The Murder at the Museum of Natural History Scavenger Hunt
- Most Popular
- private
- adults
- indoor
Change of plans: you’re hunting for a murderer
This isn’t your ordinary scavenger hunt. A Watson Adventures staffer has been murdered, and we need your help to catch his killer. The victim created a scavenger hunt at the museum, and the police need you to do the hunt and look for clues—and uncover the secrets of his dangerous double life. There’s more at stake than just bringing the killer to justice: your teamwork could prevent an international incident with catastrophic consequences. (No pressure or anything.)
While solving the crime, you’ll get a whirlwind tour of the National Museum of Natural History. You’ll gather evidence and answer tricky questions as you trek past colossal dinosaurs, mysterious creature of the deep, your evolutionary ancestors in Africa, mummies from ancient Egypt, gems and jewels, even cockroaches under your sink.
So, whodunit? Was it the lion? The vampire bat? The mummies? A homicidal Homo sapien? Anything could be a clue, and everyone and everything is a suspect.
What (surviving) clients are saying about the murder mystery game
A 5-star review on Google: “What a fun group activity! Our team had a blast, and our hosts were fantastic. Would definitely do it again!”
Another 5-star review on Google: “Our team building day was a HUGE success!!! The hunt was so much more than what we were expecting. Our host, Sharlette, was absolutely AMAZING! She helped make our experience so memorable. We are looking forward to another adventure with this company. Highly recommend!”
“What a fun group activity! Our team had a blast, and our [Watson Adventures] hosts were fantastic. Would definitely do it again!” —post-game feedback from VP of a wellness company
Contact us to learn more about the Murder at the Museum of Natural History Scavenger Hunt—and find more fun in Washington, DC!
The Murder at the National Gallery Scavenger Hunt
- Most Popular
- public
- private
- adults
- indoor
Do you have what it takes to solve a murder?
You’re about to find out. A curator at the National Gallery of Art has been murdered, and he left behind a trail of cryptic clues connected with secrets in the museum’s masterpieces. Gather answers about the art with your team and you’ll begin to piece together a sordid tale about greed, lust, pride, revenge, and treachery, all revolving around the museum’s planned purchase of a long-lost painting by Leonardo da Vinci. The murder victim knew too much—and it’s up to you to discover what it was that drove one of four suspects to commit murder.
You don’t need to know anything about the museum or its art to triumph: all you need is a sharp mind and comfy shoes.
What happy hunters are saying
“I did a Watson Adventures private murder mystery at the National Gallery of Art for my birthday…all I can say is it was fantastic! All of my friends were so into it and had a wonderful time….Even though it was two hours, time went by quickly, it was so interesting and took us to rooms of the museum that I had never been to before. You needed no prior art or museum knowledge. Everyone from Watson was so helpful, and Sharlette did a wonderful job leading our group—she was personable, bubbly and made it that much more fun! It was exactly what I wanted and I loved everything about it..except being on a losing team!” —a five-star review on Yelp
Murder Mystery Mayhem in Union Station Scavenger Hunt
- private
- adults
- indoor
Is there an evil genius in your midst?
Yes, there is. And he or she has poisoned you. You can get the antidote only by solving the devilishly clever puzzles in the scavenger hunt that this villain has created for your group. Are you up for the challenge before time runs out?
If you want to survive, you’ll have to use your creativity to keep your would-be killer amused, even as you use your smarts to figure out who it is. You’ll take Team Photos in imaginative ways that have you sneaking through Union Station, stealing candy from a baby, hiding from the authorities, staging your own murder scenes, and more. You’ll also be challenged to find or make a series of objects, from a killer coin to a dead president’s face.
As you play, you’ll uncover secrets hidden within your hunt materials, obtain the clues to complete a gruesome puzzle with a surprising twist, and meet the Hunt Host for a cryptic bonus challenge.
Think your group can outsmart and expose the traitor amongst you? Contact us to find out!
The Murder Mystery Mayhem Scavenger Hunt
- private
- adults
- kids
- outdoor
Beware: there’s a killer in your midst
Someone playing this game with you is a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde. His or her good side knows nothing about the evil side—and the evil side has challenged you to prevent your own murder. Everyone in your group has been poisoned, and the clock is ticking down on your time left to live. To reveal the killer’s identity, you’ll have to complete a series of photo challenges, solve interlocking puzzles, decipher coded text messages, and more. If you succeed, you get the antidote. If you fail…well, you know.
If you love escape-room games, you’ll love this murder mystery scavenger hunt. But even better, you won’t be locked in a room for an hour: this game can be played almost anywhere.
An in-person murder mystery for any location!
