PHILADELPHIA SCAVENGER HUNTS
INCLUDING VALLEY FORGE, DOYLESTOWN & NEW HOPE
Ready for team-building with a dash of culture? On each of our scavenger hunts, you decipher clues to answer tricky, funny questions about the places you visit and things you find. Our hunts have been recommended and acclaimed by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Metro, New York Times, ABC News, the Washington Post, Citysearch, Daily Candy, the Daily Pennsylvanian and numerous other media outlets. More than 100,000 hunters have gone our scavenger hunts from more than 750 prestigious companies, not to mention trade associations, social groups, alumni groups, bachelorettes, school groups and more. For details on how the hunts work, and to see our rave reviews and prestigious clients, visit the Private Hunts page. Our Philadelphia scavenger hunts and hunt locations include...
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Secrets of Old Philadelphia Scavenger Hunt, in Independence Park, Society Hill & Vicinity
Franklin Institute
Reading Terminal Market & Chinatown
Haunted Philadelphia Scavenger Hunt
Philadelphia Zoo
Independence Seaport Museum
The Citywide “Conquer Philadelphia” Hunt
Adventure Aquarium
Scavenger Hunts in New Hope, Doylestown, Valley Forge...and Beyond
Hunts for Kids and Families
Print Out Our Brochure
Contact Us
Public Hunts
The Philadelphia Museum of Art
If you haven’t been to this world-class museum, you are in for a treat! And if you know the Philadelphia Museum of Art well, you’ll be surprised at what you’ll discover anew. You’ll explore a French monastery, a Chinese palace, an Indian Temple, a Pennsylvania Dutch kitchen, palatial rooms of European nobles and more. You’ll search for clues in paintings by Old Masters and new talents. Along the way, you’ll uncover the answers to such questions as...
• One Dutch master puts himself in a scene, doing something fishy. Who is he? Answer: Jan Steen, who strangely holds a fish over a woman’s head in a painting.
• Find an ass who’d say, “Hey, no smoking back there!” What is the shocking cause of the problem? Answer: Lightning, which has struck dead a bird on the back of a donkey in a portrait of a gentleman.
• Find a sweetened beverage that you might say “makthe” the heart grow fonder. What “rotten” substance do you need to make it? Answer: Wormwood, as explained in the label for the Picasso sculpture titled ‘Glass of Absinthe.’
Please note that we left out clues and directions in the questions above. The questions are designed so that you can find the answer only when you are in the right spot and looking at the right thing. (Sorry, Googlers!) You don’t need any previous knowledge to triumph—you just need good teamwork and comfortable shoes!
In addition to our classic PMA Madness Hunt we also offer two special editions:
• The Naked at the Philadelphia Museum Hunt provides an eyebrow-raising look at nudity in art (rated PG-13). You’ll scrutinize paintings, sculptures, period rooms, extra large bathers, a sultry seamonster, saints with shocking piercings, and a peeping Tom who discovers a new meaning for the term “stag party.” No previous experience with art, or nudity, is required.
• The Murder at the Philadelphia Museum Hunt requires your best sleuthing skills to solve a mystery: A murdered curator has left behind a cryptic trail of clues connected with secrets in works of art. As your team gathers answers about the art, you begin to piece together a sordid tale about greed, lust, pride, revenge and treachery, all revolving around the museum’s planned multi-million dollar purchase of a Rembrandt. The murder victim knew too much—and now it’s your turn to learn what he knew and discover what drove one of four suspects to commit murder. To find out, you’ll have to crack a secret code left in the victim’s appointment calendar. Can you figure out who dunnit? Be prepared for our most challenging hunt.
For any of our museum hunts, no knowledge of art or the museum is required, so every participant has an equal chance to contribute to the team—but you will come away surprised and delighted and what you find and learn. Contact us for details.
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The Secrets of Old Philadelphia Hunt
Ever try time travel? This hunt takes you back to colonial times and the tumult of 1776. You’ll explore the restored historic houses and other sites where independence was born, including Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Carpenter’s Hall (where Continental Congress first met), and separate museums on Ben Franklin, portraits of the Revolution generation, and the military. The hunt also dips into Society Hill, with its carefully preserved homes of the colonial ruling class, and Old City, once the commercial district but now a trendy area of artists living in cast-iron buildings.
• In a museum in Ben Franklin’s basement, call the creator of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. He says of Franklin, “His maxims are filled with ________ toward boys.” What word(s) complete the quote? Answer: Animosity, according to Mark Twain, whose grouchy quote is heard when you dial him up on a phone.
