District 57 is located in west Charlotte, just off Freedom Drive at 1526-B Alleghany Street, inside a 20,000-square-foot space created by Jelani Patterson and Mylene Labrie, the duo behind the country’s first Exit Strategy escape rooms.
Step Into a Post-Apocalyptic World
District 57 isn’t a typical arcade or game bar. The entire complex is built around a story set in a dystopian future where a global power outage has plunged the planet into darkness and a group called the Representative Protectorate offers food and safety to “citizens.” Guests are welcomed into this immersive narrative from the moment they walk in, with staff playing along as part of the fiction and the whole venue dressed to match the theme. The theming carries through every corner of the building, from the briefing videos to the custom-built props and effects. It’s a place where the setting itself is part of the entertainment, and the owners describe it as a one-of-a-kind experience you won’t find anywhere else in Charlotte.
The Grid: A 30-Room Gauntlet of Mind and Muscle
The Grid is the heart of District 57, a 7,000-square-foot challenge arena made up of 30 separate rooms. Each room holds a single task that must be completed within an undisclosed window of one to five minutes, and those tasks alternate between testing your brain and your body. Teams earn points for successful completions, and a failed room means moving on to another challenge before you can try again. Teams of two to five players can book 30, 60, or 90-minute sessions, and up to 20 teams can play at the same time. The longer you play, the more rooms you can conquer and the more points you can rack up, which is why many visitors recommend going for at least an hour. It’s fast-paced, competitive, and works well for groups that want to solve puzzles together.
Bordertown: Tactical Laser Tag With Real Bite
Bordertown is District 57’s 4,000-square-foot tactical laser tag arena, and it’s a far cry from the laser tag of the 1980s and 1990s. Players suit up in bulletproof vests and carry military-inspired rifles that weigh about seven pounds, with recoil, muzzle flashes, red dot scopes, and magazine reloads. The equipment is the same type used for military and police training, so it’s a genuine workout that owners recommend approaching in gym clothes and closed-toe shoes. The arena runs two styles of play: High Stakes, a mission-based, story-driven game, and Rapid Fire, a black-ops combat arena with eight-minute mini games like team deathmatch and capture the flag. Players can choose the lighting and music to change the mood, and all the special effects and props are custom-built in-house. Sessions run on a 90-minute cycle, require a minimum of four players, and are restricted to ages 16 and up.
AllSorts: Food, Drinks, and Games to Unwind
After the adrenaline of The Grid or Bordertown, the AllSorts area is where guests relax and refuel. There’s a self-serve bar pouring beer, wine, and cider, plus a grab-and-go fridge with seasonal beers, hard tea, hard lemonade, and seltzers. The kitchen turns out homemade pizzas and casual dishes like poutine, so there’s real food to go with the drinks. The space also holds a collection of classic arcade games, a pool table, foosball, ping pong, and electronic darts. It’s a comfortable hangout spot where groups can keep the evening going after their scheduled activities, and reviews frequently mention the friendly atmosphere and the quality of the local beer selection.
Built for Teams, Parties, and Private Gatherings
District 57 positions itself as one of Charlotte’s top team-building venues, and the layout supports everything from corporate outings to birthday parties and date nights. The staff are known for being welcoming and helpful, and the owners emphasize customizing events to match each group’s specific needs. Companies have rented the space for team building, and it’s been used for celebrations of all kinds. For more private occasions, there’s an 1,800-square-foot event space called “Unknown” that can be rented for gatherings like baby showers or business meetings while still offering access to the main lobby. Memberships are also available for regulars, including a monthly Bordertown pass and a Grid-90 membership, giving frequent visitors a way to keep coming back.
El Monte