We have a variety of versions, depending on where you want to play. Such as…
- A city, town, or neighborhood
- A science, history, or entertainment museum
- A zoo or aquarium
- An office building
- A school or campus
- A botanical garden or park
A murder mystery scavenger hunt perfect for team building
Here’s a game that will help you solve the mystery of how to entertain a diverse group of people while boosting morale and teamwork. It’s perfect for any private party or a corporate team-building outing of any size. Our clients who have enjoyed this game include T-Mobile, TD Bank, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Michigan in Washington, and others too numerous to mention.
The hunt’s afoot! Contact us to learn more—and find more team-building fun anywhere!
The Murder at the American Art Museum Scavenger Hunt
- private
- adults
- indoor
Two museums in one—and one murder mystery game
Breaking News! At the start of your scavenger hunt at the American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery, you’ve learned that there has been a murder in the galleries! Even worse, the victim is the Watson Adventures staffer who created a team-building game for your group. Now what?
The police have some questions for you—but it’s not what you think. Detectives think that the game might contain clues about who wanted the hunt creator dead. You need to break up into teams, complete the scavenger hunt through the galleries, and see if you can solve the mystery.
Perplexing puzzles and international intrigue
Along the way, you’ll also uncover quirky details in unusual and amusing works of art, and delve into the secrets of famous historical figures, from Pocahontas to recent movie stars and presidents. You’ll need to make sense of cryptic clues, crack a code, and send a text message to the dead man. No pressure or anything, but the fate of the free world just might hang on your teamwork.
This murder mystery game is a scavenger hunt that provides an amazing experience for bringing people together and bonding through laughter and discovery. Plus this dual museum stays open until 7 p.m., making it a great location for an after-work team-building game.
Contact us to learn more—and find more fun in Washington, DC!
The Murder at the Museum of American History Scavenger Hunt
- public
- private
- adults
- indoor
Can you deduce who dunnit?
Someone—or some thing—has been bumping off staffers at the National Museum of American History who were involved in the discovery of a long-lost invention by Benjamin Franklin. This “infernal machine” has a murky past: Freemasons supposedly used it as part of a secret ritual. Were the deaths caused by the invention? Is the fabled Curse of the Freemasons real? Or is there a serial killer on the loose?
Your team of sleuths will have to crack a code and uncover the museum’s secrets to solve the mystery and stop the killings.
Along the way, you might also…
- Peer into artificial eyes
- Analyze a car wreck
- Ride a Chicago train
- Ponder an ancient priest who seems to sing “Y.M.C.A.”
- Find out which common kitchen ingredient is explosive
- Catch a nuclear football
- Connect a Civil War sword with Sherman’s Bow Tie
- And avoid stepping on a spying device disguised as poop
No previous knowledge is required to play—or to win. You just need sharp eyes, comfy shoes, and great teamwork.
The Murder at the White House Scavenger Hunt
- private
- adults
- outdoor
The President is safe, but…
…a Watson Adventures staffer has been found dead in Lafayette Park, and we need your help to catch his killer. Before he died, he left a startling clue behind: a star drawn with his own blood on the pavement. Find out what it means and you’ll start to uncover the victim’s dangerous double life, as well as try to head off an international incident with potentially catastrophic consequences.
Along the way, you’ll also discover the secrets of this fascinating neighborhood—from Freedom Plaza to the Renwick Gallery, from the Ellipse to Lafayette Park—where many a surprising detail turns out to be part of a cryptic code. You’ll need to make sense of clues, crack the code, and send a text message to the dead man. The fate of the free world may depend on your teamwork.
The Whodunit at the National Gallery Scavenger Hunt
- public
- private
- adults
- kids
- indoor
Watch your back: there’s a killer on the loose…
…and it’s up to your team to stop him! How? By playing the devilishly tricky scavenger hunt at the National Gallery of Art that the murderer created. When completed, you’ll learn who he is, which weapon he used, and where he hid the body. He sent the hunt to the police and dared them to try and solve it. Now they need your help.
You’ll be supplied with a list of suspects, weapons, and places. By following the trail of clues and answering clever questions, you’ll narrow down the list and provide the police with the evidence they need to catch and convict the killer. Can you figure out who dunnit?
No knowledge of the museum or art is necessary. You just need to pay attention to the details and work well with your team.
We also offer a Kids Edition of this hunt. It’s a great game for introducing younger audiences to art and the National Gallery, whether you’re planning a birthday party, a scout or camp outing, or a school field trip. Suitable for ages 10 and up.
What are people saying about the Whodunit at the National Gallery Scavenger Hunt?
A 5-star review on Google: “My team had an absolute blast with the team! Sharlette [the Hunt Host] was AH MAY ZING!! Can’t wait until our next one!”
