The Murder at the Franklin Institute Scavenger Hunt
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- public
- private
- adults
- indoor
Team building can be a dangerous game
Or at least it was for the Watson Adventures hunt host who was scheduled to lead your team-building scavenger hunt at the Franklin Institute. He was found dead at the foot of the giant Ben Franklin statue, and the only evidence that remains is the game he created for your group—and some mysterious documents we received when we tried to e-mail his sister.
Police need your help. They think that the game might contain clues that reveal the victim’s secret life. On teams, you’ll need to follow clues to visit exhibits in the museum and answer tricky questions about what you find. You must figure out how they relate to a mysterious list of code words that seem to indicate that our hunt host was in danger—and perhaps you are too.
You’ll need good teamwork and a bit of cunning to save yourselves—and maybe even the world. Are you up for the challenge? The game’s afoot!
Contact us below to learn more about how to book this scavenger hunt for a private occasion, or click on the second button to see the schedule for weekends games that anyone can join.
The Secrets of the Philadelphia Museum of Art Scavenger Hunt
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- private
- adults
- kids
- indoor
Discover the weird and wacky side of art…
…on a whirlwind tour of the best—and strangest—art in this amazing museum. Decipher clues and answer tricky, humorous questions as you travel across time and continents. You’ll explore such destinations as a French monastery, a Chinese palace, an Indian Temple, a Pennsylvania Dutch kitchen, a Japanese village, a medieval knight’s tomb, and the palatial rooms of European nobles, to name a few of the highlights.
Along the way, you might search for…
- A Dutch master doing something fishy in one of his own scenes
- A mule that might cry, “Hey, no smoking back there!”
- A sweet drink with a rotten ingredient
- A colonial version of a dribble glass
- A dragon with horrendous halitosis
But no knowledge of art or the museum is required to enjoy the hijinks and perhaps even win: you just need sharp eyes and comfy shoes.
Countless corporate groups have enjoyed this hunt as a team-building activity since we first offered it in 2004.
Also available: The Kids Edition has been recommended by GoCityKids.com. Suitable for ages 7 and up, this game is popular with all kinds of groups, from teachers leading school field trips to parents looking for an unusual birthday-party activity.
What people are saying about the Philadelphia Museum scavenger hunt
“The Team Building Scavenger Hunt was a delightful experience—it was not only educational but also entertaining. The hunt wasn’t just about racing against time or wining a prize, but it was collaborative and fun. The teams mingled, shared insightful ideas and laughter as we solved riddles and pieced together the artworks’ hidden stories. Our CEO said he felt like Tom Hanks in the Da Vinci Code movie. It is one of the best team building experiences that we’ve had in a long time” —a financial company
Contact us to learn more about our scavenger hunts at the Philadelphia Museum of Art—and find more team-building fun in Philadelphia!
The Twisted Science Scavenger Hunt at the Franklin Institute
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- private
- adults
- indoor
Like a lightning rod for fun
You don’t need to be Ben Franklin to discover that the best way to explore the Franklin Institute is on this team-building scavenger hunt. You’ll follow a trail of tricky clues and answer humorous questions about the museum’s oddest and most fascinating exhibits.
Along the way, you might…
- Walk through a giant heart
- Decipher optical illusions
- Uncover how the Wright brothers thwarted spies
- Penetrate the mystery of Foucault’s pendulum
- Discover the literally shocking reason Ben Franklin’s son lost his fingers
Those are just some of the highlights you can expect on a hunt at this massive museum known for its exciting, inventive, and interactive ways of getting people to explore all things scientific.
And don’t worry: no previous knowledge of the Founding Father or his scientific discoveries is necessary to play—or to be crowned the winner. You just need sharp eyes, comfy shoes, and excellent teamwork.
Team-building fun on a scavenger hunt in Philadelphia
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. It’s a great way to increase the interaction among players.
What people are saying about the Franklin Institute scavenger hunt
“Thank you for pulling the hunt together in 1.5 weeks for our group. We had SO much fun and thought it was a great team-building experience. The Hunt Hosts were very friendly, helpful, and accommodating to our needs. We arrived 15 minutes earlier than expected, and they were still able to form teams as we left the bus. I will be sure to recommend Watson Adventures in the future! Thanks again for such a memorable experience.” –An engineer in the pharmaceutical industry
Contact us to learn more about the Twisted Science Scavenger Hunt—and find more fun at Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute!