• What unusual delegate outside Carpenter’s Hall may be the representative from Petsylvannia? Answer: A cat, a painting on a sign
• In the Second Bank of the United States, behind a dinosaur, find a very big man on campus. When he’s compared with other giants, what figure is smallest? Answer: Homo-ordinarius, seen in an illustration in a section about early science.
Please note that we left out clues and directions in the questions above. The questions are designed so that you can find the answer only when you are in the right spot and looking at the right thing. (Sorry, Googlers!) You don’t need any previous knowledge to triumph—you just need good teamwork and comfortable shoes!
The best time to do this hunt is before 3 p.m., because many of the historic buildings close at 5 p.m. That said, we do have an evening edition of the hunt that is entirely outdoors. We offer 90-minute and two-hour editions of the hunt; the 90-minute edition does not include Old City. You can add Team Photo Questions for additional fun and to create souvenirs for everyone. For more information, contact us.
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The Franklin Institute
The Mad Science Scramble Hunt and the Murder at the Science Museum Hunt
If your group is involved with science or finds human ingenuity and creativity fascinating, then you need to discover our hunt at the Franklin Institute. This large museum is renown for its exciting, inventive, interactive ways of getting people to explore everything scientific. On this hunt you’ll walk through a giant heart, investigate who caused a train crash, decipher optical illusions, learn the strange history of the golf ball, find out why some astronauts needed the tomato worm, uncover a secret strategy the Wright brothers used to thwart spies, penetrate the mystery of Foucault’s pendulum, discover the literally shocking reason Ben Franklin’s son lost his fingers and much more. To win this game, you don’t have to be Einstein, but you do need master the art of good teamwork.
Together, you’ll tackle such questions as...
• Play pinball with a 17th-century French doctor and ask him about his special recipe for treating a leg wound. What were the four main ingredients in the cure? Answer: You must play a pinball machine featuring diagnoses from various physicians through history to find out that the French doctor would have applied mercury, pork fat, butter and vinegar.
• Find a giant engine that has reached its last stop in the museum. Why did the 60000 cause trouble on regular rails? The Baldwin 60000 locomotive was so heavy that it damaged tracks.
• Outside the planetarium, find what looks like a chicken potpie on wagon wheels. How long did this Russian roam? The Lunakhod 1 unmanned vehicle explored the moon for 11 months. Who knew?
Please note that we left out clues and directions in the questions above. The questions are designed so that you can find the answer only when you are in the right spot and looking at the right thing. (Sorry, Googlers!) You don’t need any previous knowledge to triumph—you just need good teamwork and comfortable shoes!
The museum is a great location for a 90-minute or two-hour hunt. You can also choose to add our Team Photo Challenges to spur additional creativity and have photos to enjoy after the hunt.
In addition to our classic Franklin Institute hunt we also now offer the Murder at the Science Museum Hunt: Someone, or something, has been bumping off Franklin Institute staffers involved in the recent discovery of a long-lost invention by Benjamin Franklin. This “infernal machine” has a murky past: Freemasons supposedly used it as part of a secret ritual. Are the deaths caused by the invention, or part of the fabled “Curse of the Freemasons”? Or is a serial killer on the loose? Your team of sleuths will have to crack a secret code and uncover the Franklin Institute’s secrets to solve the mystery and stop the killings. Please note that this hunt requires two hours.
For more information, contact us.
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Reading Terminal Market & Chinatown: The Munch Around the Market Hunt
You can literally taste victory on this hunt, which combines tricky questions and a challenge to sample the best foods in the Reading Terminal Market and nearby Chinatown, while discovering other surprises in the neighborhood. You’ll discover America’s oldest ice cream vendor, Philly’s most endangered cheesesteak (and a related gaffe by a presidential candidate), a Chinatown building from the year 4668, the Transit Museum, a historic organ, a secret beneath City Hall, and such delightful dishes as artisanal chocolates, sinful cheesecakes, fried dumplings, soft pretzels, cappuccino, cupcakes, roast pork, moon cake, Amish baked goods and more.
You and your team will tackle such questions as...
• According to a bubble vendor, what should you do so that your spouse can never cash in on your life insurance policy? Answer: An old sign above Terralyn’s soaps says, “Drink Buttermilk and Live Forever.”
• What sight might make you think that fighters here use an enemy to combat an enemy (if we may mangle a phrase)? Answer: A fire-breathing dragon on the House of Dragons firehouse
• Find a spot where you can repeatedly gaze into the past. How much would a bunch of “scullions” and a bar platter set you back? Answer: As seen in two historical photos, “scullions” at Margerum’s cost 10 cents, and at William Evans’ Seafood a bar platter is $1.25, for a total tab of $1.35.
