There's a lot to love about Only Murders in the Building. But Hulu's brilliant comedy whodunit would not be as universally loved if said building was, say, your standard commercial apartment dwelling.
We all secretly want to call the Arconia's grand facade and gold-embellished lobby our home—and Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez our neighbors. Even though the building is very much a real place (located on 86th Street and Broadway in New York City), that fantasy will likely remain as such. Especially seeing as how buying an apartment there costs between $4 and $8 million.
Lucky for us, Hulu is giving fans a much more affordable opportunity to step inside the fictional Arconia's mystery-ridden walls. To celebrate the start of Season 3, the streaming platform, in conjunction with The Escape Game, set up an OMITB-themed escape room that takes you to the iconic 10th floor, right outside Oliver Putnam's (Short) apartment.
Designed to test your detective skills and ability to observe clues, this interactive game will allow escapers will relive some of their favorite moments in the series while solving a seemingly unsolvable mystery. It's like participating in one of the trio's podcast episodes. Only this time, you're the one playing detective.
Hidden doors, secret passageways, and even a few Easter eggs from the current season await. Think you have what it takes? Read on to learn more.
What's The Escape Room About?
OMITB Escape Room
Even though it's a comedy, OMITB deals with some pretty heavy topics. Namely, homicide. But the cases you'll tackle in the series' escape room are (thankfully) a lot less serious.
Here's the scoop: just like the current situation in Season 3, Oliver's Broadway show "Death Rattle" is about to debut. But on the day the curtain is supposed to rise for the first time, a key prop vanishes. In order to save the show and prevent Oliver from a disastrous opening night, you and your group must team up to find the thief.
Without giving away too much of your journey, know that your search for the missing prop will take you into Oliver's apartment—and possibly one of those infamous Aronica secret passageways.
But like all escape rooms, your time to solve this pressing case is limited. Each group will only have 60 minutes to solve the mystery and escape.
The experience is truly immersive and interactive. Not to mention, it's a great way to get in the OMITB spirit before diving into Season 3.
When Can I Try The Escape Room?
OMITB Escape Room
Fans who want to take part in this unique real-life encounter must act fast. The escape room is free and only open for a limited time at the following dates and locations:
- The Forum Shops in Las Vegas, Nevada, from August 18th to August 20th
If you can't make it to any of the in-person locations, there is a virtual option. From August 14 to August 18, you can log in from anywhere in the world and solve the virtual version of the OMITB escape room via Zoom. Like the in-person rooms, this online experience is also free.
Whichever mystery format you choose, you can RSVP online at www.onlymurdersescapegame.com.
Is The Arconia Real?
OMITB Escape Room
As of right now, this escape room situation is the closest any of us will get to stepping foot inside the "real" Arconia. While the apartments seen in the show are all filmed on a soundstage, the exterior of the building you see in a few scenes is a real-life Upper West Side complex called the Belnord.
Like the Arconia, the Belnord is rich in both famous residents, incredible architecture, and a storied history. It was built way banc in 1908, and Broadway Actor Zero Mostel, Noble-winning writer Isaac Bashevis Singer, and even Marilyn Monroe's acting coach all called the luxury residence home.
OMITB co-co-creator John Hoffman admitted to the New York Times that he was "obsessed" with Belnord, which inspired much of the show. Hoffman even offered current Belnord residents the opportunity to appear in the show's Season 1 finale. Apparently, quite a few people took him up on the offer.
"It's a cliché to say that the building itself is a character, but I like the challenge of getting beyond that cliché a bit," he said. "What pulls us out of our apartments to meet people? How well do you know your neighbors? Do you only connect when it's necessary? The ways in which we get pulled together when we live in these spaces is what's really interesting."
Season 3 of Only Murders in the Building premiered on Hulu on August 8. New episodes will be released every week on the platform.
