Museum Scavenger Hunts in New York City

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?

What delighted players are saying

“It was AMAZING! And so was [Hunt Host] Michael! Just top notch! The team had so much fun! We have a highly competitive group! And that was my first time at the Met. It was so beautiful!” —a corporate group

A 5-star review on Yelp: “My extended family (age range from 4 – 80) had a blast zooming through the Met to get clues for the scavenger hunt. It was an amazing way to expose my jaded teenagers to the museum in a way that ensured they didn’t even think of it as a cultural outing. We all had a really great time. Super well organized and fun.”

Another 5-star Yelp review: “Whether it’s a corporate outing or a fun birthday adventure, Watson Adventures delivers. It’s an amazing team building exercise and provides its share of memorable moments. The guides are great. The tips are fascinating. And everyone, including the grumpiest critics at the outset, had a great time. We did the Met as well as Madam Tussaud’s and both offered memorable moments and interesting Amazing Race–like teamwork.”

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 and a perplexing profile
• Freaky photos and daring designs
• Provocative torn-from-the-headlines contemporary art
• Mind-spinning mazes of multimedia
• And much more!

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.

What delighted clients are saying

A 5-star review on Google: “From planning to game day; communication was great and the scavenger hunt itself was fantastic. We were a group of 30 and every one of us left with smiles and wishing we had more time to keep playing! I highly recommend Watson Adventures for your next outing!”

Another 5-star review on Google: “We completed a scavenger hunt with Watson Adventures at the American Museum of Natural History for a work end-of-year team celebration. This was a great activity for a large group and everyone really enjoyed themselves! I cannot recommend it enough!”

Still another 5-star review on Google: “From planning to game day; communication was great and the scavenger hunt itself was fantastic. We were a group of 30 and every one of us left with smiles and wishing we had more time to keep playing! I highly recommend Watson Adventures for your next outing!

“Our team had a blast exploring the museum and solving all of the riddles. Our game host, Andy, had the best energy and really set us up for success. So much fun!!” —a Head of Customer Success after their “company fun outing”

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?

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.

What players are saying about this murder mystery at the Met

A 5-star review on Google: “Our team truly enjoyed our scavenger hunt at The Met! We did it as a team building activity as part of our staff retreat. Folks had a lot of fun. Our host was fantastic!…Thanks for a great time!”

“The team had a brilliant time, thank you so much! ‘One of the best team outings’ we’ve done 🙂 ”—the organizer of a corporate group outing

Another 5-star Google review: “We booked a murder mystery scavenger hunt for my husband’s birthday and it was INCREDIBLE. Mia was a fantastic host, and we got to explore parts of the museum I’ve never been in (and we’ve been members for over a decade). I can’t recommend them more highly.”

“It was AWESOME! The team absolutely loved it and we are already trying to figure out a date where we can sign up for another. Also Andy was a great host. Thank you again for all of your help in organizing, was absolutely perfect.” —from a hospital group

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!

Solve puzzles—and save yourself!

You’ve been poisoned at the start of this scavenger hunt (er, sorry), and it’s up to you to find the cure. How? By solving a series of puzzles created by a diabolical villain. He wants to see if you can ultimately decipher a mystery message that will reveal how to get the antidote. Sure, you can escape a room, but can you escape the galleries of the New York Historical? (Yup, that’s the name: it used to be known as the New-York Historical Society.)

You and your teammates will have trouble deciding what is more surprising: the twists and turns of this museum scavenger hunt, or the amazing collection of art and artifacts at the NYH. Four floors of exhibits pack in all kinds of treasures and secrets for you to unearth.

Highlights include…

• A word puzzle featuring a kaleidoscopic gallery of Tiffany lamps
• A perplexing message involving lustrous trophies
• A ridiculous rebus that leads to NYC’s most notorious political boss
• A quirky equation that exposes a famous Revolution-era riot and a chunk of metal that resulted from the mob’s violence

Along the way, your team will also be challenged to master a bonus challenge with the Hunt Host and crack a cryptic code.

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

Contact us to learn more about private games for groups at the New York Historical—and find more fun in NYC!

Get a salty taste of adventure on the seven seas…

…without leaving New York! This unique team-building activity takes place aboard a former aircraft carrier, now known as the Intrepid Museum. Your team will go from the “vulture’s row” up above to the mess hall below decks, as you clamber through passageways, peer into cockpits, and spy other sights most people get to see only by enlisting.

On teams, you’ll search for answers to tricky and humorous questions while watching film footage of the Intrepid in action, witnessing a kamikaze experience, focusing on the fo’c’s’le, espying the coolest spy plane, cracking a code in the Combat Information Center, and much more.

On this scavenger hunt your team might search for…

• A Wild West mess hall with unusual decorations
• The log of a resident of the Triple Six, who recorded a hangover
• A Blackbird spy plane on the flight deck…in Area 51
• A look out of a porthole at a space capsule reeled in from the sea

No previous knowledge of the Intrepid is required—you don’t even have to join the Navy to win.

Contact us to learn more about the Intrepid Museum scavenger hunt—and find more fun in NYC!

Five floors of fantastic fun!

Currently the Brooklyn Museum is not accepting group reservations. Join us instead for scavenger hunts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art.

