Mind Quest Puzzles and Games held its grand opening on a snowy Friday afternoon, bringing a new specialty shop with a slate of puzzle-focused events to the Tri-Lakes area. The new puzzle store has opened in Palmer Lake, aiming to turn solo hobby time into a shared community experience through organized events, speed puzzling competitions and their puzzle swap library.

The store is located at 872 W. Highway 105 in Palmer Lake, across the street from the town fire station.

Mind Quest is owned by Karen Wells and Jessica Bradley, who say they’ve been running puzzle events around the area and are excited to establish a home base where people can meet regularly for speed puzzling and group event nights. They are especially excited to introduce the format to Monument and Palmer Lake, where they believe there is strong interest in low-pressure, family-friendly activities.

“It’s a great way for people to spend time together,” Wells said.

Unlike many traditional retail stores, the shop’s focus is as much on events as it is on merchandise. The owners said they envision the store as a gathering space, with scheduled meetups and speed puzzling events that encourage people to linger, talk and return week after week.

Speed puzzling, a timed competition where individuals or teams race to finish the same jigsaw puzzle, has grown in popularity in recent years. The owners say the format is designed to be both social and approachable for all levels of skill. They have even been hosting events locally at Trinity Lutheran Church long before opening their location.

Wells and Bradley also bring competitive experience to the storefront. The pair have spent the past three years building skills in speed puzzling, and the team has a trophy case with awards from multiple competitions, including a first-place finish at the Liberty Puzzles 20th Anniversary Puzzle Derby.

The store’s opening adds another local option for community entertainment in the Tri-Lakes. It gives residents another indoor activity that doesn’t require screens or gadgets, and encourages communication among friends.

Information about upcoming events is regularly updated on mindquestpuzzles.com