Please note that we left out clues and directions in the questions above. The questions are designed so that you can find the answer only when you are in the right spot and looking at the right thing. (Sorry, Googlers!) You don’t need any previous knowledge to triumph—you just need good teamwork and comfortable shoes!
This hunt is a great adventure for locals and out-of-towners alike. For the “food challenges,” we give each team cash, a spending goal and a list of places to spend; it’s up to the team to decide what to eat and where. (That way, you can let your taste buds be your guide, and you can avoid any food you don’t cafe for.)
The full hunt takes two and a half hours (not including time for setting up at the start and scoring at the end), although two-hour version is also available. You can also add Team Photo Challenges to spur creativity and additional bonding. The Market is open Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. We recommend doing the hunt any day Wednesday through Saturday, when the Pennsylvania Dutch stands are open. For more information, contact us.
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The Haunted Philadelphia Scavenger Hunt
Armed with a flashlight, you’ll visit ghost-plagued buildings and secret cemeteries while learning the stories of the restless souls you might disturb. Starring the spirits of 1776 in Independence Hall, Ben Franklin (of course), the Hag of Pine Street, the spectral poltergeist of St. Peter's, a Quaker to make you quake in Washington Square, the burning bride of City Tavern, and various other apparitions, sudden chills, rustlings, and knockings. The hunt is 90-minutes, meets near Independence Hall, and is best done in the evening, of course. For more information, contact us.
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The Philadelphia Zoo Safari
We think the Philadelphia Zoo is one of the underrated jewels of the city. It’s just the right size for a great hunt: In just two hours you can cover most the exhibits, so we can show you the best the zoo has to offer, from ants to Great Apes. Highlights include the Pachyderm House, the Rare Animal Conservation Center, Bear Country, the Reptile Exercise Yard (“Give me twenty push-ups, iguana!”), and, of course, Monkey Junction (“...what’s your function?”). You’ll go in search of the answers to such questions as...
• Why might you think that the tigers here like “finger food”? Answer: They eat knucklebones, according to a sign.
• Visit the Carnivore Kingdom. If you kissed an aardwolf, why would the smooch last a long time? Answer: Its tongue is sticky.
• Near a bar headed goose, who, thanks to a typo, must be the tallest man in the world? Answer: “Mr. Everest,” on a sign that probably meant to abbreviate Mount Everest.
Please note that we left out clues and directions in the questions above. The questions are designed so that you can find the answer only when you are in the right spot and looking at the right thing. (Sorry, Googlers!) You don’t need any previous knowledge to triumph—you just need good teamwork and comfortable shoes!
We recommend two hours for this hunt, although we can also provide a 90-minute version. This hunt drew raves from a Fortune 500 financial firm that offered it to their employees and their clients. Contact us for details.
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The Independence Seaport Museum: The Pirates of the Seaport Hunt
The relatively small, but impressively displayed collection at the Independence Seaport Museum makes great material for a short hunt, particularly for kids and families. (We know: We’ve staged a bar mitzvah hunt here.) The maritime memorabilia includes paintings, fog horns, shipbuilding shop, model boats and real boats, plus (weather permitting) the full-size Cruiser Olympia and the submarine Becuna.
• Find a boat whose name sounds like an ocean that makes you squint. Why might nerds like this boat? Answer: The boat called Sea Bright is also known as a “dorky skiff.”
• Find a ship you could sip, if its container was filled with a beverage. What do you have to do to get the ship in there? Answer: Fold it up. To get a ship in a bottle, you build it so that it folds up to fit inside, with a string attached that you pull to unfold it.
Please note that we left out clues and directions in the questions above. The questions are designed so that you can find the answer only when you are in the right spot and looking at the right thing. (Sorry, Googlers!) You don’t need any previous knowledge to triumph—you just need good teamwork and comfortable shoes!
The museum is great for a 90-minute or two-hour hunt and can include Penn’s Landing. Contact us for details.
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The Citywide “Conquer Philadelphia” Hunt
Take on the entire city with a route that hits the most interesting locations, be they famous or obscure. Using either limousines or mass transit (including the Philly Phlash in summer), hunters will uncover clues from Fairmount Park to Penn’s Landing, including such stops as Independence Hall, Reading Terminal Market, Rittenhouse Square, Society Hill, Old City, Chinatown and more. Along the way you'll discover movie locations, historic spots, cool stores, and devilishly clever questions. You’ll discover the answer to such questions as...
• Behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art, one of the “topless” men has a motto that sounds like an older version of Chumbawamba’s hit song. What is his name? Answer: Nathanael Greene, who holds a hat behind his back and whose motto on his pedestal is “We fight get beat rise and fight again,” or as Chumbawamba would sing, “I get knocked down, but I get up again…”
• In the Reading Terminal Market, near the Original Turkey, find “Babe.” What you’d expect to be curly is straight. What does it always point to? Answer: The tail of a bronze pig points to an illustration of (b) clams on the sculpture’s base. Original Turkey is a turkey sandwich seller nearby.
• Visit Ben Franklin’s home and call the creator of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. He says of Franklin, “His maxims are filled with ________ toward boys.” What word(s) complete the quote? Answer: Animosity, according to Mark Twain—you have to dial him on a phone inside the museum at Franklin Court.
Please note that we left out clues and directions in the questions above. The questions are designed so that you can find the answer only when you are in the right spot and looking at the right thing. (Sorry, Googlers!) You don’t need any previous knowledge to triumph—you just need good teamwork and comfortable shoes!
We recommend three hours as the ideal length for this hunt. Contact us for details.
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The Adventure Aquarium: The Swimming with Sharks Scavenger Hunt
It’s sink or swim on this hunt through the state-of-the-art Adventure Aquarium, featuring a wide array of exhibits, environments and surprising sea creatures. Highlights include Penguin Island, the toothsome Shark Realm, the bizarro deep-sea creatures of the Jules Verne Gallery, the technicolor Caribbean Currents exhibit, the gigantic, 760,000-gallon Ocean Realm tank, the Amazonian inhabitants of the roaring Irazu Falls. You’ll search for answers to such questions as...
• Find a display on Caribbean Currents. If a recluse here needs to hit the bottle, what is it lacking? Answer: A hermit crab will use a bottle if a shell is unavailable.
• Find a bird that, given its name, seems always ready for battle. If you were dating one of these fowl females and took her out to dinner, what would you do to really impress her? Answer: A helmeted curassow male will let a female eat from his mouth.
• Find the creature here you’re mostly likely to find in your house as an unwanted intruder. You might develop some sympathy for it when you answer this: What do the females do once that affects them the rest of their life? Answer: Female cockroaches have sex once and then stay pregnant the rest of their lives.
Please note that we left out clues and directions in the questions above. The questions are designed so that you can find the answer only when you are in the right spot and looking at the right thing. (Sorry, Googlers!) You don’t need any previous knowledge to triumph—you just need good teamwork and comfortable shoes!
All in all, this is a great setting for an unusual 90-minute hunt. You can also couple a hunt with a catered meal, which you can enjoy while taking in the Philadelphia skyline across the Delaware River. The aquarium is located on the Camden Waterfront, near the Ben Franklin Bridge. Contact us for more information about the hunt.
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New Hope, Doylestown, Valley Forge...and Beyond
Possible hunt locations are as limitless as Pennsylvania. The Academy of Natural Sciences lends itself to shorter hunts—60 to 90 minutes—due to the smaller size of the museum.
In the region, we offer hunts in such fascinating and fun locations as New Hope, Doylestown and Valley Forge. (Please note that the Valley Forge hunt requires the rental of a vehicle and driver for each team, since the territory covered is so spread out.)
We also offer hunts on the Battleship New Jersey and in idyllic Princeton, New Jersey.
You can suggest a new location for a classic Watson Adventures hunt or you can try our popular Grab ’n’ Go Hunt, a traditional scavenger hunt with Watson twists, which we’ve staged for companies at parks, resorts, neighborhoods, even in apartment buildings and homes. Contact us to find out what we can create for you!
PRINT OUT OUR BROCHURE
Of you can always print out pages on our site. But if you’d like a compact summary of our hunts to bring to a meeting, to show friends, or to help get future hunters excited, click the link below to call up our brochure as a PDF file. You may need Acrobat Reader to access it (click here to get it for free). Or you can contact us to mail you or fax you a copy.
See the Philadelphia brochure.
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ON YOUR MARK, GET SET...
If you’re ready to book a hunt, or would like more information, use our handy e-mail Contact Form. Or call us at 877-9-GO HUNT, extension 11 (877-946-4868). The hunt’s afoot!
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TRY A PUBLIC HUNT AND CHECK OUT
OUR PHILADELPHIA NEWSLETTER
Watson Adventures offers monthly hunts in Philadelphia that are open to the public for low promotional prices—for details, see the Public Hunt Schedule. If you’d like to receive the schedule in your e-mail box for free (four times per year), sign up by clicking the button below —and on the next page you’ll see, be sure to check off “Philadelphia Area":
(We do NOT share your address with purveyors of spam.)
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Last updated:
28-Apr-2009 12:23 PM
