Museum Scavenger Hunts in New York City

Based on a Sherlock Holmes story

It’s your job to solve a mind-boggling mystery on this scavenger hunt with a deadly twist. Wealthy businessman William Cates has been found shot dead in his Park Avenue home. Next to his body lay his wife, Janet, unconscious and seriously wounded. Police plan to charge Janet with murder and currently see her shooting as a failed suicide attempt.

A week earlier, Cates sought the help of the Watson Adventures code-breaking experts. Janet had received e-mails containing images of dancing stick figures. They seemed to cause her great distress, but she insisted that they were meaningless.

The crime scene included a crumpled copy of a scavenger hunt involving nudes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where Janet works. We believe that the scavenger hunt is somehow linked with the dancing-figure e-mails. Will these messages prove that Janet is innocent?

Who murdered William Cates? What is the secret of the dancing nudes? We need your help! See if your team of sleuths can figure out who dunnit by following a trail of clues through works of art at the museum and answering devilishly tricky questions about them. A woman’s life hangs in the balance—and you may be her only hope.

Click on a button below to find out more or to get in the game—and find more fun at the Met!

See the best of the Met on our funniest tour!

Embark on this hilarious hunt with your team for a truly unique bonding experience. It covers almost the entire museum, so you’ll get to travel from ancient Rome to modern America, hitting Europe, China, India, South America, and more along the way. But no knowledge of art is required—in fact, it might be a hindrance!

On this art museum scavenger hunt, your team might…

• Go to the dogs in a panoramic view of the Gardens of Versailles
• Discover why Cupid could use some Pampers
• Decipher graffiti on an ancient Egyptian temple
• Spot Mick Jagger in a medieval stained-glass window
• Find out what’s on the back of Van Gogh’s mind
• Learn why Freud’s pudgy poser has Venus envy

And those are just a few of the highlights as you search for some of the museum’s most startling and surprisingly humorous works, often in galleries you never knew existed.

This hunt is the perfect way to bring people together and make memories as you bond over our entertaining challenges. It’s a great corporate team-building activity, birthday-party idea, social-group outing—you name it!

Hunts for private groups: more team-building punch  

If you want your group to interact more, try the Mixed Alliances Edition, in which each team must meet and collaborate with three other teams as the game unfolds. Each individual will interact with at least 11 other game participants. What will you do when your opponent must become your ally?

Contact to learn more about our Metropolitan Museum of Art scavenger hunts—and find more fun in New York City?

No ordinary art museum scavenger hunt…

MoMA is an extraordinary museum—and our hunt is far from your typical team-building exercise. You’re in for an unusual treat as your team explores MoMA’s unusual, conversation-provoking exhibits in search of answers to surprising, humorous questions about Picasso, Pollock, Van Gogh, and many more. Even if you don’t know a Warhol from a Wyeth, you can win this game with a little observation and a lot of teamwork. You’ll feast your eyes on some of the world’s latest, greatest masterpieces as you have a blast with friends or colleagues.

Your team will be challenged to uncover…

• Picasso’s poison and secret seducer
• Jackson Pollock’s surprising secret ingredients
• Warhol’s favorite lunch (hint: it’s soup)
• Dali’s wilting watches plus a perplexing profile
• Freaky photos and daring designs
• Provocative torn-from-the-headlines contemporary art
• Mind-spinning mazes of multimedia

We’ve been staging scavenger hunts at MoMA since 2006. Find out for yourself why we’re the only team-building company permitted in the museum.

Click below to see the calendar for weekend public hunts. Or contact us to learn more about booking a private MoMA Mania Scavenger Hunt for your group—and find more museum fun in NYC!

Can your team solve this murder mystery scavenger hunt?

Fans of murder mysteries and The Da Vinci Code will enjoy this unusual adventure at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A murdered curator has left behind a cryptic trail of clues connected with secrets in works of art. As your team gathers answers about the art, you begin to piece together a sordid tale about greed, lust, pride, revenge, and treachery—all revolving around the museum’s planned multi-million-dollar purchase of a rare painting by Leonardo da Vinci.

