There's an 'outdoor escape room' in Canmore that can last a full afternoon

“Outdoor escape room” sounds like something of an impossibility, much like “low-fat donuts,” or “warm snow,” but one company in Canmore is truly turning escape rooms on their head.

Mystery Town Tours operates just like the escape rooms that we all know and love (though sometimes really, really hate), but the twist is that you’re not actually trying to escape anything. You’ll actually be following clues throughout the town, receiving information via cellphone, and replying with your answers to the mysteries presented throughout the day.

And it could be a full day, at that, as tours can range from 90 minutes to a full afternoon of adventuring around the town.

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Without the limitations of a few rooms, Mystery Town Tours can extend upwards of six kilometres of clue-tracking, which attendees can traverse by foot or by bike.

“Tours are extremely flexible. Easy-going explorers can take in the sights and enjoy the tour at their own pace, while more competitive types can race the leaderboard to earn their title as record-setting champions. You can start on whichever date you like, within a set time window, and choose from different tour types,” Andrew Nickerson, Creator of Mystery Town tours, said in a release.

Two tours are currently available to play, with a three to five hour Unchained Melody costing $99 for the full group of two to four four players, and Smuggler’s Blues, a one to two hour tour costing only $49 for the same group size.

“I thought I’d seen every corner of Canmore – so I was surprised at the number of hidden gems I stumbled upon while looking for unique attractions. During the product-testing process over the last few months, many guests were long-time locals – and they were quite shocked to discover fascinating places they’d never seen or heard about in their hometown,” Nickerson said.

Mystery Town Tours

When: Available for registration now

Time: 1 to 5 hours

Where: Two tours in Canmore, one in Victoria, BC

Tickets: Ranges from $49 to $99 per group, with groups ranging from two to four people