Museum Scavenger Hunts in The San Francisco Bay Area

An adventure that’s sure to click

Buckle up for a wild ride on the Information Superhighway at this unique museum that boasts the largest collection of computing artifacts in the world. On this techie trek, you’ll swing past ancient calculators, mysterious source code, whale-size early computers, super supercomputers, massive “minicomputers,” games you played as a 6-year-old, Palm Pilots (remember those?), and much more. But this computer endeavor is anything but solitary: to win, you’ll need to collaborate with your team to answer tricky, humorous questions.

You might also be challenged to…

• Find Alan Turing inspecting the grandchild of the Manchester Baby
• Determine what programming language should run for “Precedent”
• Discover IBM’s model of a four-story computer
• Learn how early pacemakers took computers to heart
• Peer at the Norden Bombsight, which directed the atomic bomb
• Discover that size isn’t everything, at least when it comes to disc drives
• Consult an ancient Incan computer
• Chuckle over proud programmers’ buttons (“I got code in my node,” for instance)

You don’t need to be a computer wizard to have fun—or to win. You just need a sharp mind, comfortable shoes, and great teamwork.

Discover better team building in the South Bay Area

Discover why Silicon Valley companies—such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Oracle, and Nissan—are tackling this scavenger hunt to improve teamwork and boost morale by having fun together. Contact us to learn more—and find more fun in Mountain View!

Put on your lab coat…

…for an investigation into mechanical marvels, human phenomena, wonders of light and sound, man-made tornadoes, dancing robots, secrets of the natural world, and stunning facts—and views—of the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island. On teams, you’ll explore this science-based museum by following a trail of clues in search of answers to fun and funny questions.

On this San Francisco scavenger hunt you might find…

• A toilet you can drink from…if you dare
• Something on the Golden Gate Bridge that’s a huge drag, man
• A Weaver’s toothpick masterpiece
• A kind of “salad” that give surfers a beautiful curl
• A Mr. Freeze who’d pester the Penguin

Don’t worry if your name isn’t Einstein: no special knowledge of the museum or science is required to have fun—or even to win. All you need is a sharp mind, and comfy shoes don’t hurt either.

In the Kids Edition, available for ages 7 and up, children and adults join forces to solve our tricky questions. It’s an enjoyable, educational activity for school field trips, camp or youth-group outings, and birthday parties.

Contact us to learn more about our scavenger hunts at the Exploratorium—and find more team-building fun in San Francisco!

Uncover the shocking secrets of masterpieces…

…on a whirlwind tour of the best of the de Young Museum, a stunning jewel in San Francisco’s crown. You’ll search for answers to quirky, funny questions about intriguing objects you’re challenged to find in the collections of American paintings and sculptures, African art, art of the Americas, and more.

Your team might find…

• An atomic owl
• A snaggle-fingered pianist
• A Kongo man who should sue his acupuncturist
• A cocoa coffin
• A headhunter’s home furnishings
• A barbarous barber
• A clue hidden in the spectacular panorama viewed from the museum’s tower

Those are just a few of the highlights on this revealing romp through the eclectic galleries. But you don’t need to know anything about art to succeed: you just need excellent teamwork and comfortable shoes.

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

You can also help make art accessible, surprising, and new to hunters of every age and stripe with the Kids Edition of this scavenger hunt, geared toward ages 7 and up. Adults and children work together to uncover the amazing aspects of art, making it the perfect choice for school field trips, camp outings, birthday parties, and more.

Contact us to learn more about the de Young museum scavenger hunt—and find more fun in San Francisco!

Go on an extraordinary team-building adventure across several centuries of art in a palatial setting, at the Legion of Honor Museum. You’ll compete by following clues to discover the strangest, quirkiest, most remarkable masterpieces in the galleries and answering humorous questions about what you find.

Along the way, you might discover…

• A mouse disguised as a Chinese dish
• An unusually plucky instrument
• A plate of bees attacking a bear
• A stargazing maiden by Bologna (but not the lunch meat)
• A rude awakening by a blacksmith

Plus, frogmen, a nasty parrot, and much more. But don’t worry—you don’t need to know anything about the art to play or to win. You just need to pay attention to the details and use your wits.

This is the perfect off-site activity for a group looking to have an unusual experience. Even the grumps who don’t like games will get hooked by the great art and amusing questions. Trust us: that’s been true for countless groups since our first hunt here in 2005.

We also offer a Kids Edition designed for kids and adults to play together. It has earned raves from teachers, chaperones and students alike, on school field trips, camp outings, and birthday parties.

Contact us to learn more about our scavenger hunts at the Legion of Honor art museum—and find more fun in San Francisco!