Even if you’re not a murder mystery buff, you’ll have plenty of fun spotting unusual details in art, piecing together the story, and laughing at some of the surprising discoveries. No knowledge of the museum or its art is required—you just need sharp eyes, comfy shoes, and good teamwork.

What are players saying about the  at the Met Museum Murder Mystery Game?

“We had a fantastic time yesterday. Thank you for all your assistance! Our Hunt Host was a lot of fun and kept us interested in the story line—which is just juicy and scandalous enough to have kept everyone interested. We had a really great time as individual teams working together as well as competing against each other.” –Jessica Park, Office Manager, Black Mountain Systems

“Our team had a great time. Don and Shannon are wonderful hosts and I have to say that the entire group was super into the hunt—I consider this a great success for our group (lol).
Thank you so much for making the process so easy and seamless. I was super impressed from start to finish. Thanks again!!!!” —an organizer from a pharmaceutical firm

A 5-star review on TripAdvisor: “We loved our Murder at the Met Scavenger Hunt. What a great way to see a museum. The questions were tough and we loved the challenge. Our family loved it—millennials and baby boomers. Kim was a great [hunt host]. We will definitely do another/different Hunt. Highly recommended!”

Click below to see the weekend public hunt schedule or contact us to learn more about booking a private Murder at the Met Scavenger Hunt for your group—and find more fun in New York City!

“You won’t want to miss this adventure.” –Time Out New York

Go on an expedition across centuries, civilizations, and solar systems so surreal that you’ll think of this Upper West Side gem as the Museum of Unnatural History. You’ll find out why a T-Rex can’t stand up, attend an Amazonian beer bash, discover New York’s largest rodent (no, it’s not your landlord), see the crappiest gift a president ever gave the museum, and more.

Not a scientist? No worries! No previous knowledge is needed. This humor-filled game has been recommended by the New York Times and Newsday, among other media outlets.

More team-building fun on a Museum of Natural History scavenger hunt

On hunts for private groups, if you’re looking for an activity that makes many teams pull together, try the special Mixed Alliances Edition. Teams of three players will take turns collaborating with two or three other teams. They are competing against each other—but they must cooperate to win. Each player will interact with up to 11 other players during the hunt.

Contact us to learn more about our extraordinary adventures at the American Museum of Natural History—and find more fun in New York City!

Explore 6 continents and 8 planets in 90 minutes!

Kids and adults work together on this history museum scavenger hunt, which reveals the weirdest, the wildest, and the wackiest secrets of the American Museum of Natural History. You won’t be collecting objects—drop that fossil!—you’ll be searching for answers to quirky questions about the amazing exhibits you discover.

This team game is suitable for children ages 7 and up. No previous knowledge of the museum or its contents is required—you just need eagle eyes, good teamwork, and a flair for adventure!

Along the way, your team might…

• Search for snakes in Africa
• Touch ancient meteorites and dinosaur bones
• Find out your weight on the moon (don’t worry—it’s good news!)
• Discover why a T. rex shouldn’t stand up
• Brush by brown bears and buffalo
• Goggle at far-out fashions in far-off places
• Cower at a crouching cannibal
• Mingle with cavemen
• Dive beneath a life-size blue whale to get in the swim with a monster squid

The game is designed for teams of five or six kids, with one or more adults per team. We’ve been staging this hunt since 2000, and we know just the right level of challenge to engage every child and adult on a team.

Perfect for school groups—or any group!

What a great class trip or summer-camp activity! The scavenger hunt is a fun-filled way to introduce kids to the marvels of the museum, leaving young hunters yearning to learn more. Plus, the game makes it easy for adults to serve as more than just chaperones—they are fully engaged teammates. Numerous school groups have raved about this game, including schools with hundreds of participants. It’s also a popular choice for kids’ birthday parties and other special occasions.

