Primarily, it is two escape rooms. Escape rooms are puzzle games, really. You enter a room having been given a brief explanation of a problem or issue. You are "locked" (always an open exit - nobody ever is really locked in) into that room and have one hour to either escape that room or complete a mission. There are two escape rooms. The Midnight Express is an homage to the Jay Gould railroad car,
the real deal of which you can tour just around the corner from The Midnight House. The Midnight Cabin is a playfully creepy homage to Jefferson's reputation as a Bigfoot sighting hot spot in Texas. In addition to the escape rooms, The Midnight House sells some basic provisions, snacks, and cold drinks for a hot day. There are theatrical events and film viewings that will be scheduled to give a respite from the summer heat, as well, and hopefully some local musicians featured duing special events. You can also feel free to take your picture by owner Rocky's 1923 Coca-Cola Model T if it is parked out front. The Midnight House Jefferson is a dream finally realized for owners Rockcliffe and Emily Montez, two creatives who love history, entertaining, the enchanting city of Jefferson, Texas, and providing memorable experiences. WHO ARE the proprietors? Rockcliffe "Rocky" Montez, who's lineage can be traced to the battle of the Alamo, lived his entire life in San Antonio until his recent move to Jefferson. He has an extensive background in theatre, performing in shows as early as kindergarten (starring as a snowman), and running his own theatre with his mother by the age of 20. He was raised on classic films and given many a crash-course in history by his brilliant mother, who taught him that books were his best friends in life, while his father bestowed in him his immeasurable work ethic. Transitioning from theatre to film came natural to Rocky, and he has spent the last 15 years filming, editing, acting, gaffing, and even location scouting. His credits include major commercial productions from Walmart to GMC to indie film and Netflix series. Rocky's heroes include his parents, Walt Disney and Don the Beachcomber (if you know who this is, then, yes, Rocky makes his amazing cardamom daiquiris as history intended, never frozen). A child of the 80's and clearly influenced by Ghostbusters, My Pet Monster, and E.T., Rocky has long been fascinated with the haunted, alien, and crypto-zoology worlds, so, naturally, he believes not only in Santa Claus but in Bigfoot...which, during the pandemic, led him and Emily to Jefferson, and "the rest of the story" is simply history discovered. Emily Montez, also a multi-generational Texan, was born in the actual capital city of Austin and raised in nearby Tyler, the Rose Capital of Texas. She began dipping her toes into theatre in elementary school, playing a munchkin, doused with silk flowers and hot glue, in the Pollard Methodist Church's production of the Wizard of Oz. This continued into high school, where, in addition to Pollard's many shows, she assumed many acting roles in her high school's productions, finally settling into the stage manager position for a one-act version of Fiddler on the Roof, which, as Uncle Rico would say, "took state" for the first time in the history of her school's one-act competing. Post-graduation, Emily spent a year as an exchange student in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, learning French, eating all the cheese and chocolate, drinking the cold wine from the cask in the chateau in her village, and traveling as far south as Marrakesh. Life was hard. She then returned to the states, lived in Los Angeles for 5 years, then to Austin for 12 years, then met Rocky, and spent the last 9 years in San Antonio. Emily takes pride in three important papers: a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology (minor music) from UT Austin, a Masters of Science in Social Work from UT Austin, and a employee's certificate from the famous Broken Spoke in Austin as High-Kicking Emily, "the only one who ever high-kicked over the Broken Spoke wheel and lived to tell the tale". Emily has taken these three credentials and used them all, (trust me), in her last 10 years as a commercial producer, working freelance on campaigns from General Mills to Ford and many others between, and with Rocky's and her production company on smaller gigs, RockEm Productions. Emily feels at home back in the piney woods, and is finally getting to sew her creative oats on The Midnight House. Rocky and Emily cannot wait to meet you! We hope you enjoy what we have come up with and designed, and want to create a relaxed and fun environment for everyone who graces our doorstep.