Praise from a client: “Everyone loved the scavenger hunt. I heard a few people mention that they’re going to recommend Watson Adventures to future groups coming into the city. It was a great experience. Sharlette and Marquis were wonderful hosts. I’m hoping to convince some of my family and friends to come into the city to do some of the other hunts.”
Join us on weekends on hunts for the general public—click on the button below to see the schedule.
Or contact us below to learn more about how your group can experience our National Gallery murder mystery scavenger hunts—and find more team-building fun in Washington, DC!
The Killer Trivia Quiz: A Murder Mystery Game
- private
- adults
- indoor
Solving a murder is not a trivial pursuit
We need your help to catch a killer. Shortly after writing a trivia quiz, a Watson Adventures staffer was murdered. Before he died, he drew a star on the ground with his own blood. What does this mean? It turns out that he lived a dangerous double life. Can your team of sleuths piece together the puzzle he left behind in time to head off an international incident with catastrophic consequences?
To crack the case, you’ll need to get into teams and work your way through the dead man’s trivia quiz. Our entertaining host will guide you through several rounds of captivating questions, which often have ways for you to figure out the answer even if you don’t know it at first. The unusual array of challenges includes a music round, a movie-stills challenge, and even a scavenger hunt.
Along the way, you’ll discover how the answers point to a cryptic code. You won’t just solve a crime—the fate of the free world might depend on your ability to work together!
This devilish trivia game can be played pretty much everywhere—conference rooms, special-event spaces, private rooms in restaurants or bars, even your home. You just need enough chairs for participants to sit together in teams. Leave the rest to us.
What players are saying about this murder mystery trivia game
“Thank you so much for the incredible work you all did in making and hosting this trivia game for our retreat. I have been getting compliments all weekend about how much fun Watson Adventures was. [Game hosts] Andy, Greg, and Serena were the BEST! It was a truly engaging and fun experience. It’s not easy to get a room full of 150+ prosecutors and detectives interested in a team building exercise, and you guys nailed it with this murder mystery. Thank you for your inspired professionalism and patience with us while working out the details. I am truly grateful for you all, and I’m sure we will work with you all again soon!”
Have any non-trivial questions about the Killer Trivia Game? Contact us to learn more—and find more fun wherever you need a bit of mystery!
The Murder by Team Building Game
- private
- adults
- teens
- indoor
The murder-mystery game you can play anywhere
Terrible news! A Watson Adventures host, David Park, was on his way to lead your team-building activity today, but he was found dead in the parking lot. We need you to go through David’s backpack of game materials and see if you can figure out who would want him dead and why.
On teams, you’ll play the game that David created, answering trivia questions, solving fun puzzles, and—spoiler alert!—uncovering secret messages that reveal that David was leading a double life. There might even be a spy in your group!
We’ll send you the backpack full of game materials, and a Watson Adventures host will get the game started, then answer questions (and offer hints) as you go along.
You can choose whether you would like our Host to lead your group remotely, via Zoom or a similar platform, or you can opt for an in-person host, live in your office.
The game requires one hour and can be played in any room where you need to provide a break for your group, ramp up the fun, and get people to bond and work together in a whole new way.
Do you need a hybrid solution to bring together players working from home and in the office? Check out the Murder by Team Building Game: Virtual Edition.
A Teens Edition is also available.
What players are saying about the murder mystery game
A 5-star review on Google: “What fun we had! Josh was an amazing guide and I would recommend Watson Adventures!!”
Contact us to learn more about this murder mystery game—and find more fun!
Puzzled to Death: A Virtual Game of Murder Mystery Puzzles
- private
- adults
- indoor
You can escape a room, but can you escape a vintage game store?
As part of his acclaimed new book, The Puzzler, best-selling author A.J. Jacobs (The Year of Living Biblically, The Year of Living Constitutionally) partnered with Watson Adventures to create a devilishly fun murder mystery game packed with puzzles. In his book he describes the experience of creating the game—now it’s your turn to play the game! But first…
Shocking news! The owner of a local board-game store has been murdered! Authorities are baffled by the mysterious killing, and they have called in you and your team of expert puzzle-solvers to crack the case.
The killer has hidden clues to their identity in games scattered around the store. It’s up to you to solve a series of puzzles and piece together the name of the murderer. Clearly the murderer loves to play games—but in a gaming store, that doesn’t narrow things down much!
On teams, you’ll tackle up to 10 mini-games that are inspired by classic games—but with humorous twists. Each challenge you solve will lead you a step closer to unmasking the murderer. Can your team unravel this mystery, catch the culprit, and show the villain that they toyed with the wrong people?
What players are saying about the virtual puzzles game
A 5-star review on Google: “Fun and engaging game for our remote team. The host was energetic and kept everyone participating. I will definitely book them again for another corporate event.”
Contact us to learn more about this online murder mystery game—and find more virtual fun!
