Neighborhood Scavenger Hunts in New Jersey

Discover historic sites and hidden delights…

…around the village green in the heart of Morristown, where George Washington’s troops camped out during the Revolutionary War. On teams, you’ll take creative Team Photos, find and create unusual items, seek out staffers for a surprise challenge, and figure out tricky clues to answer amusing questions about interesting locations.

Along the way, you might…

• Stand toe-to-toe with Washington as you come between him and Alexander Hamilton
• Spy a “gold” evergreen that would make some mothers very proud
• Uncover the connection between a watery woman and a Caribbean island
• Find 21st-century surprises in charming 19th-century buildings

Also starring: handsome churches, majestic monuments, strange trees, and a statue honoring guide dogs. But you don’t need to know anything about Morristown or history to succeed on this hunt. Just keep your eyes open, pay attention to the details, and collaborate with your team.

A Kids Edition, for ages 7 and up, offers a great opportunity for adults and children to enjoy an adventure together, whether it’s a birthday party, school field trip, or camp outing.

Acclaimed fun for team building in NJ

A 5-star review on Google: “I was researching fun team building activities locally for my colleagues and came across Watson Adventures. The team was organized and prompt with their responses when I had questions and made the whole process very easy. The scavenger hunt did NOT disappoint! We had such a fun time and would definitely do this activity again!”

“We had a great time on our team event. The Morristown Scavenger Hunt was an excellent team-building activity. Watson Adventures’ team members were very friendly, and we had a great interaction in all the aspects of the event.” –Julio Spada Fiori, External Operations Manager, Ethicon, Johnson & Johnson

Contact us to learn more about this amazing Morristown scavenger hunt—and find more fun in New Jersey!

The hunt is on in Hoboken!

Even if you’re a longtime local, you won’t believe the surprising places and cool sights you’ll discover on this group game—from the cobblestone streets with historic houses to a cliff-top view of Manhattan that might be the best view of the skyline anywhere. On teams, you’ll decipher clues to answer tricky, humorous questions about interesting locations, take creative photos, find and create unusual items, and seek out staffers for a surprise challenge.

Along the way, you might also find…

• A spectacular view of Manhattan at the Stevens Institute of Technology
• Quirky reminders of bygone Hoboken landmarks
• The Cake Boss’ bakery
• A sorta shady president
• Hunting grounds that used to be all water
• A glimpse of the city’s lively bar and restaurant scene
• The palatial Beaux-Arts train station

Don’t worry if you’re not a history buff: you just need sharp eyes and comfy shoes to win.

If you’ve been looking for a fun way to celebrate a birthday, entertain out-of-town guests, get together with friends and family, or do some team building with colleagues, you’ve found it! This scavenger hunt is the perfect way for a diverse group of people to work together, get to know one another better, and have a blast.

A Kids Edition is also available, in which adults and kids team up. Recommended for ages 10 and up, it’s a great game for school field trips.

Contact us to learn more about our Hoboken scavenger hunts—and find more fun in northern New Jersey!

Murder is on the syllabus

Princeton is a crime scene on this wild whodunit. Your task: to find out who killed a Watson Adventures staffer here. Before he died, the victim drew a star on the ground in his own blood. Solve the riddle, follow the clues, and piece together the puzzle in order to head off an international incident with potentially dire consequences.

Along the way, you’ll also uncover the secrets of Princeton and the remarkable Princeton University campus, where surprising details will help you solve the mystery. You’ll need to make sense of cryptic clues, crack a code, and send a text message to the victim. Your team will need to work together if you want to catch the killer—and save the world.

What are people saying about the Princeton campus murder mystery scavenger hunt?

“Everyone absolutely LOVED the scavenger hunt! [Watson Adventures Hunt Host] Greg was fantastic. I have had so many people thank me and tell me how much fun they had yesterday. Not an easy feat with a bunch of nerdy scientists.”

“We had a great time, and it was nice to see the [Princeton] University grounds. I like how we as a group put our thinking caps on and worked well together and we got our steps in 😊. … Kim [the Hunt Host] was very energetic to get us started and loved her enthusiasm at the end when she announced the winners.” —a group from Bristol Myers Squibb

Contact us to learn more about the Princeton murder mystery game—and find more fun in New Jersey before it’s too late!

