Scavenger Hunts at The San Diego Museum of Art

  • private
  • adults
  • indoor

The San Diego Museum of Art Madness Scavenger Hunt

Discover secrets and surprises in art…

…on a whirlwind tour that reveals the best of this Southern California gem. Your team will follow a series of clues that lead you through the museum to find answers to tricky, humorous questions. Along the way, you’ll explore the world of an old Spanish painter, find a rarity among Buddhist sculptures, see a German interpretation of dehumanization, and more.

You might tackle such questions as…

  • One Dutch master puts himself in a scene, doing something fishy. Who is he? Answer: Jan Steen, who strangely holds a fish over a woman’s head in a painting.
  • Find an ass who’d say, “Hey, no smoking back there!” What is the shocking cause of the problem? Answer: Lightning, which has killed a bird on the back of a donkey in a portrait of a gentleman.
  • Find a sweetened beverage that you might say “makthe” the heart grow fonder. What “rotten” substance do you need to make it? Answer: Wormwood, as explained in the label for the Picasso sculpture titled ‘Glass of Absinthe.’

But you don’t need to know anything about art or the museum to answer these questions. You just need to follow the clues to the right spot and use your wits once you get there. And a big FYI: it’s teamwork, not trivia, that will help you soar to first place.

If you’ve been looking for a great way to bring together a diverse group of people, get them working together and laughing, and add a dash of culture while you’re at it, this is it! This scavenger hunt is a hit for birthday parties, social gatherings, corporate outings—you name it.


  • private
  • adults
  • indoor

The Murder at the San Diego Museum of Art Scavenger Hunt

Join the hunt before the clues go cold!

The bad news: the Watson Adventures staffer who was supposed to host your scavenger hunt today has been murdered. The good news (well, for you): you get to play a fun game to catch his killer. Your first clue has been provided by the victim. Before he died, he drew a star on the floor with his own blood. Figure out what that means and you’ll start to uncover the mystery of his double life, find out what got him killed, and save the world from impending doom.

Along the way, you’ll suss out secrets in amazing works of art, where the details often turn out to be part of a cryptic code. Not to freak you out or anything, but the fate of the free world may hinge on your teamwork.


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