Scavenger Hunts at The Art Institute of Chicago

Catch a killer? Get a clue!

There’s a murderer lurking in the halls of the Art Institute, and you’re the only one who can stop him. How? By following the clues and answering the questions in the scavenger hunt that the villain created to taunt the police.

Five of the works of art will reveal his identity, the murder weapon, and the location of the body. But which five? The police are depending on you to find the evidence they need to catch and convict the killer. Are you up to the challenge?

The hunt is great for adults who want to add a murder mystery to their museum visit,  but want something a bit less challenging than our Murder at the Art Museum Scavenger Hunt. There’s also a Kids Edition, for ages 10 and up, in which kids and adults work together to crack the case.

Contact us to learn more, before the trail runs cold—and find more murder-mystery fun in Chicago!

Uncover the secrets of an amazing museum

This whirlwind tour of the Art Institute has something for everyone—from paintings to pottery, armor to amore, Dali to dollhouse-like period rooms, ancient Roman warriors to a room where modern moneymen battled, and more.

On teams, you’ll follow a trail of clues in search of answers to tricky, humorous questions designed to get you thinking, bonding, and laughing. But don’t worry: no knowledge of the museum or its contents is necessary—you just need a sharp mind and comfortable shoes.

Looking for an after-work activity? The AIC is open until 8 p.m. on Thursdays!

Your Art Institute of Chicago scavenger hunt might include…

• A famous Parisian dancer who probably would have been an expert during a 1990s dance craze
• A notorious snoozer who dozed off before a war…and found things significantly different when he woke up
• A flexible gal whose gesture seems to say, “Bring it on!”
• A multi-armed god who’d be great at doing “the wave”

And those are just a few of the highlights on an adventure that takes you through time and around the world, all while revealing the best of the museum. The hunt is played using the Watson Adventures app, which works on any smartphone.

If you’ve been searching for something unique and fun for a corporate outing, alumni reunion, birthday party, or any other occasion where you want participants to mingle and make memories, this is it! A Kids Edition is also available, in which kids and adults combine forces to tackle questions that are fun for everyone.

Team-building booster: the Mixed Alliances Edition

Looking to have your group interact with each other even more? Consider the special Mixed Alliances Edition. During the game, each team must collaborate with three other teams, and each player must work with up to 11 other players. To win, you must not only compete—you must also cooperate.

What people are saying about this art museum scavenger hunt

A 5-star review on Google: “What a fun experience! Everything was great from booking to the actual hunt. My team participated in the Art Attack at the Art Institute of Chicago. Lots of follow-up from Watson before the hunt and afterwards to make sure everything went smoothly.”

A 5-star review on Yelp: “Our residency group did a Watson Adventure Scavenger Hunt at the Art Institute in Chicago for our annual retreat—we had a great time! Fun way to see the museum, and everyone got very into the mystery of it.”

Contact us to learn more about the Art Attack Scavenger Hunt—and find more fun in Chicago!

Discover diverse Americans at the Art Institute of Chicago

In this team-building diversity game, you’ll search the galleries of an amazing art museum in search of paintings, sculptures, and other objects that highlight the remarkable contributions and creations of people of many creeds, colors, native countries, and other perspectives.

Your group is in for an unusual treat as you search for answers to surprising, fun questions about famous and fascinating artists and their subjects.

No previous knowledge is necessary: You just need sharp eyes, comfy shoes, and good teamwork.

Highlights include…

• One of America’s most famous paintings—by an LGBTQ+ artist.
• The soaring Miss Expanding Universe, by an adventurous Japanese-American artist.
• An 1805 portrait by the first known Black painter to gain professional recognition in the U.S.
• A Tiffany lamp that sheds light on the unsung woman whose designs were in the shadow of her boss, Louis Comfort Tiffany.

You’ll also be amazed and delighted by works of Americans of Jewish, German, Polish, Egyptian, American Indian, and Cuban descent.

An International Edition is also available for groups that include participants who speak English as a second language.

What clients are saying about this diversity scavenger hunt

A 5-star review on Google: “We did the Celebrate Diversity hunt…as an all-company team-building event. It was beyond our expectations and completely fantastic! The team has raved about how fun and engaging it was. Highly recommend!”

Another 5-star review on Google: “We had a great team building experience. Fun, exciting and inspiring. 100% recommended!”

“This was the most amazing experience!” —a hunter on a corporate team-building hunt

“I dread museums but this was great!!!” —a participant after a game for a nonprofit organization

Contact us to learn more about this DEI scavenger hunt at the AIC—and find diverse fun in Chicago!

Dead and loving it

Well, the curator who’s been murdered probably isn’t, but you and your team will enjoy this murder-mystery game. The victim left behind a cryptic trail of clues connected with secrets in the works of art here. As you figure out what they mean, you begin to piece together the sordid details that got him killed—all of which revolve around the museum’s upcoming purchase of a priceless painting by Leonardo da Vinci.

The curator knew too much, and you’ll have to find out what he knew and which of the four suspects killed him. Along the way, you’ll get a whirlwind tour of the Art Institute, starring a pickpocket at a rooster fight, a deadly threat from a tiny rifle, a marching band suitable for the Planet of the Apes, Van Gogh’s telltale tipplers, and a warning to remain silent from a saint who literally holds his tongue.

An awesome art adventure for kids

On this action- and art-packed scavenger hunt inspired by our popular Art Attack Scavenger Hunt, kids and adults work together to search for wacky paintings, scary armor, tiny dollhouse-like rooms for kings and queens, and much more, and answer fun and funny questions about what they find. No knowledge of the museum or art is necessary, but teamwork and a sense of adventure are key if you want to win.

This game is ideal for school field trips, camp outings, birthday parties, family reunions, and any other occasion where you want to get kids interacting and bonding. Kids have a blast with their teammates and adult partners, learn a whole lot without even realizing it, and discover a love of art in the process.

Recommended for ages 7 and up. Each team must be accompanied by at least one adult.

Contact us to learn more about this great activity for school groups—and find more fun for kids in Chicago!

See the museum as Harry Potter might

If you’ve ever thought you could be a great wizard, fighting you-know-who alongside Harry and Hermione, then this is the game for you. On teams, you’ll search for art that echoes the people, places, and objects in the Harry Potter books and movies, and answer tricky, entertaining questions about what you find. Be prepared to track down terrifying dragons like those in the Triwizard Tournament, centaurs and unicorns that seem like they stepped out of the Forbidden Forest, and ghastly figures as scary as any Death Eater or Dementor.

But you don’t have to know Hogwarts from hog warts to win, and a cheat sheet will help out the muggles on your team. The hunt is not an addition to or variation on Harry’s adventures, but instead, it highlights strange and surprising works of art at the AIC that will remind you of J.K. Rowling’s bewitching world.

Not just for kids: what adults say about this game for Harry Potter fans

A 5-star review on Yelp: “We had such an incredible time. I organized a Harry Potter themed scavenger hunt at the Art Institute for my friend’s bachelorette party, and we had a blast. Everything was well organized, and the hunt itself took me to parts of the museum I had never visited, and was also a lot of fun for everyone, even if she wasn’t a huge HP fan. Thanks for a great afternoon!”

Contact us to learn more about this great game for Harry Potter fans—and find more fun at the Art Institute of Chicago!