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The Secrets of Central Park Scavenger Hunt
Recommended by the New York Times and Time Out New York!
Discover the mysteries of Manhattan’s backyard as you explore the best of the park below 72nd Street and visit secret spots you might otherwise never find. Along the way, you’ll use your teamwork skills to uncover secret messages, mysterious symbols, writing in the sky, movie and TV locations, and hidden history.
Our impeccable directions and tricky, fun questions will help your team tame Central Park’s twisty paths, making you its master. Our Hunt Host greets you and sets you up at the start on the edge of the park, looks out for your team during the hunt and takes your call if you’ve wandered astray, and congratulates you at the end and announces the results.
Highlights of the Central Park scavenger hunt include…
- A bird sanctuary, hidden in plain sight, that birds won’t go near
- The Carousel, featured in The Catcher in the Rye
- The Dairy, where kids could once get fresh milk from farms outside the city
- Strawberry Fields, honoring John Lennon—and almost named for Bing Crosby
- The Sheep Meadow and the former stable for the actual sheep—now Tavern on the Green
- The Mall, designed to be the only straight path in the park
- The Lake, which was created from a swamp
We can also include the Central Park Zoo for an additional fee to cover zoo admission.
Looking for group activities in NYC?
Since its debut in 1999 this team-building game has been enjoyed by countless corporate groups, including Pepsi, Accenture, KPMG, Netflix, and D.E. Shaw, and such nonprofit organizations as Trinity School, Fordham Prep, the Princeton University Alumni Association, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC, to name just a few.
A 5-star review on Google, from a group that did a variety of hunts, including the Secrets of Central Park Scavenger Hunt: “We used Watson Adventures for a team event of 140 people in the US. Not only was the support in figuring out which hunts to do with this big group really great and detailed, also the communication beforehand was timely, friendly and super forthcoming. On the day of the event, all hosts were super friendly and ensured that all participants had an amazing time!”
“It was such an epic experience and so much fun. Everyone loved it.” —the organizer of an adult birthday party
Private group hunts are available anytime. Hunts for the general public are on select weekends.
Click below for tickets for a weekend hunt for the general public, or to learn more about a private Secrets of Central Park Scavenger Hunt for your group—and find more fun in New York City!
About Watson Adventures
Since 1999, we've planned and hosted thousands of one-of-a-kind games to help groups and teams explore some of the best locations across the U.S. and find more fun.
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The Central Park Movie Locations Scavenger Hunt
See Central Park through Hollywood’s eyes…
…as you scout locations featured in movies and TV shows, including Ghostbusters, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Die Hard 3, Madagascar, When Harry Met Sally…, Ransom, and many more. You’ll decipher clues and answer tricky, humorous questions with your team while you visit the best of the park.
On your quest, you might uncover secrets about…
- The Sheep Meadow, where Michael Douglas meets Charlie Sheen in Wall Street and Robin Williams lies naked in The Fisher King
- The Lake, where Grace meets Katie Couric and decides to marry Leo in Will & Grace
- The Mall, where Jon Stewart gets his kid back from Adam Sandler in Big Daddy and Meryl Streep gets her kid back from Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs. Kramer
- The Carousel, where Zero Mostel dances in The Producers
- The Boathouse, where both Mr. Big in Sex and the City and a brainwashed man in The Manchurian Candidate take a plunge into the pond
- And much more!
Important note: this game is about team-building fun, not a test of trivia. You don’t need to be a movie buff to answer the questions—and even win!
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The Secrets of Central Park Scavenger Hunt for Kids
Leave the city while staying in Manhattan
Kids and adults team up to roam the paths and fields of the park below 72nd Street while answering tricky, humorous questions. To score points, you’ll have to find Stuart Little, stick your tongue out at a rude animal, learn the motto of a hidden eagle, decipher a secret code by the pond seen in Home Alone 2, spot Cupid at the carousel, unscramble a message in the sky, and find a witch turned to stone, to name just a few of the highlights.
You don’t need to know the park at all for this scavenger hunt. You just need sharp eyes, comfy shoes, and good teamwork. You’ll be surprised at just how many cool, new things you’ll discover.
This scavenger hunt is a great activity for a birthday party, school field trip, summer-camp outing, family reunion…and any other kind of gathering where you want kids and adults to have fun together.
Recommended for ages 7 and up. Each team must include at least one adult.
Private hunt option: add the zoo!
A special edition of this hunt includes the Central Park Zoo.
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- kids
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The Wild Wildlife Scavenger Hunt for Kids at the Central Park Zoo
An exciting idea for a birthday party or field trip
Kids and adults work together to explore the Central Park Zoo and its vicinity on a scavenger hunt for ages 7 and up. On teams, you’ll follow clues and earn points by sticking out your tongue at a rude animal, learning to speak Red Panda, fishing for piranhas, and meeting Betty and Veronica. You’ll see grizzly bears, snow leopards, birds and bats flying through an indoor jungle, and plenty of penguins and puffins, to name just a few of the animals.
Kids must be accompanied by an adult, and vice versa.