Kids and adults team up to answer humorous questions about what they find as they take a wild tour of Egypt, Africa, Europe, Asia, and America in the museum’s halls. Special guest appearances made by: a mummy, Garfield’s ancient ancestor, a pitcher full of Niagara Falls, a woman dancing with a lion, a monster palace, and a dragon-headed turtle. You’re in for a treat!

This hunt is a perfect field-trip activity that gives adults a great way to interact with kids and show them how interesting an art museum can be. It’s suitable for ages 7 and up, and each team must be accompanied by at least one adult.

Meet New York’s most underrated museum

Currently the Brooklyn Museum is not accepting group reservations. Join us instead for scavenger hunts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art.

Explore five—count ’em, five—floors of fun, with outstanding collections of art from Egypt, Africa, and the Hudson River School, plus rooms and entire houses that let you step into 19th-century America. You’ll encounter an African Elephant Man, Rodin masterpieces, an image of Niagara Falls so realistic you might feel the spray, Rockefeller’s Moroccan parlor, a cat mummy, the Rocky Mountains, a Zambian cross-dresser, and Noah’s Ark, to name just a few of the surprising sights.

You don’t need to know anything about art or the museum to excel at this team-building game—you just need eagle eyes and comfy kicks.

Getting there is a snap: by car or cab, it’s a straight shot from the Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, and there’s a parking lot behind the museum. By subway, the 2 and 3 trains stop in front of the museum’s doors.

How good is this hunt?

The Brooklyn Museum itself has hired Watson Adventures to stage hunts for its members four times, including for two of its annual black-tie galas.

Discover diverse art at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City

In these team building diversity games, you’ll search hunt the halls of MoMA for art that highlights 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 peruse MoMA’s conversation-provoking exhibits, in search of answers to surprising, humorous questions about works by Jeff Koons, Vasudeo Gaitonde, Kamala Ishag, and many more.

Along the way, you might encounter art that reflects the powerful perspectives of women, the LGBTQIA+ community, people of color and of different faiths.

No art history knowledge required

Even if you don’t know a Picasso from a Warhol, you can win this game with a little observation and a lot of teamwork. You’ll feast your eyes on diverse masterpieces as you have a blast with friends or colleagues.

We have staged scavenger hunts at MoMA since 2006, and after its 2019 expansion, the museum is bigger and better than ever. Find out for yourself why we’re the only team-building company permitted at the museum.

The love child of a pub quiz and a scavenger hunt

You’ll need to show off your knowledge to prevail at this unusual game at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Each question challenges your team to answer a trivia question, and that answer becomes a crucial clue to answering a question about an object on display. The trivia comes from movies, music, history, sports, science, books—you name it.

Trivia answers provide clues to adventure

• Knowing one of Lady Gaga’s hit songs could help you find out what’s going on in a painting of a sneaky card game.
• Remembering how many stars make up a famous dipper can help you track down a goddess getting a constellation prize.
• And can your team figure out what previous profession was shared by Stephen King, Sting, John Adams, Lyndon Johnson, and J.K. Rowling? That answer can help you spot French figures revealing a shocking schoolmaster tactic. 

Don’t know those trivia tidbits? If your team gets stuck, you can consult a smartphone—but keep in mind that the teams that get the answers faster will answer more questions and score more points.

This might be one of our most challenging hunts, so you’ll probably want to pack your team with up to six brainiacs. Contact us to learn more—and find more trivia 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 the Obamas, jam with the Jonas Brothers, 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.

What are players saying about the wax museum scavenger hunt?

A 5-star review on Google: “Amazing from start to finish!”

A 5-star Yelp review: “Whether it’s a corporate outing or a fun birthday adventure, Watson Adventures delivers. It’s an amazing team building exercise and provides its share of memorable moments. The guides are great. The tips are fascinating. And everyone, including the grumpiest critics at the outset, had a great time. We did the Met [Museum] as well as Madam Tussauds and both offered memorable moments and interesting Amazing Race–like teamwork.”

“We had an amazing time!! It was the best team event we’ve ever had! People are still raving about it days later…which is making other teams in the office slightly jealous. I have a feeling that those other teams will be reaching out to you for their next event. Thank you SO much for making this event a huge success!!” —a corporate group

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!

An empowering new adventure

The Brooklyn Museum is currently not accepting group reservations.

On this scavenger hunt you’ll meet the women of the Brooklyn Museum: art of women, art by women, and the stories behind them. Follow a trail of tricky clues and answer fun questions about this world-class collection of art, and get to know the likes of Georgia O’Keeffe, the Peale sisters, an Egyptian princess, a Roman goddess, and much more.

The hunt also features the museum’s Herstory Gallery, a rotating exhibition of feminist art. Here you’ll get up close and extremely personal with Judy Chicago’s famed feminist masterpiece, The Dinner Party, and the 1,083 women her piece honors.

Join this empowering, intriguing tour of women art and artists in one of New York’s greatest museums.

Women rule the art world…

…on this whirlwind tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art that reveals the many ways famous and formidable females have made history—and herstory. Your team will follow a trail of tricky clues and answer intriguing questions about paintings, sculptures, and surprising objects.

Along the way, you’ll get to know the likes of Georgia O’Keeffe, Harriet Whitney Frishmuth’s divine sculpture, a Nigerian Queen, a cross-dressing rodeo hand, and more.

No previous knowledge of art or women’s history is required. You just need sharp wits, keen eyes, and comfy shoes.

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!