About The Great Egress Company
At The Great Egress Company, we are on a mission to make egress windows more accessible. In most places, basement egress windows are a legal requirement. In the case of a fire or other emergency situation, they can save lives. So why are egress windows so hard to buy?
With a basement renovation on the go, we know you don’t have time to run around looking for code-compliant windows, so we make choosing an egress window easy. Our selection of windows has been specifically chosen to comply with egress code in your local area. You can shop online, pick the perfect egress window for your space, and have it shipped straight to your door.
The Story Behind the Name
Barnum's American Museum
The Great Egress Co. is named after one of the greatest showmen of our time — Mr. PT Barnum. From the 1840s until it burned down in the 1860s, Barnum's American Museum was one of the most popular attractions in New York.
People would arrive early in the morning and stay the whole day enjoying the attractions. This caused a problem for Barnum. The building would quickly reach capacity, resulting in stagnant admission revenue.
To help combat this, the old trickster crafted a plan to move his guests through the building more rapidly. A new exhibit was born.
The Great Egress
Signs were posted for “The Great Egress!” throughout the museum, which directed patrons to a new and cryptic display. Visitors would follow the signs excitedly, roused by the prospect of a new exhibition, only to find themselves outside as soon as they walked through the doors.
Egress means “to go out or to leave a place”. The showman had created the facade of a display to bamboozle his visitors into leaving the museum. Then he charged them 25 cents to go back in.
The Great Egress Company
While we love the story and the name it’s given us, suffice to say we don't share Barnum's affinity for trickery. In fact, quite the opposite.
We are fully transparent about the fact that our egress windows exit to the outdoors. Whether you decide to charge an admission fee to come back in is entirely up to you.