrontation and hostilities.  VAULT 67 consists of several of these zones.

Even though you will be in proximity to some of the most dangerous and horrifying entities in the known universe, visitors to the facility are guaranteed a safe and comfortable observation of the inhabitants with no risk to your well being.  Nothing can possible go wrong.

Frightworks

Vault 67

Reopening for 2026. Hours, dates, and admission may vary — check official site for current details.

Last verified: 8/31/2026

It’s the most frightening time of the year!  The nights are long, dark, and cold, what better time to stir up the ghosts of the season at FrightWorks Haunted Holidays!  Grab a candle and experiences the corridors and creatures of FrightWorks Haunted House in a whole new way, but beware, you don’t want a restless holiday spirit to follow you home.  Mwahahahaha!

Haunted Holidays

Reopening for 2026. Hours, dates, and admission may vary — check official site for current details.

Last verified: 8/31/2026

Are you ready to test your St Patricks Day luck? Then make sure to visit FrightWorks Haunted House for an unforgettable, horrifying and enjoyable experience during the Leprechaun’s Curse event!

Leprechaun's Curse

Reopening for 2026. Hours, dates, and admission may vary — check official site for current details.

Last verified: 8/31/2026

Every fall, Bob Schmidt welcomes visitors to his Greenback, Tenn., farm. They learn about farm life and have fun.

With customers for his corn maze and pumpkin farm driving from as far as 250 miles away, Maple Lane Farms now is a tourist destination. “I can’t believe it,” Schmidt says. “I have to pinch myself. But I enjoy this. I’m a public kind of guy. And now I deal with lots of different people.  I have to be ready for anything.”

Make no mistake. Schmidt’s farm really is a farm, not some Disney-fied version of one. Visitors like it that way.

Maple Lane Farms

Haunted Corn Maze

Maze

Best of Morty (2024)

Invited by Reflecto the Resplendent, prove your magical prowess by completing a series of trials for initiation to the elite magicians’ group, the Masters of Magic. You’ll perform tricks and master common illusions before gaining entry into the Realm of Illusions, a mystical venue known as the “other side of magic” where truly powerful magic takes place and the actual trials begin. Unlock the secrets of the realm and earn your status as a true magician, or forever be just another generic stage performer.All aspiring magicians have heard the rumors of a secret society of illusionists with access to an ethereal world where real magic exists. The Realm of Illusions is the “other side of magic,” a place where miracles happen and the ordinary is extraordinary. This secret society known as the Masters of Magic only extends invitations to truly powerful magicians that have exhibited unparalleled abilities. ‍ Today, you have been invited by Reflecto the Resplendent, president of the Masters of Magic, to participate in the trials of initiation. Prove your magical prowess by performing an array of magic tricks and illusions. Begin in Reflecto’s dressing room, then progress throughout the backstage areas of a historic performance theater. If talented enough, you'll eventually gain access into the secret Realm of Illusions. Can you conquer these unbelievable feats and become one of the Masters of Magic? Unlock the secrets of the realm and earn your status as a true magician, or forever be just another generic stage performer.

Rating: 4.5/5 - Some of the best magic trick related puzzles, perfect for magician fans
Pros:
➕Set was immersive and decorated floor to ceiling, everything looked good
➕Loved how most of the puzzles felt like actual magic tricks including one sequence that was entertaining for the team. I enjoyed the puzzles here more than the ones at Servants of Sleight in FL which felt more random.
➕Lots of magic related references and great reveals
➕Puzzles made sense, and were satisfying to solve
➕Numerous tactile/physical interactions
➕Multiple rooms to explore
➕Almost all tech, it felt magical. The few padlocks were used where they made sense to the theme
➕Satisfying ending
➕GM was friendly and helpful when needed

Room for improvement:
➖One puzzle required a bit of outside knowledge but the GM provided that info
➖Public bookings by default, private costs extra

It is better to play the the game at Pigeon Forge over the Gatlinburg location as the one here is newer, more spacious and has an additional puzzle or two.
I'd recommend teams of 2-4 enthusiasts, we finished with plenty of time left as a team of 2 with a couple nudges. One person will need to crawl.

My ranking of the games I played here starting with my favorite:
1. Masters of Magic  (play at Pigeon Forge location since it is newer and bigger)
2. Boogeyman
3. Haunting of Hyde House
4. Big Maw Bertha's Fussin' & A' Feudin' Moonshine Hill Hootenanny

Gatlin's Escape Games

Masters of Magic

Nominee (2025)

It’s bedtime, but sweet dreams are not in your future. Do battle in an epic head-to-head fight to defeat the Boogeyman and save the world’s children from certain doom!

Rating: 4/5 - Cool artistic style, appropriately creepy with lots of tech
Pros:
➕Immersive, high budget set decorated floor to ceiling
➕Numerous custom props, easter eggs for the designer's other rooms, and fun nostalgia
➕Enjoyable storyline and puzzles that fit the theme
➕Just about everything was tech, I don't recall any padlocks. The tech had tactile/physical interactions.
➕Unique intro and satisfying ending
➕More than a single room, multiple areas to explore
➕GM was friendly and helpful when needed

Room for improvement:
➖One significant tech feature was mostly non-functional. It didn't harm any of the puzzle solving but caused a cool reveal to be spoiled early. They told me that they are working on replacing/repairing this tech item.
➖A bit on the easy side, wish the puzzles were a bit more challenging. But it's good for beginners or solo players.
➖Public bookings by default, private costs extra

I'd recommend teams of 1-3 enthusiasts, I finished solo with around 20 min left and minimal help from the GM. The game is mostly creepy with no major jump scares, just some minor startles. There is no blood/gore, it's more like Scooby-Doo style.

My ranking of the games I played here starting with my favorite:
1. Masters of Magic  (play at Pigeon Forge location since it is newer and bigger)
2. Boogeyman
3. Haunting of Hyde House
4. Big Maw Bertha's Fussin' & A' Feudin' Moonshine Hill Hootenanny

The Boogeyman

Nominee (2024)

Nominee (2023)

Nominee (2022)

Nominee (2020)

Finalist (2019)

Can you find the gold before the mob which Clyde Hamilton had hid who was a greedy gold prospector who was missing? Make it out in 60 minutes.

out 60+ escape rooms, this is quite possibly my favorite escape room that i have ever done. i high recommend it. the puzzles aren't easy, but they are not impossible, just ask for clues. the theming is brilliant, and the game masters at "the escape game" are amazing, including here. do yourself a favor and seek out this room. i heard a rumor that they might start closing it and replacing it with a yeti room. if so, don't miss out, do the room now!

Things to Do in Knoxville: Escape Rooms, Haunted Houses and More

Top escape rooms in Knoxville

ReelTime Rentals

Midnight Monster Madness

One Hit Wonder

Tracking Bigfoot

The Final Evaluation

Top escape rooms for kids in Knoxville

Masters of Magic

The Boogeyman

ReelTime Rentals

Midnight Monster Madness

Gold Rush

Top haunted houses near Knoxville

Outbreak Dread the Undead

Vault 67

Haunted Holidays

Leprechaun's Curse

Haunted Corn Maze

More cities

Chattanooga

Atlanta

Nashville

Charlotte

Louisville

Cincinnati

About Knoxville

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