FAQ

Please see the spoilers page if you need to know what happens at The Eureka Room.

The Eureka Room is a boutique immersive experience room filled with light, sound, and fun participatory absurdity. The room measures a cozy one hundred square feet and accommodates up to 12 people.

Video-led instruction guides visitors though different programs, each lasting 10 to 20 minutes. The programs have been described as “absurdist”, “wholly unique”, and “indescribable”.

The Eureka Room is not a passive experience. The Eureka Room only works if visitors are willing to participate and engage with other visitors. The participation is designed to be fun and easy.

Please see the spoilers page if you want to know more about what happens.

(Please see the rest of the FAQ if you have specific physical/emotional related concerns or email mike@eurekaroom.com with your questions).

No. It is not like an escape room at all. But people who get excited about escape rooms usually enjoy the Eureka Room. It's a participatory absurd high energy experience.

No. You do not have to wear, hold, or learn any kind of technology. 

No. There's no jump scares or gore or anything like a haunted house. There is, however, loudish music and excitement - this is not a passive experience.

No. The Eureka Room is about participating in fun and absurd activities with everyone else in the room. The visuals are really cool, but they are just a backdrop to the participation.

Please do not show up high. If you show up high you are going to be overwhelmed by the instructions and ruin the fun for yourself and others.

The Eureka Room is for you if you are willing to and interested in engaging in playful absurdity.

It is for warm, friendly, enthusiastic people who like to act stupid/silly and be playful. If you're a "yes, and" person who is willing to play along, this is for you.

I strongly recommend you do not visit if you don't like participation, and/or have a more serious personality.

Additionally, please think twice before bringing friends or partners who are not into participation. They will not be happy with you and their disinterest will be apparent to everyone and lessen everybody's enjoyment.

(I realize most businesses try to get all the customers they can, and I'm potentially crazy in telling people to think twice, but it's really for the good of everyone.)

While the content is essentially G-rated, The Eureka Room is designed to be a place where adults can participate in unstructured play. 

Guests are expecting adults-only so I do not make exceptions.

Everyone must be 16 or older. But if you're looking for an all ages place, you might want to check out Wonder Spaces or The Museum of Ice Cream.

You can buy a gift vouchers from the visit page. Look for the words "Gift Voucher" in the top right of the scheduling section.
Sorry, but the Eureka room is for 16 and up. I want to make sure it's a safe environment for everyone who visits. There's flashing lights which puts kids at risk if they have not yet diagnosed epilepsy or photosensitivities. I know that risk is small but hope you understand!
Unfortunately The Eureka Room is currently located in a building that is not ADA accessible. The front and back porches each have six stairs. Additionally, some of the programs require physical movements, the use of two hands, and much of the experience is done while standing. Please contact mike@eurekaroom.com if you have any concerns or would like a seated experience.

It really depends on the person.

In terms of physical requirements, the experience is about 40 minutes and is done standing. We can provide a chair. There's a lot of high fiving, and there's an activity at a table where you have to use two hands.

As far as mental/emotion requirements go, some activities are fast-paced and even designed to be confusing and overwhelming (in a fun way).

If someone is self-conscious about their mental and physical abilities slowing down with aging, the room might not be a good fit for them.

However, if they have a strong impulse to make things fun regardless, they probably won't mind the confusion since the "rules" of the room aren't super important and are designed to be sort of ridiculously impossible at times. We've had older ladies who didn't even speak english (the instructions are in english) love it and had a few curmudgeon 20-somethings just think it was dumb. A lot of the enjoyment depends on the personality and attitude of the individual more than anything.

We're happy to answer any additional questions you might have. Just contact us.

Since the programs are participatory, they require a minimum number of people.

The ideal group number is 6-8, but it can work with as low as 4. If you have a group larger than 8, please read this.

Not to worry! It’s better that way, actually.

For solo attendees and smaller groups, I will work with you to combine your group with others. I’ve had over 1300 people visit and I’m confident that sharing the experiences with strangers is more fun.

Please don’t bring anyone who you know isn’t going to be into The Eureka Room. That’s just a bummer for all of us. Instead, join with other small groups and meet new people who share your interest in participatory immersive experiences!

Please see the groups of 8+ page for more information.

Yes! We have loads of free parking in the back of the house. There's also lots of free street parking available.
A typical visit lasts around an hour.

There are many flashing and strobing lights. You may be affected by The Eureka Room if you are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy or have other photo sensitivities. If you have questions, email me.

For those who are sensitive to the “rainbow effect” caused by some projectors, I use a 3-chip projector which eliminates the rainbow effect.

Unfortunately, most of The Eureka Room is visual so I would not recommend it for the visually-impaired.

I have had a couple hearing-impaired people visit and was able to accommodate them pretty well. If you are interested in hearing-impaired programs, please contact me.

Yes. Many. The Eureka Room is located in East Austin at 1408 East Cesar Chavez, eight blocks from Rainey street and downtown Austin, and within a few minutes walk from more food, drink, and music options than I could list here. Popular nearby tourist spots include the White Horse (5 blocks), la Barbecue (9 blocks), Lady Bird Lake (9 blocks), and the Texas State Cemetary (7 blocks)

He prefers to call it fun, absurd, and unique. And sometimes he calls the attraction that is The Eureka Room, weird. But that's more a a judgment than a fact.

If you have any other questions please contact me here.