The MFA Madness Art Museum Scavenger Hunt
- Most Popular
- private
- adults
- indoor
It’s more like the Museum of Fun Arts…
…when you go on this eye-popping, jaw-dropping tour across the centuries at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. With your team, you’ll discover startling aspects of objects and art from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Japan, China, India, Paris, and all periods of American history. Your challenge: answer tricky questions about what you find. To triumph, you just need sharp eyes, comfy shoes, and great teamwork.
An unusual art museum scavenger hunt
Don’t know much about art? No worries! Instead, your team will be challenged to find out such things as…
- Why King Kong would take up smoking
- What ghoulish ingredient a lady keeps in a flowerpot
- Why a naked goddess isn’t actually naked
- And much more
You’ll search for answers to such questions as…
- Why does a guy deliberately get heart burn on his wedding night? Answer: In the painting ‘Wedding night of Tobias and Sarah,’ the groom burns a heart and a liver to ward off demons. It was a different time…
- What does a wiry artist turn a spiral into? Answer: Cow dung, near Alexander Calder’s “Cow.”
- Why would a boy’s mummy suggest that he put on gold lipstick? Answer: To ensure speech in the afterlife, as explained near a portrait of a mummy youth.
The museum is open until 10 p.m. on Wednesday through Friday, which allows for a great after-work team-building activity for corporate groups. But you don’t have to work at a company to join the fun: this game is great for birthday parties, social groups, college groups, you name it.
Add more team-building fun
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 people are saying about the MFA scavenger hunts
A 5-star review on Google: “Our group of 22 did the Scavenger Hunt at the MFA as a holiday gathering and everyone had a blast! It is very well organized, and has enough for each person on each team to contribute in some way and really lends to a great team building event sparking a great sense of competition as well as teamwork. Highly recommend!”
A 5-star review on Yelp: “Did the tour at the MFA with a business networking group. Broke into groups of 5-6. Answered questions like: Why does the boy mummy wear gold lipstick? Very clever clues, not too easy, not too hard. My team won and we received medals. Very fun unique event.”
“Let me just say WOW! That was such a great event. Everyone said such wonderful things about the experience. I thought the day went super smoothly with the help of Katie and Jada and I would love to work with Watson Adventures again.”
Delighted clients who have tackled this team-building extravaganza include Dunkin’ Brands, Procter & Gamble, Oracle, Converse, Liberty Mutual, Novartis, and LinkedIn, to name just a few.
Contact us to learn more about the team-building scavenger hunt at the Museum of Fine Arts—and find more fun in Boston!
The Twisted Science Scavenger Hunt at the Museum of Science, Boston
- Most Popular
- public
- private
- adults
- indoor
See the surreal side of a science museum
…on a whirlwind tour of the Museum of Science that reveals eye-popping interactive exhibits, ingenious beasts, delightful dioramas, eccentric inventors, and marvelous machines. On this team-building adventure, you’ll follow clues and answer slightly crazy questions about what you discover. Highlights include a life-size T. rex, a pharaoh with a fan club, a clanging kinetic tower, optical illusions, a mad scientist’s lab, a fascinating/horrifying trophy room, and a nightmare chair.
No MIT degree is required—in fact, it could be a hindrance. You just need inquiring minds, good teamwork, and a sense of humor.
Your team will tackle such questions as…
- What two dinosaurs could pose for an extreme diet plan’s “before” and “after” photos? Answer: Campsognathus and triceratops, seen as they’d look in life and as skeletons.
- In the Natural Mysteries gallery, Wilson’s ironic lesson might be that you’re always hurt by the ones you love. Why would he think that? Answer: Wilson A. Bentley, a photographer of snowflakes, died from walking in the snow.
- In the Transportation exhibit, find a red machine that a dolt might think can help de-wrinkle clothes or make a cappuccino. Thanks to this, at what speed did Marriott almost check out? Answer: Astonishingly, Fred Marriott survived a 190 mph crash in a Stanley Steamer.
Please note that we haven’t included here the directions and other clues that lead you to the answers.
ADD MORE TEAM-BUILDING FUN
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?