Can you figure out whodunit?

The mummies aren’t the only dead bodies at the Rosicrucian Museum. No, there’s a much fresher corpse on the grounds: a Watson Adventures staffer has caught a bullet, and it’s up to you to catch his killer. Your first clue in solving this mystery is a star on the ground that the victim drew with his own blood. He also left behind a scavenger hunt that he created in the museum. Your team’s first task: get to work on that hunt!

As you answer the questions and uncover the secrets of the murder, you’ll begin to piece together the details of his double life. From the depths of the mummy’s tomb to the heights of Pharaoh Akhenaten’s rule, many a surprising detail turns out to be part of a cryptic code. No pressure or anything, but the fate of the free world may depend on your teamwork.

Contact us to learn more about this Egyptian museum team-building adventure—and find more fun in San Jose!

An adventure for artful team building in the Bay Area

Discover the most arresting, most unusual, and most amusing details in the galleries of the Stanford University’s Cantor Arts Center on this fun, funny scavenger hunt. You’ll scrutinize startling sculptures, ponder masterpiece paintings, decide whether Alexander the Great is really that great, choose a powerful Afropick, play a 19th-century “snap” game, tangle with ancient Chinese dragons, master the Old Masters, and much more.

BUT no knowledge of art or the museum is required! You just need sharp eyes, comfy shoes, a sense of humor, and good teamwork.

A Kids Edition is also available, in which parents and kids work together to find art and unravel clues.

What hunters are saying about the art museum game

A review posted on Facebook: “Had a great experience with Watson Adventures! We booked a hunt with them of the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University for a team offsite. Great communication from the whole team from initial contact, to the planning process through the end of the hunt. Tara (our Sales Rep) was wonderful and responsive and Eric (our onsite Game Host) was a blast. Appreciated their flexibility to accommodate us inside for a different hunt due to inclement weather. Would definitely recommend Watson Adventures for anyone that is looking to plan something fun and interactive for a group activity!”

Contact us to learn more about the art museum scavenger hunt at Stanford—and find more fun in the South Bay Area!

Discover strange places and stranger creatures…

…at the California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park’s dramatic science museum—and the only place in town boasting an albino alligator. On teams, you’ll follow a trail of clues through the exhibits and answer fun, funny questions about what you find. Highlights include tastily named frogs, giant tanks brimming over with nearly everything that swims (short of whales), a trip up to the building’s stunning rooftop, and piranhas in a subterranean rain forest, to name a few.

You might tackle such questions as…

• What red-bellied fish doubles for piranha in movies? Answer: The red-bellied pacu.
• Talk about convenient: what does one variety of egg do that is almost like saying, “I’m almost done!”? Answer: Emu eggs change color or get darker.
• Find a plant with a name that sounds like a high-cholesterol way to treat a blemish. What part of the plant enjoys a meal that Campbell’s might call “Mmm Mmm Disgusting”? Answer: Butterwort leaves absorb insects that their enzymes have turned into “a soup.”

Stumped by those? No worries: you don’t need to know anything about science to succeed. You just need excellent teamwork and comfortable shoes.

If you’re looking for an unusual—and unusually enjoyable—activity for corporate retreats, social-group outings, birthday parties, reunions, and more, you’ve found it!

An edition for kids and adults to enjoy together, suitable for ages 7 and up, is also available.

What delighted clients are saying about the science museum scavenger hunt

“The party was wonderful and it would not have been so great without Watson Adventures! Joshua was incredibly helpful and it was so nice to be able to focus on the event and have one less thing to worry about. Everyone had a good time and multiple people have come up to me thanking for such a fun, interactive option at the party.” —the organizer of a party for a major tech company that rented out the museum

Contact us to learn more about our scavenger hunts at the California Academy of Sciences—and find more fun for your group in San Francisco!

Step into an enchanted world…

…when you search the Legion of Honor for art that echoes characters, places, and magical objects in the famed Harry Potter books and movies. Be prepared to track down—and answer tricky, humorous questions about—Dumbledore doppelgangers, bizarre creatures, slithering serpents, swinging swords, men who might remind you of Nearly Headless Nick, trophies that seem straight out of the Triwizard Tournament, and eerie figures as scary as any Death Eater or Dementor.

Wizards and muggles alike can play and enjoy this hunt. It’s not an addition to or variation on Harry’s adventures; instead, references to the books will provide a surprising bridge to many strange and wonderful works of art. It’s a great way to discover—or rediscover—the museum.

This hunt is suitable for all ages that have read and are fans of the original Harry Potter books. Kids must be accompanied by an adult.

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!