Escape the PAFA Scavenger Hunt
- private
- adults
- kids
- teens
- indoor
Can great art save your life?
It will have to, on this fun and funny scavenger hunt! In the gorgeous galleries of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, your team will discover that a diabolical villain has poisoned you. He wants to learn whether you have the wits to solve his devious yet diverting puzzles. The only way to crack his secret code, and gain access to the antidote, is to search the galleries and master the mysteries of the masterpiece paintings and sculptures.
Why lock yourself in a room when you can explore a landmark building and discover the weird and wacky aspects of art? But on this art museum scavenger hunt you don’t need to know a Charles Wilson Peale from a banana peel in order to win: you just need great teamwork and comfy shoes.
A version for kids and adults to enjoy together is also available—a great activity for a school field trip.
Contact us to learn more about our Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts scavenger hunts—and find more fun in Philadelphia!
The Art of Darkness Scavenger Hunt
- private
- adults
- indoor
Twisted, terrifying, and totally fun
For some serious chills and thrills, embark on this ominous adventure that highlights the weirdest, creepiest, darkest of the arts at the PMA. Your challenge is to follow the hunt’s clues and answer tricky, humorous questions about the macabre items you find.
Steel your nerves as you look for…
- A devil who terrorized church ladies
- A silent knight and unholy knight
- A botched tonsillectomy
- A sword that’ll make you talk about overkill
- Dragons with bad breath
- A peasant going “night clubbing”
- Deadly musical fruit
The game provides a fun, unusual way to get friends or colleagues interacting, bonding, and laughing—especially around Halloween. You don’t need any prior knowledge of art or the museum to play, but after this hunt, you’ll probably never look at the museum again in quite the same way.
The Naked at the Art Museum Scavenger Hunt
- public
- private
- adults
- indoor
Clothing is optional…
…for the statues and figures in paintings featured in this game in the galleries of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. On this festive look at nudity in art through the centuries, you’ll find it cropping up in surprising places and in surprising guises. Your team will scrutinize paintings, sculptures, and period rooms as you answer tricky, humorous questions about the nudes and their, er, nudity.
Along the way, you might uncover…
- Saints with shocking piercings
- A sultry sea monster
- Exotic gods with many arms to keep an eye on
- A Peeping Tom who discovers a new meaning for the term “stag party”
…and many more surprises. No knowledge of art, or nudity, is required.
The Revolutionary Philadelphia Scavenger Hunt at the Museum of the American Revolution
- private
- adults
- kids
- indoor
America’s battle scars and secrets—revealed
The British are coming! And so are the patriots! Actually, they’re all already here, on display at the new Museum of the American Revolution in the heart of Philadelphia, a few blocks from Independence Hall. This group game gives you an unusual and hilarious whirlwind tour of its highlights, astonishing and odd artifacts, and hidden surprises.
You’ll follow a trail of clues that weaves through the war’s timeline, from the “Road to Independence,” through “The Darkest Hour,” and on to “A New Nation.” But this isn’t your ordinary scavenger hunt, so you won’t be collecting objects (put back that musket!). Instead, you’ll be collecting answers to tricky, funny questions.
No previous knowledge required!
No expertise on the Revolution is required. You don’t need to know Ben Franklin from Ben Affleck: the hunt is a test of teamwork, not trivia knowledge. To win, all you need to win is a pair of sharp eyes—and comfy shoes. That said, you’ll be amazed at the fascinating, strange, astonishing stories and historical objects you’ll discover along the way.
Exclaims one corporate client: “We had a great time. Everyone loved it and several told me they were planning on signing up for the Longwood Gardens hunt coming up. Thanks so much for everything!”
A Kids Edition is available for kids and adults to play together, which makes for the perfect school field trip. It’s guaranteed to spark any kid’s interest in the Revolutionary War, the Founding Fathers—and Mothers—and history in general. Recommended for ages 7 and up.
Contact us to learn more about our fun, funny scavenger hunt at the Museum of the American Revolution—and find more fun in Philadelphia!
Escape to the Museum Virtual Scavenger Hunt
- private
- adults
- indoor
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!