A crash course in Ivy League fun

The historic town of Princeton—where George Washington defeated the British—and the stunning campus of Princeton University combine to provide a hunt landscape that’s filled with history, art, dramatic buildings, goofy gargoyles, famous Americans, and gorgeous scenery. But this isn’t your ordinary scavenger hunt. On teams, you’ll follow a trail of clues and search for answers to tricky, humorous questions about what you find.

Guest stars include: Russell Crowe (from locations for A Beautiful Mind), F. Scott Fitzgerald, John F. Kennedy, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Henry Moore, Aaron Burr, Woodrow Wilson, Albert Einstein, William Hurt (from One True Thing), David Duchovny of The X-Files, Meg Ryan (in the movie I.Q.), and other famous figures who’ve trod the Princeton campus.

You might tackle such questions as…

• What draining enemy did a Yalie leave on the Chapel? Answer: A bulldog, the mascot of Yale, stamped into a downspout. (The Chapel’s architect attended Yale.)
• Who or what captures a Kodak moment in front of 1879 Hall? Answer: A monkey gargoyle, aiming a box camera down at you.
• At an arch that honors a ’child, how many boys seem to be thinking, “Home alone!”? Answer: Two faces on Rothschild Arch clap their hands to the sides of their faces like Macaulay Culkin in ‘Home Alone.’

To answer a question correctly, you need to be standing in the right spot, looking at the right thing. And that means anyone can succeed at this game, since it’s a test of teamwork, not trivia.

An International Edition is available for groups that include people whose first language is not English.

On the Kids Editions, children ages 7 and up collaborate with adults to answer the fun and funny questions. It’s a winning field-trip activity for any school group, including tweens and teens.

What are players saying about the Princeton Scavenger Hunt?

A 5-star Google review: “I have never had my team rave about a team building event so enthusiastically!! The Watson Adventure team did a wonderful job. They were prepared, organized and courteous. My international business team of 35 people all felt included and had an amazing fun time! Still looking at the photos and talking about the experience a week later. I would definitely recommend to anyone for a corporate activity or just for fun with your family!”

Several Princeton alumni classes have enjoyed this scavenger hunt as a reunions weekend activity, to get re-acquainted with campus and old friends.

But no knowledge of Princeton is required! You just need sharp eyes and comfy shoes to play—and even win.

Contact us to learn more about our Princeton scavenger hunts—and find more fun in New Jersey!

Fun games with humorous twists!

If you’re looking for a good, old-fashioned scavenger hunt, we have one—with very unusual challenges that will exercise your brain and tickle your funny bone. Your tasks may involve strange uses for food, new lyrics for old songs, people in any kind of uniform, strangers wearing valuable words, secrets about local landmarks, and more. If you’ve been on scavenger hunts where you’ve had to collect boring things like clothespins and obscure CDs, you’re in for a surprise and a treat.

Teams fan out to tackle such challenges as…

Take unusual team photos

Get creative and keep your eyes open as you explore your area and try to meet the requirements of diverse “photo op” challenges. Everyone has to get into the picture (except the person holding the camera, of course). We’ve designed them to allow room for creativity while also delivering dramatic visuals (not just shots of people standing around, smiling and pointing). You might be asked to demonstrate a group member’s superhuman powers. Or treat a staircase as if it’s a carnival ride. Or photobomb another team.

Participants use their smartphone cameras and our browser-based app. You’ll get to see the other players’ pictures and download them afterward.

Find or create unusual items

As in a classic scavenger hunt, you’ll have to locate or create unusual items. But in our version, you might encounter these tricky tests: Can you create and name an amazing new food by combining two unlikely foods? How about an appropriate trophy for the hunt winners? Three items that rhyme? Something improved by being broken? You’ll be surprised by the results that come from great teamwork.

Crack a code to decipher a mystery message

Your hunt materials will include a bizarrely coded message. What the heck does it say? To crack the code, you’ll need to solve crafty, fun puzzles, involving a trivia questions, pop music, and a “pigpen cipher.” Can you piece together the key that unlocks the mystery message?

Locate the Hunt Host for a surprise bonus challenge

At a designated spot in the hunt area, the Host will be waiting for you, ready to spring a tricky, humorous visual puzzle for you to ponder. It could involve unusual celebrity pairings…or musical snippets…or international maps…or strangely altered art.

Go on a scavenger hunt anywhere, with versions and themes to suit your group

Go Deluxe: Let us tailor the hunt to your needs. Tell us what you want to highlight and we’ll weave it into the game. Perhaps someone you want to celebrate? A theme or slogan for a new campaign? Hidden talents in your group? Talk to us! We like a challenge.

