Team Building Near DC: Metro-Accessible Team Outings in Clarendon

If your team is based in DC, Bond's Arlington is one Metro ride away. It's about a five-minute walk from Clarendon station, so nobody needs a car, and it has six private escape rooms with step-free access.

This guide is for DC offices planning an outing. It covers how to get there, how many people fit, where to eat afterward, when to send the group to Fairfax instead and the questions HR will ask before anyone signs off.

Why DC teams come to Clarendon

Clarendon is on the Orange and Silver lines. Heading west from Metro Center, it's six stops: McPherson Square, Farragut West, Foggy Bottom-GWU, Rosslyn, Court House, then Clarendon. From Foggy Bottom it's three. Exit the station and it's about a five-minute walk along Clarendon Boulevard to 2800 Clarendon Blvd, inside Clarendon Center. Take the ground-level elevator near the Crate and Barrel sign and look for Suite 910.

When the outing starts at a Metro stop, most of the team can skip the drive, and nobody needs a ride home after drinks. For anyone who does drive, the garage next door (entrance off Fillmore Street) tops out at about $13 a day and takes SpotHero reservations.

Every game is private, so your team never shares a room with strangers. Bond's also runs team events at any start time, so a late-afternoon game followed by dinner around the corner is easy to set up.

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Planning for 10, 30 and 60 people across six private rooms

Every Arlington room runs 60 minutes at $34 a person, with a game master watching and sending hints when a team asks. Here are the six, with the player counts Bond's lists:

Filled to their listed maximums, the six rooms take 48 players at once. Here's how that works in practice:

• 10 people: one room, either Death by Chocolate or Sleepover Slaughterhouse, or five and five in Enchanted Castle and Elven Forest. Those two rooms tell opposite sides of the same story, humans against elves, so the teams have something to argue about over dinner.
• 30 people: five rooms at the same time, for example eight in Death by Chocolate, seven each in Enchanted Castle and Elven Forest, and four each in Saddlewood Saloon and Dr. Panic's Asylum. Compare finishing times at the end.
• 60 people: more than Arlington holds at once. Run two waves of 30, with the first wave heading to the bar while the second plays, or move the whole group to Fairfax (see below).

Mix departments when you assign teams, and put at least one decisive person in each room. To compare Arlington with Fairfax, browse all 15 escape rooms.

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Dinner in Clarendon

Clarendon has plenty of restaurants but far fewer private rooms, so with 20 or more people, book dinner early. These four list group options on their own events pages (checked October 2026):

• Liberty Tavern, 3195 Wilson Blvd, a two-minute walk from the Metro. American food. The upstairs dining room seats 70 and a semi-private lounge seats 20, and there are group menus. Private dining details.
• Circa at Clarendon, 3010 Clarendon Blvd. Seasonal American food, with a semi-private wine room for up to 14, the main dining room for up to 50, a full bar buyout for up to 90 and set group menus. Group dining details.
• Ambar Clarendon, 2901 Wilson Blvd. Ambar serves Balkan small plates made for sharing and takes private events and group dining. Private events details.
• Ireland's Four Courts, 2051 Wilson Blvd, one Metro stop east, at Court House. It's an Irish pub with a Library Room that seats 34 and a Cottage Room that seats 70. Private events details.

If you run two waves, the first group heads to dinner when it finishes, and the second joins once it's out.

Bigger groups: VR and the Game Show in Fairfax

Arlington only has escape rooms. If the group is bigger than 48, or you want more than one kind of game, Bond's Fairfax is about 25 minutes west of Clarendon by road, in Old Town Fairfax. It has nine more escape rooms, the free-roam VR Arena (two arenas, up to 12 players at once), the live Game Show (up to 16 per show), an on-site VIP conference space and more than 60 free parking spaces. Fairfax hosts teams of up to 150.

Fairfax is harder without a car. The nearest rail station is Vienna on the Orange Line, and from there you take the CUE bus to a stop about five minutes' walk from the door. For a large DC team, a chartered bus or organized carpools are usually easier than asking everyone to work out the route themselves.

If the outing is meant to pull a hybrid team back together, read our piece on why the return-to-office team event is a trap unless you do it right before you pick a format.

What HR asks: accessibility, invoicing, waivers

Accessibility. Arlington is fully accessible, with elevators from the ground floor and from the upper garage to every room. The games are more about thinking than physical effort, though you should expect some walking, reaching and bending. Doors are never locked, and anyone can step out at any time. There are no live actors, and scares can be turned down. Rooms with flashing lights can have the effects reduced or switched off if you say so when you book.

Billing and changes. Bookings are non-refundable, but you can reschedule with at least 24 hours' notice. Ask the events team how they handle company billing, invoices and paperwork when you request your quote, so finance has what it needs before the date.

Waivers. Every player signs one, online at bondswaiver.com or on a tablet at the front desk. It takes about a minute, so send the link with the calendar invite. The waiver also gives Bond's the right to use photos and video from the game for marketing. Anyone who would rather not appear should tell the front desk before playing.

Food and alcohol. Bond's can arrange pizza and drinks or catering, and outside food is welcome if you let them know in advance. Alcohol needs 24 hours' notice and Bond's approval.

Book it in Arlington or Fairfax

• Bond's Arlington, 2800 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 910, Arlington, VA 22201, inside Clarendon Center. Six private escape rooms, fully accessible, five minutes' walk from Clarendon Metro (Orange and Silver lines). (703) 884-1524.
• Bond's Fairfax, 3949 University Dr, Fairfax, VA 22030. Nine escape rooms, two VR arenas, the Game Show and a VIP conference space. Free parking. (703) 270-0377.

For a group, start with Bond's escape room team building page. Send the quote form with your headcount, date and location, or email info@bondsescaperoom.com. Packages start at $325 a team.

Questions people ask

What team building activities near DC can we reach by Metro?

Bond's Arlington is a five-minute walk from Clarendon station on the Orange and Silver lines, six stops west of Metro Center. It has six private escape rooms for teams of up to 48 at once, and there are restaurants that take groups within a few blocks.

How do we get to Bond's Arlington from downtown DC?

Take an Orange or Silver Line train west to Clarendon. Exit and walk along Clarendon Boulevard to 2800 Clarendon Blvd (Clarendon Center), take the ground-level elevator near the Crate and Barrel sign and look for Suite 910. The walk takes about five minutes.

How many people can play at Bond's Arlington at once?

The six rooms take up to 48 players at once when each is filled to its listed maximum. Larger teams can play in two waves or book Bond's Fairfax, which hosts groups of up to 150.

Is Bond's Arlington wheelchair accessible?

Yes. Arlington is fully accessible, with elevator access from the ground floor and from the upper garage, so every room can be reached without stairs.

Are VR and the Game Show available in Arlington?

No. The VR Arena and the Game Show are only in Fairfax, about 25 minutes west of Clarendon by road. Arlington has six escape rooms.

How much does a team outing at Bond's cost?

Escape rooms are $34 a person for a private 60-minute game. Team packages are quoted from $325 a team, depending on headcount, games per person and catering.