About this venue
In a hidden room high up in the monumental Pieterskerk in Leiden, you play The General Rehearsal: a historical escape room about Leiden's female resistance during World War II. What appears to be an innocent choir rehearsal turns out to be a cover for a secret resistance operation, built around real people like Elisabeth Rameau-Flippo, the sexton's wife who hid refugees and brought soup via the famous 'soup staircase' upstairs. Visitors praise how location and story are fully aligned — you literally climb the actual staircase from the story — and the classically constructed, logical puzzles with authentic props. The room opened in early 2025, is run by the Pieterskerk itself, and the first reviews and press are decidedly glowing. Note: due to the monumental staircase, the room is not accessible for people with limited mobility, and the fixed rate of €149 per session is pricey for small groups.
Rooms
- De Generale RepetitieWOII-verzet in bezet Leiden: een koorrepetitie in de Pieterskerk als dekmantel voor een geheime verzetsoperatie
- Mayflower Escaperoom (voorganger, gesloten)Pilgrims-geheim van curator Ward Hopkooper op dezelfde kerkzolder; berucht moeilijk (~30% ontsnapping)
What visitors say
- Location and story are one: you play where the events actually took place, including the real soup staircase
- Nice classic, logically constructed puzzles that fit the story well
- Respectful treatment of real history and a friendly, engaged host
- Fixed rate of €149 per session is steep for 2 players
- Not accessible for people with limited mobility (monumental staircase)