Care to take a bite out of crime? Check out the Murder Mystery Mayhem Scavenger Hunt.

The hunts are available in International Editions, for hunters whose first language is not English. They are also available in Spanish, as well as in other select languages.

A Grab ’n’ Go Scavenger Hunt for Kids challenges youngsters and adults to work together to tackle challenges appropriate for ages 7 and up. It’s the perfect activity for birthday parties, bar/bat mitzvahs, family reunions, school field trips, summer-camp outings—you name it.

For a snack-tastic adventure, the Grab ’n’ Go Food Edition features food-themed Collect & Create and Photo Challenges.

And young Harry Potter fans will be cheating if they use their wands and other magical powers on the Wizards & Witches Scavenger Hunt, for ages 7 and up.

What are people saying about the Anywhere Scavenger Hunts?

“The Grab ’n’ Go Scavenger Hunt was so much fun! All of the teams were engaged and working together. We couldn’t have asked for a better team-building and celebration event.” –Brittney Gallardo, Office Manager/Executive Assistant, Texture by Next Issue Media

A 5-star review on Google: “We hired Watson Adventures to host the Grab ‘n’ Go scavenger hunt for a teambuilding event in our local downtown area. We chose to pay for an on-site host and it was well worth it. Kim, the host, was fantastic, well organized, very helpful with the game app, and added even more fun to the game with opportunities to earn extra points. Our team had a blast!! We thoroughly enjoyed getting out from in front of our computers to spend time together in this fun and creative environment!”

A 5-star review on Yelp: “I planned a surprise custom scavenger hunt for my fiancé’s birthday last year and it was so much fun! Tara was a pleasure to work with and incredibly accommodating with all of my requests. The event host was equally wonderful. We all had a blast. I wish I had more reasons to plan scavenger hunts!”

Another 5-star review on Google: “Watson Adventures was so incredibly fun for our company offsite! Correy was a fantastic host that guided the experience and Tara made planning a customized hunt a breeze. 10/10 recommend!”

Contact us to learn more about the Grab ’n’ Go Scavenger Hunts—and find more fun wherever you are!

’Tis the season for a team-building game

Gather your friends and colleagues for a holly, jolly holiday scavenger hunt in your favorite neighborhood. Your challenge: take creative team photos and collect items that relate to the holiday season. If you’re looking for a different way to kick off your year-end celebrations, you don’t have to ask Santa: just go on this holiday scavenger hunt!

Players use our browser-based app on their phones to check off challenges, take photos, and at the end, share them with other teams. The emphasis is on teamwork and appreciation. By the finish line, even a Scrooge will be acting like it’s Christmas morning.

Your team will tackle holiday-themed challenges…

Take unusual team photos

Get creative and keep your eyes open as you explore your area and try to meet the requirements of diverse “photo op” challenges. Everyone has to get into the picture (except the person holding the camera, of course). You might need to pose while blending in with a holiday window display. Or act as if you are caroling. Or spell a season’s greeting with your bodies. Or re-create a sleigh ride, dashing through the snow.

Find or create unusual items

As in a classic scavenger hunt, you’ll have to locate or create unusual items. But in our version, you might encounter these tricky tests: Can you create and name an amazing new holiday treat by combining two unlikely foods? How about something that could create a “snow storm” for one of your photo challenges? Something you’d put in a colleagues stocking? A holiday gift that is improved by being broken? You’ll be surprised by the results that come from great teamwork.

Crack a code to decipher a mystery message

Your hunt materials will include a strangely coded holiday message. What the heck does it say? To crack the code, you’ll need to solve crafty, fun puzzles, involving a trivia questions and festive holiday season music. Can you piece together the key that unlocks the mystery message?

Locate the Hunt Host for a surprise bonus challenge

At a designated spot in the hunt area, the Host will be waiting for you, ready to spring a tricky, humorous holiday-themed puzzle for you to ponder. It might involve celebrities who have played Santa or the Grinch or Scrooge…

This game can be played in almost any outdoor location. A Kids Edition is also available. Contact us to learn more about this holiday scavenger hunt—and find more fun!

Happy Halloween!

