'Murder Mystery' at Perkins House sells out

It did not take long for Colfax's latest Halloween-related event to sell out, despite Halloween being more than four months away.

“It was very, very quick. It was going crazy,” said event planner Caleb Cox, director of sales and marketing at Best Western Wheatland Inn. “The phone was ringing off the hook all day.”

“Murder Mystery on the Palouse,” a real-life game of Clue to take place at the historic Perkins House mansion in Colfax Oct. 28 and 29, was posted online as a Facebook event Wednesday, July 6, and had sold out just two days later, with 20 spots available each night.

Cox said he got the idea after hearing of other hotels in nearby towns and cities that host murder mysteries, and he thought it would be something fun for Colfax, especially given the recent interest in the St. Ignatius building.

“I think it's going to be a good potential ongoing and unique activity,” he said. “Colfax has really tapped into this ghost hunting theme.”

The Murder Mystery on the Palouse will start at the Best Western at 2 p.m. each day and begin with a scavenger hunt through Colfax followed by tours of the upstairs of some downtown buildings.

“We've incorporated the businesses, so it's a win-win for everybody,” said Cox.

Cox also sits on the Economic Development, Tourism and Events Commission for Colfax.

“My job as a sales director is to bring business to the hotel, and we're getting some of the businesses involved downtown,” he said. “We'll be getting them out into the different parts of downtown.”

A special package for the event is offered by the hotel, with the package including dinner at the Perkins House, a scavenger hunt throughout the town – including downtown buildings on Main Street that are said to be haunted – and one night of accommodations at the Best Western for $159.99 plus tax at double occupancy and $129.99 plus tax for single occupancy.

“It's a package deal,” Cox said Friday before the event sold out.

Funds from the package will benefit the hotel, as well as the community because of the hotel tax.

There were 20 package spots available for each of the two nights, and with those already full, Cox said there will be more Murder Mysteries in the future.

“I want to pull off a good successful one first and then we'll do another one,” he said. “Stay tuned.”

Cox said there is a bed and breakfast inn in Coeur d'Alene which does murder mystery parties once or twice a week and another in Dayton that does the parties once or twice a month.

Four prizes will be given away at the party. Each participant will be given fake money as a part of the game, and the participant with the most money left will receive a prize, as well as the one who is the best dressed and the ones who play the part the best and solve the mystery.

Cox added that future murder mysteries will not necessarily coincide with Halloween, so there will be opportunities throughout the year to participate for anyone who missed out on the first round.

“I appreciate all the interest, and like I said, stay tuned.”