MIT Students Host Annual Campus Escape Room
The student-run event provides a collaborative break for participants in Cambridge this October.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in College Life
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MIT students are hosting their annual "Next Haunt" escape-room experience in the basement of Next House. The event, which invites students to solve collaborative puzzles, runs for two weekends each October.
Why it matters
Next Haunt provides students an opportunity to take a break from their academic coursework while building community. The event also offers participants the chance to develop leadership experience in time management and delegation.
Last year, 16% of 73 participating teams successfully solved the puzzles. The event is free for students and requires teams of four to six to escape within the six-and-a-half-hour nightly operation window.
The players
MIT
A private research university in Cambridge known for its rigorous engineering and science programs.
MIT Campus Construction
The administrative office responsible for overseeing facility safety and building standards on campus.
The details
Students organize and build the escape rooms, creating puzzles that require physical tasks or word challenges to obtain codes. The student executive team manages the operations, while official safety inspections are conducted by MIT Campus Construction and the Environment, Health, and Safety office to ensure compliance. Student actors perform as zombies who can paralyze participants upon contact to increase the difficulty of the challenge.
Timeline
Next Haunt began its annual tradition in 2014.
The 2026 event runs for two weekends in October.
The next build is scheduled for 2027.
Education Landscape
This year's installation follows the student-led tradition that has operated annually since 2014. Such activities are increasingly recognized for their role in fostering student leadership and mental well-being outside the classroom.
MIT students interested in participating should prepare to work in teams of four to six to solve the puzzles. Contact the Next House organizers if you are interested in joining the executive team for the 2027 build.
The takeaway
Participating in large-scale student projects offers valuable experience in delegation and project management. Check in with student government or housing organizations in the spring to learn how to join the executive team for next year's planning phase.
Further reading
For more on how students balance academics with extracurricular traditions, visit College Life.
Source note: This article includes information reported by MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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