What happy hunters are saying

“I have currently taken students from my high school to four hunts. Each time we have gone, the students have had a wonderful experience. The enthusiasm I have seen, the teamwork that has been displayed, has been thrilling for me as an educator. My job is to keep students engaged, and Watson Adventures does that with ease. Not only are the students doing something fun—they don’t even realize how much they are learning in the process.”

A crazed killer is on the loose in the Met Museum

And it’s up to you to stop him! The clever criminal has created a scavenger hunt at the museum, and if your team can solve its puzzles, you’ll discover his name, the weapon he used, and where he hid the body in the museum. The police need your help.

By following the trail of clues and answering tricky questions, you’ll narrow down the list of suspects, weapons, and possible crime scenes. Your goal: to provide the authorities with the evidence they need to catch and convict the killer. Can you figure out whodunit?

Learn more about our Whodunit hunts

No knowledge of the museum or art is necessary. You just need sharp eyes and comfy shoes. This hunt is an easier alternative than the more challenging Murder at the Met Scavenger Hunt.

The hunt’s afoot! Click on a button below to contact us about a Met museum scavenger hunt for a private group or to buy tickets to weekend hunts for the public—and find more fun in NYC!

Make like a monk and get medieval…

…as you explore the Cloisters and solve mysteries like a latter-day Brother Baskerville. You’ll learn how a fearless slayer gives a dragon a bellyache, take a ladder to heaven or fall into the (literal) mouth of hell, learn why dead princes sleep with dogs, find a frog hiding near a famous unicorn, and discover a gallery that re-creates a painting.

In good weather, you’ll enjoy the garden retreats filled with plants and herbs used in the Middle Ages and take in the spectacular views of the Hudson River.

If visiting the Cloisters has been on your bucket list, this scavenger hunt is the perfect opportunity to journey through one of upper Manhattan’s most unusual treasures. It’s a great place for your group to enjoy an extraordinary experience together, as you bond over an unusual adventure.

A Kids Edition is also available, for ages 7 and up. It’s a great school field trip activity in which kids and adults must work together.

Hunts for the general public are available on weekends, and games for private groups are available anytime. Contact us to learn more about our scavenger hunts at The Met Cloisters—and find more fun in NYC!

Time-travel to New York City’s past…

…by going on this whirlwind tour of the New York Historical (formerly the New-York Historical Society). It’s like the city’s attic of treasures. Your team will follow a trail of clues through the beautifully remodeled Luce Center, the Center for Women’s History, and an array of ever-changing special exhibits, as you search for answers to tricky, humorous questions about the cool things you discover.

The New York Historical has asked us to stage this game for the general public more than a dozen times since 2017. We always get a great turnout and an enthusiastic response.

But maybe you have a corporate group that needs a fun, stimulating, brain-scratching, team bonding activity right now. Good news: You can book this scavenger hunt for private groups almost anytime!

On the scavenger hunt you might search for such items as…

• Tremendous timepieces with timeless appeal
• An authentic replica of the Oval Office
• Antique windup toys and trains
• An instigating object in the Civil War Draft Riots
• A panic on Wall Street between bulls and bears

No knowledge of the museum or New York history is needed: you just need sharp eyes and comfy shoes.

Special edition for kids and school groups

A Kids Edition for kids and adults to play together is also available for ages 7 and up. It’s a great way to introduce children to New York history and to the museum while having fun. If you’re bringing a school group to the museum for a field trip, the History Mysteries Scavenger Hunt for Kids helps teachers introduce students to the entire museum while entertaining the chaperones as well.

Get in the game!

Contact us to learn more about our New York history museum scavenger hunts—and find more fun in NYC!

Waxy buildup has never been so much fun!

Our game is the best way to enjoy this wild and wacky museum in the heart of Midtown. Party with Tyra Banks and Carrie Underwood, pose for a photo op with presidents, jam with rock stars, stop for tea with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and snap shots of your team with dozens of other celebs.

