The Harlem Renaissance Scavenger Hunt

Walk in the footsteps of giants

Teams will follow clues to explore the historic heart of Harlem, between 135th Street and Striver’s Row, in search of answers to fun, fascinating questions. You’ll discover places where you could have run into Ella Fitzgerald, Langston Hughes, Marcus Garvey, Tito Puente, Duke Ellington, Zora Neale Hurston, Eubie Blake, photographer James Van Der Zee, Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, Arturo Schomburg, and the Rennies, the first black professional basketball team.

Don’t worry if you don’t recognize all of those names! The hunt will tell you who they are and why they’re fascinating. The game is not a test of knowledge, but instead a test of teamwork.

Highlights include…

• The elegant houses along Striver’s Row
• The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
• Harlem’s own Walk of Fame
• The YMCA that was a gathering place for artists in the 1920s and ’30s
• The Abyssinian Baptist Church, the pulpit of Adam Clayton Powell Sr. and Jr.
• The colorful WPA murals of Harlem Hospital
• The site of the famous Savoy Ballroom

Plus, your team will be challenged to take creative Team Photos, and the Hunt Host will meet you along the way for a surprise bonus challenge.

We also offer a Kids Edition of this hunt, suitable for ages 7 and up, that’s particularly popular for school field trips. You can really bring the Harlem Renaissance alive by taking kids to the very streets where it happened! 

A 5-star review on Google: “Amazing experience in Harlem with Watson Adventures. Our 43 students loved how fun and easy the hunt was and it was the highlight of the week. Thank you!”

Contact us to learn more about our Harlem scavenger hunts—and find more fun in New York City!