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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
- 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
For private groups, the hunt can also include the Central Park Zoo.
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.
Hunts for the general public are on select weekends—click on the button below to see the schedule.
Private group hunts are available anytime. An International Edition is available for groups with participants whose native language isn’t English. And the Kids Edition is a great way for adults and kids to have fun together, making it a perfect field trip activity.
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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