While tackling tricky questions and Team Photo Challenges, you’ll mingle with actors and musicians at a Hollywood party; meet presidents, artists, and other historic greats in a hall of fame; and time-travel from the black-and-white era to the present as you pass such colorful figures as Robin Williams, Indiana Jones, E.T., King Kong, and the Ghostbusters.

For corporate groups looking for an especially unusual after-work team-building activity, Madame Tussauds is a great option: it stays open late and has facilities for parties—and you never have to worry about inclement weather.

A Kids Edition is also available, for ages 7 and up.

Contact us to learn more about our Madame Tussauds scavenger hunts—and find more fun in NYC!

Solve a murder at the Met? Get a clue!

In this mischievous mystery, kids and adults team up to search great works of art to expose a killer. The villain has created a scavenger hunt at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and if you can solve it, you’ll reveal his name, the weapon he used, and where he hid the body.

You’ll get images of suspects, weapons, and possible crime scenes that are all on display in the museum. By following the trail of clues and answering tricky questions, you’ll get closer and closer to solving this deadly puzzle, helping the police—and earning bragging rights for your team.

Discover one of our most popular Met Museum activities for kids

No knowledge of the museum or art is necessary: just bring your love of mystery and your teamwork skills. This hunt is for ages 10 and up. Each team must include at least one kid and one adult, with a maximum of six participants per team.

Contact us to learn more—and find more fun for kids in NYC!

Follow in the footsteps of young wizards…

…on a magical trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in search of art that echoes characters, places, and enchanted objects in the famed Harry Potter books and movies. On teams, you’ll collaborate to track down a powerful sorceress, a Snape-like potions master, flying owls and dragons, Hagrid-like giants, centaurs and unicorns like those you’d see in the Forbidden Forest, strange mermaids and sharks that seem straight out of the Triwizard Tournament, fierce knights in armor, and cloaked and masked figures as scary as any Death Eater or Dementor.

Not just a Harry Potter fans scavenger hunt

Both wizards and muggles (i.e., people who aren’t Potter experts) can play and enjoy this game. Everyone will discover unusual images that will surprise and delight. The hunt is not an addition to or variation on Harry’s adventures; instead, references to the books will provide a bridge to many surprising and spectacular works of art. It’s a great birthday-party activity for your favorite Harry Potter fan. 

Join us for a hunt for the general public on weekends (all-adult teams compete separately) or contact us about a private hunt for your group—and find more wizarding fun!

Visit museums across the country—virtually!

Discover odd and unusual art and artifacts on this unique museum virtual tour. Tricky, fun trivia questions provide clues that lead you on a quest to explore 16 online museums of all kinds, all over America. You’ll pick your way through virtual galleries and historic locations, in search of amazing masterpieces, startling artifacts, dinosaurs, famous people, and more, earning points for uncovering humorous details, all without leaving your comfy chair.

No previous knowledge is required. You just need sharp eyes and great teamwork on this adventure. Thanks to video conferencing technology and our custom game app, people at home can play along with a Watson Adventures host, work with teammates, and have fun together. This game sends you searching for the strangest and funniest details in art hidden on museum websites.

Special editions for private groups

• Want your colleagues to mix more during the game? The Mix & Mingle edition rearranges the teams at “halftime” to increase the number of people players interact with during the game.
• The International Edition is great for groups seeking online ESL games.
• If your group is up for a challenge, try the Brain Squeeze Edition, which adds devilish trivia questions to the clues.
• Or if you’re an educator looking for online classroom games, consider the Kids Edition.

Want to see more of a particular city’s best museums and landmarks? Escape games for New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, Texas, and Washington, D.C., are also available. If your group includes people from a variety of countries, whose first language might not be English, check out the Around the World Scavenger Hunt.

Contact us to learn more—and find more fun working at home!