DoCo adding 3 family-friendly entertainment businesses to Sacramento plaza
Sacramento’s Downtown Commons plaza has plans to welcome three new entertainment businesses to the complex around Golden 1 Center.
New to DoCo will be Escapology, Museum of Illusions and Sandbox VR.
Sandbox VR is a virtual reality center where groups of up to six can play immersive games such as “Dead Wood Phobia” and “Rebel Moon: The Descent.” Other titles include “Squid Games,” “Dead Wood Valley,” “Seekers of the Shard: Dragon Fire,” “Amber Sky 2088,” “Dead Wood Mansion,” “Curse of Davy Jones” and “Unbound Fighting League.”
Sandbox VR spokesperson Sierra Lawrence said the center is scheduled to open in late October with four holodecks for gaming.
“It will be on the second level of DoCo, directly facing Golden 1 Center,” Lawrence said. “This prime spot sits within a vibrant entertainment hub that includes Punch Bowl Social, Century Theatres, and exciting new tenants like the Museum of Illusions and Escapology.”
Escapology is an escape room business where players work together inside themed rooms to complete a mission before time runs out, according to the company’s website. The Sacramento location at 405 K St., Suite 240, was listed as “coming soon.” Another site was announced in July at the Fountains at Roseville at 1013 Galleria Blvd.
Games planned include “Batman: The Dark Knight Challenge,” “Scooby-Doo and the Spooky Castle Adventure,” “Haunted House” and “7 Deadly Sins.”
“At Escapology Sacramento, every room is a new adventure,” the website said. “Our creatively designed themes ensure an exciting and memorable team-building experience for everyone involved.” No opening date was listed.
The company website did not specify an opening date.
Museum of Illusions, an international edutainment franchise, offers interactive optical illusions and sensory experiences. Chief Marketing Officer Andy Levey said the Sacramento location was scheduled to open in spring 2026 in a 10,000-square-foot space.
“Our visitors can expect to have their minds challenged and their perspectives flipped through a variety of interactive exhibits including optical illusions, brain gym, and signature rooms like the vortex tunnel, reversed room, and building illusion,” Levey said.
The first Museum of Illusions opened in Croatia in 2015 and has expanded to more than 60 locations worldwide, according to its website. Operating hours for the Sacramento location will be announced closer to opening.
Levey said the Museum of Illusion operating hours will be finalized closer to the launch date.
The openings come during a year of change for DoCo, which replaced the struggling Downtown Plaza mall in 2017. The original plaza opened in 1971, expanded in 1993 and thrived for a time before losing stores and shoppers in the 2000s. The Great Recession and competition from suburban malls accelerated its decline, and the mall was torn down in 2014.
In its place, the Sacramento Kings and partners invested about $1 billion to create an entertainment-focused district built around Golden 1 Center. The six-square-block project included the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel, Punch Bowl Social, Century Theatres, restaurants, bars, housing and select retail aimed at drawing locals, suburban visitors and tourists year-round.
Earlier this year, Macy’s announced it would close its downtown store, a longtime anchor of the property, citing changes in shopping habits and underperformance.
Soon after, the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians purchased the Macy’s building for $15 million, several months after acquiring 300 Capitol Mall for $32 million. The tribe has said it is considering a range of redevelopment options for the sites, from housing and hotels to retail, family entertainment or a museum, with the possibility of a casino not ruled out.
This story was originally published August 8, 2025 at 12:49 PM.