Three fun venues put Middletown on the entertainment map
Jerry SmithHatchets began to fly last weekend at Camp Adventureland in Westown as the first of two hatchet-throwing themed entertainment venues quietly opened in Middletown.
About three miles away near downtown Middletown, entrepreneur Rishen Patel held a soft opening for another family-friendly fun spot called Novus Escape Room.
In just a couple of more weeks, Stumpy's Hatchet House will open in Westown, and Camp Adventureland will open its escape room sometime in February.
And just like that, Middletown is another step closer to becoming the kind of entertainment destination offering trendy new choices for fun that people usually drive to Philadelphia, Wilmington or Baltimore to enjoy.
Leading the charge Saturday was Camp Adventureland. For four hours on Saturday and then again on Sunday, would-be lumberjacks were given the chance to hurl chopping hardware as Camp Adventureland offered 15-minute sessions for free.
"All 10 lanes were up and running and the reception we received was positive," said partner Dennis Shea. "We're working hard to get the escape rooms finished so people can experience it all."
Middletown could be the hatchet-throwing capital of Delaware as second venue planned
Christine Knous Hamm of Middletown took her two boys to Adventureland Sunday and said she would be back.
"Had such a great time at their open house today," Knous Hamm said in a post on the Adventureland Facebook page. "I think the boys are naturals. Considering joining their league. Be sure to check this place out!"
For Jason Pennington, the new venues are overdue.
"Finally something fun to do in Middletown that’s family friendly," he said on Adventureland's Facebook page.
A different kind of fun
Patel will hold a grand opening event at his new Novus Escape Room on Thursday. The weekend soft opening was designed to make sure the staff was well-prepared and all of the kinks were worked out.
Novus Escape Room franchise coming to Middletown in summer 2018
He said the feedback last week was good at what Patel says is the first character-based escape room experience in Delaware. Novus gives patrons the opportunity to play as one of eight characters, each with its own unique and vital superpower.
"We’re very excited to bring a Malaysian brand to Middletown that is different from conventional escape rooms," he said. "I’m hoping we find more people who can escape from our two most difficult rooms, Testament of Tesla and Materia Medica."
Coming soon: A third option
Owners of Stumpy's say a second hatchet-throwing venue is a week, maybe two away from opening.
The concept for Stumpy's is simple: A group of people pays individually for a two-hour session (usually $40 per person), and they throw axes provided by the venue at a set of targets in an enclosed throwing pit.
According to its owners, the Middletown Stumpy's Hatchet House will be the first of seven nationwide franchises already up and running and 16 others being planned to hold a liquor license. Beer, wine and snacks will be sold at the new venue.
"We wanted to be open by now but have experienced some delays. We want it to be right when it opens," said partner Hector Correa.
Shea thinks Middletown is big enough to support two hatchet-throwing venues.
"It's like having more than one great restaurant in the community," he said. "It is a bonus to have an explosion of new choices for food and entertainment for families."
Camp Adventureland
• Location: 112 Patriot Dr., Suite C
• Soft opening: 4-10 p.m. Friday with regular weekend hours.
• Grand opening: 5:30-7 p.m. Feb. 28.
• Contact: 302-449-2267 (CAMP) or Middletown@CampAdventureland.com
• Go to the website and Facebook page for hours of operation and more information.
Novus Escape Room
• Location: Middletown Square Shopping Center, 727 N. Broad St.
• Grand opening: 5:30 p.m. Thursday, with special guests Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, Middletown Mayor Ken Branner and District 9 Rep. Kevin Hensley, R-Middletown.
• Contact: info.middletown@novusescaperoom.com
• Go to the website and Facebook page for hours of operation and more information about the different games available.
Stumpy's Hatchet House
• Location: 819 Middletown Warwick Rd.
• Contact: 302-378-4737
• Go to the website and Facebook page for the grand opening, hours of operation and more information.
Reach Jerry Smith at jsmith17@delawareonline.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JerrySmithTNJ.
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