WALLOWA — Residents and visitors to Wallowa now have an outlet for any angst they may be feeling after being baffled by Swedin’s Secret Escape Room: They can move on to Wallowa Woodsmen Axe Throwing.

Angela Swedin opened the new entertainment venue Sunday, June 2, alongside the Escape Room in downtown Wallowa. The Escape Room opened in April 2023 and has become a popular place for local entertainment over the past year.

“It’s been going great,” Sweden said. “I have a lot of repeat customers, as well as tourists.”

The Escape Room also has become popular with local schools for field trips. She said Olan Fulfer brought his Joseph Charter School eighth-graders out for a field trip and Silvies River Charter School brought its home-schoolers there twice, once during Christmas break and once as an end-of-the-school year event.

“Between the two schools, it was seven groups who came through in two days,” she said. “It was awesome.”

Added attraction

And now, for something a little more, Swedin and her husband, Shea, have added the Wallowa Woodsmen Axe Throwing.

“It’s just part of the Escape Room,” she said. “The theme of Wallowa Woodsmen is logging. It’s very fitting with the logging in the area. A lot of owners of escape rooms have added axe-throwing as part of the (entertainment) industry.”

The venue also is adding food service and eventually alcohol, although there will be limits on alcohol consumption for those wielding an axe.

The targets for the axes are projected with equipment provided by Axecitement, a company that provides the projectors and targets. The company also taught Swedin how to coach customers.

“I’m the axe-throwing coach,” Swedin said, admitting she’s still learning about it. “Anybody who comes, I will give them a lesson, but I’m still a beginner. I can get it to the target and make it stick.”

Swedin said customers can reserve an axe-throwing lane or drop in in hopes of finding one free.

“Come check out the new space, reserve an axe-throwing lane, grab some delicious food and have an awesome time,” she said.

Participants must be at least 12 years old to throw an axe.

The “axes” aren’t full-length double-bit axes. Rather, they’re short hatchet-like cutting tools. Participants throw from a line about 12 feet from the target with a safety line at 15 feet. There are two lanes participants can use.

The cost is $25 for two to three people for a 65-minute session or $20 for four to six people. A 35-minute session can be had for $15 per person.

“The bigger the group, the cheaper it gets,” Swedin said.

Wallowa Woodsmen Axe Throwing

What: Adventure experience

Who: Angela Swedin

Hours: Monday-Wednesday 4-8 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday 4-10 p.m.; Sunday 1-6 p.m.

Where: 202 E. First St., Wallowa

Phone: 541-398-0124

Email:

swedinsecretescape@gmail.com

Online: swedinsecretescape.com