Whether you want festive fun or a chance to show off your costume before you go party, a spooky Halloween scavenger hunt is a mummy-rable—sorry, memorable—adventure for all. You might have to discover weird new uses for food, dig up a skeleton, ward off a vampire, use your bodies to spell “BOO!,” do your best zombie impression, and more.

Teams fan out to tackle such challenges as…

Take unusual team photos

Get your creative juices flowing and your haunted side showing as you come up with clever ways to complete fun “photo op” challenges. Everyone has to get into the picture (except the ghoul holding the camera, of corpse).

They’re designed to give you room to have fun while also delivering dramatic visuals (not just shots of people standing around like a bunch of stiffs). You might have to do the Monster Mash in a crowded place. Or rise from the dead in a funny way. Or pretend to go trick-or-treating.

Participants use their own smartphone cameras and send the images to our photo-sharing site. You’ll get to see the other players’ pictures and download them afterward.

Find or create unusual items

You’ll also have to procure or concoct unusual items, often with a tricky twist. Can you find or draw a creature that represents your team spirit? How about a food menu featuring blood and bone? A haunting Halloween mask? Something inflatable with a terrifying message written on it? You’ll be shocked—and occasionally horrified—by the results that come from devilishly good teamwork.

Crack a code to decipher a mystery message

Your hunt materials will include a bizarrely coded message. What the H-E Double Hockey Sticks does it say? To crack the creepy code, you’ll need to solve crafty, fun puzzles, possibly involving a few twisted trivia questions, an intriguing message from beyond the grave, a musical phone call, and other surprises. Can you piece together the key that unlocks the mystery message?

Locate the Hunt Host for a bone-tingling bonus challenge

At a dead-signated spot in the hunt area, the Host will be waiting to treat you to a tricky, icky visual puzzle. It’s a monstrous good time, and you’ll want to do your best if you hope to stay alive…to win the game, that is!

And show what makes your state so great…

…on a scavenger hunt that sends teams complete challenges that give you a chance to flaunt your hometown pride. You’ll go in search of unusual objects, take inventive team photos, decode a mystery message, and meet the Hunt Host for a surprise challenge.

How is the game tailored to your favorite city and state? Consider some examples:

If you’re from New York City, you might need to locate an actual big apple, or know the best subway route to get from Yankee Stadium to Citifield.

If you’re from Texas, the Lone Star Showdown might challenge you to come up with one of the six flags that have flown over the state, or get a photo with a Longhorn signing “Hook ’em Horns” or with an Aggie signing “Gig ’em.”

Celebrate Milwaukee and the great state of Wisconsin on games that send you in search of such local delights as frozen custard, cheese curds, brats, and booyah stew. Or dramatize the phrase “Fear the deer!”

If you have a case of Minnesota Mania, we might prescribe that you collect some cough drops or lozenges, in honor of Minnesota homeboy Bob Dylan.

In Wilmington, Delaware, you can help a stranger in honor of Joan of Arcadia (the TV series in which Wilmington poses as the fictional Arcadia), or collect a used Amtrak ticket in a salute to hometown hero and rail enthusiast Joe Biden.

In Atlanta, brace yourself for a photo in which you seem to be “gone with the wind” (you know why), or strike a pose with one of the more than a thousand works of street art. Or find a takeout menu with the word peach on it. Peachy!

Or are you visiting the Magnificent Mile in Chicago? Get in the spirit of the Windy City by taking a Team Photo as if you’re being blown away by a gust, or get historical by remembering the Great Fire and finding something toasted (not yourself, please).

In Washington, DC, you can “filibuster” another team for points, or get caught by a “spy camera” with just your heads showing. Or present a stranger with DC’s official flower, an American Beauty red rose.

What people are saying about the Celebrate Your City Scavenger Hunts

A 5-star review on Google: “Our team of 100 had a wonderfully fun time and the coordination with Watson Adventures was super smooth and easy. Laura L. was a wonderful event consultant…she was exceptionally knowledgeable and answered every question I had when planning our team’s Grab n Go option from our hotel conference in San Francisco, which for any event planner is a gold standard….[Watson Adventues] was highly recommend to me by colleagues and now I know why, if you need a fun team building event you will not be disappointed by Watson Adventures!”

“Everyone, even the cynics who weren’t planning on having fun, really enjoyed themselves. We were having so much fun that a complete stranger tried to join our group photo at the finish line!” —a director of sales

Let us know what city or state you love, and we’ll provide a madcap team-building scavenger hunt for your group!