Watson Adventures: Scavenger Hunts for Corporate Team Building & Social Celebrations

SMART, FAST ADVENTURES WITH A DASH OF CULTURE

Watson Adventures Scavenger Hunts use witty, tricky questions in fast-paced games that bring out the best in a city—and the best in you and your teammates. Our hunts have been acclaimed by ABC News, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Herald, the Chicago Tribune, the Philadelphia Inquirer and numerous other media outlets. More than 120,000 hunters have gone on our hunts in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco and San Jose, Los Angeles and beyond.

How the Scavenger Hunts Work

In museums, historic neighborhoods and other locations, hunters race to answer questions in hunts designed to:

get people relaxed, laughing and having fun
foster teamwork and togetherness in a dynamic new way
introduce people to fascinating—and often overlooked—places
lead to an exciting gathering over drinks after the hunt, which we can help you set up
leave you with more money to spend on that party

You’re not hunting for things (put back that Ming vase!) but for answers to tricky and humorous questions about the intriguing places and objects you discover. The team that answers the most questions correctly WINS. Typically the game lasts two hours (with about a half hour more for set-up and post-hunt scoring), but the length can be customized to meet your needs.

The questions emphasize nimble thinking and teamwork. They’re crafted to bring out the various skills of each member of your team. A person who’s good at seeing the big picture will get one answer, a teammate who’s good with wordplay will get the next, and someone who is good at navigating may excel at getting the team from place to place. The best teams quickly learn that they must use the strengths of everyone in the group.

Here’s one of our simpler questions, from the Secrets of Central Park Hunt:
• Near the edge of the Lake, which King is honored by a humble throne? (The answer may be behind a back.) Answer: Tennis legend Billie Jean King is honored with a plaque on a bench.

To see a wide array of sample questions, see the Hunt Locations pages—or click on any illustration at the top of each page of this Web site. Keep in mind, though, that the questions are designed so that they can be answered only when standing in the correct place. We don’t want hunters cheating by using cell phones, the Internet or guidebooks.

One thing you can be sure of: The questions are sharp and humorous. Watson Adventures founder and hunt writer/editor Bret Watson has written humor for magazines ranging from Entertainment Weekly to Stuff, and he has performed as a stand-up comedian. Our guarantee: No one on our hunts will be asked to uncover boring trivia, collect lame objects or wear a clown nose for a photo. Each question is designed to have a distinct payoff: You will see something cool, learn an intriguing or bizarre fact, or have a good laugh.

You can also add photo questions and other custom questions to the hunts. For details, see Customizes Scavenger Hunts.

Back to the top

Which Scavenger Hunt Is Best for You?

Looking for a hunt with a cultural flourish? Try one of our museum hunts. We create the hunts so that no knowledge of the museum or its subject matter is necessary. This ensures a level playing field for all participants. However, keep in mind that museum hunts are a bit more expensive because admission must be included. Also, we pack lots of fascinating informartion into our outdoor hunts—they’re like walking tours with a jolt of caffeine. You’ll discover snippets of hidden history, movie locations, gourmet hotspots, places associated with famous people, quirky stores and much more. See Hunt Locations for a complete list of options and sample questions.

Worried about the weather? We offer numerous outdoor hunts but also an array of indoor hunts, particularly at museums. If you prefer to do an outdoor but are concerned about the possibility of bad weather (such as rain or excessive heat), we can prepare an indoor hunt as a backup, usually at a museum. (In some cities we have other indoor options, such as the popular hunt in Grand Central Terminal in New York). You can choose to switch up to two business days before the hunt start time.

Looking for an event in the evening? Most of our outdoor hunts can be done at twilight or in the dark—if necessary, we provide flashlights to help light their way. Also, some museums offer evening hours on certain weeknights. (For example, the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., is open every evening until 7 p.m., and in New York Madame Tussauds was museum is open every night until 10 p.m.) Ask us for details about specific Hunt Locations. We also have two indoor games that are adventures in in one room—see below.

Concerned about the size of your group? We’ve done hunts for as many as 500 people and as few as six (although please note that private hunt prices start at $600 for weekend hunts and $750 for weekday hunts.) Any of our outdoor hunts, and many of our museum hunts, can accommodate large groups. For example: We have staged hunts for 200 people at New York’s American Museum of Natural History (for AT&T and others), we did a hunt for 150 employees of a media company in Los Angeles, a hunt for 150 Microsoft employees in Seattle, and we annually produce a hunt for 500 students for NYU Stern’s incoming business school class. We have also staged hunts of more than 100 people for financial firms, law firms, colleges and charities.

Concerned about the timing or length of the hunt? Typically, our hunts last two hours, plus about a half hour for set up and post-hunt scoring. We also stage 90-minute versions, which are sometimes more appropriate if hunters are coming from a busy day of other activities. (Remember, most hunts involve a good bit of walking.) We can also do one-hour hunts, although teams may not get the full benefit of the experience. Our citywide hunts by limousine or mass transit generally require a three hours of actual hunting time

Want to add custom questions to a scavenger hunt? No problem. For an additional fee, we can add a few custom questions to the hunt, featuring trivia about your group or a particular person you are celebrating. Learn more on the Custom Options page.

Care to do a scavenger hunt by limousine? We can hire limousines to whisk teams from question to question. This increases the participants’ comfort while lowering the risk of putting hunters behind the wheel. Companies in such cities as Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Los Angeles have raved about our limousine adventures.

Does your company require that we have liability insurance? We are covered and have met the requirements of every company we’ve worked with. It’s always a good idea to make sure that any special events vendor you deal with is covered, to protect your colleagues and friends. That said, Watson Adventures takes great care to make every hunt safe, and not one of the more than 98,000 people who have participated in our hunts since 1998 has reported an injury or serious mishap.

Want to do a scavenger hunt at a location not on our list? Our classic Grab ’n’ Go Scavenger Hunt can be done almost anywhere. We’ve staged it in such places as theme parks (including Disneyland and Magic Mountain), resorts, downtown Santa Barbara, Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, suburban parks and country clubs—you name it. Plus we have two games that can be staged almost anywhere: The Liar Show and the Trivia Slam. Learn more about Anywhere options.

Need an indoor event in a location or at a time that isn’t conducive to a scavenger hunt? Consider two exciting options: The Liar Show is part game, part performance, all entertaining. Four performers tell stories, and your team must listen and ask discerning questions to determine which tale is a pack of lies. The Watson Adventures Trivia Slam is an amazing race while remaining in place: a battle of wits and teamwork, featuring intriguing trivia, participatory challenges, a video segment and a twist that will have you rooting for and appreciating your colleagues on other teams.

Have a question we haven’t answered here? See the Custom Hunts page or contact us for more information!

Back to the top

Find Out What We Can Do for You!

For more information, e-mail us or call the toll-free Hunt Hotline: 877-9-GO HUNT (877-946-4868), extension 11. Let us turn your next event into an adventure!

Back to the top