An acclaimed museum scavenger hunt in Boston
Since its debut in 2005, this hunt has provided a surprising, fun team-building activity for groups from more than 100 companies. Delighted clients include Procter & Gamble, the United States Air Force, AstraZeneca, Boston University, and Dell, to name just a few.
A 5-star review on Google: “Extremely fun team building exercise! Would definitely do it again and would recommend!!”
“We had a fabulous time!! Thank you again—and Schanaya [the hunt host] was wonderful. 😊 We really enjoyed how the hunt brought us to many parts of the museum, and the added photo opportunities and bonus questions for bonus points. I will definitely recommend to others. If there are any other team building events at the museum that you would recommend, we would love to hear!” —a group of engineers and marketing professionals
“We had a wonderful afternoon with Avery [the hunt host]—and I say that not just because I was on the winning team—but because it was true! Our team enjoyed the adventure very much and I will propose that the remainder of our team think about this option for their next meeting. Thank you again.” —an executive assistant in a marketing company
Contact us to learn more about the Museum of Science scavenger hunt—and find more team-building fun in Boston!
Brain Squeeze: A Trivia Scavenger Hunt at the MFA
- private
- adults
- indoor
Hold on—is this a trivia quiz or a scavenger hunt?
Both! You’ll need knowledge and wits to succeed at this unusual game at the Museum of Fine Arts. Here’s how it works: each question will require an answer from your team…which then becomes an important clue to answering a question about an object you’ll find. The trivia relates to movies, music, history, sports, science, literature, and more.
Knowing a cumberbund from a Cumberbatch from a Hobbit can help you find a rude member of an orchestra. Remembering which current coin features two people could reveal what keeps an African duo looking sharp. And figuring out what job title unites Seiji Ozawa and some MBTA employees could unlock the secret of a medieval Al Roker and tonight’s forecast.
If you’re stumped, you can use your smartphone. Just don’t use up too much of your time while doing so: the faster you answer the questions, the more questions you’ll get to and the more points you can accrue.
If you’re a fan of pub quizzes, you’ll love this quirky scavenger hunt. But be warned: this hunt is challenging, so fill your team with up to six brainiacs.
The Celebrate Provincetown Scavenger Hunt
- private
- adults
- outdoor
Take group activities up a notch in P-Town
Enjoy a light-hearted adventure at Land’s End with a game of fun challenges that evoke the creative spirit of Provincetown.
On this Provincetown scavenger hunt, you and your group will…
- Find opportunities to take imaginative, collaborative team photos, such as posing for a portrait outside the art museum, dramatizing a famous moment in P-town history, or sticking out in a crowd on Commercial Street.
- Interact with our Hunt Host for a surprise visual challenge.
- Find or create objects such as a hand-made artwork of a rooster or lobster, or something written in Portuguese.
- Show off your musical knowledge while trying to break a code that reveals a Provincetown-themed mystery message.
This is a great game for spurring laughter, breaking the ice with teammates, and simply enjoying time in one of the most beautiful towns in America.
Absolutely no knowledge of Provincetown or its history is necessary to get the most out of this scavenger hunt. All you need are a sense of fun, a smartphone, and a comfortable pair of shoes.
If you need more of a challenge, try the Murder Mystery Mayhem Scavenger Hunt, where your sleuthing skills will be tested as you track down a killer—who might even be on your own team.
Contact us for more information on scheduling your Celebrate Provincetown Scavenger Hunt—and to find more fun in P-town!
The Colonial Capers Scavenger Hunt at Plimoth Patuxet
- private
- adults
- kids
- outdoor
Time travel on this whirlwind scavenger hunt
…at the Plimoth Patuxet Museums near Plymouth, Massachusetts. The museums are an outdoor re-creation of a village from the time of the Pilgrims. Teams will be challenged to explore the buildings and gardens and workshops while completing unusual photo challenges. You’ll need to pool your creativity and sharpen your eyes.
This hunt is perfect for group activities and team building, and even features a Kids Edition, that gets kids and adults working together in a laugh-filled adventure that’s great for a school field trip.
Along the way you might need to…
- Get directions from one of the museum’s re-enactors, as if you are lost time-travelers.
- Pose outside a colonial home as if you are a 17th-century family.
- Play an old-time game, such as hitting a hoop with a stick to keep it rolling.
- Engage in a bygone chore in a creative new way.
You’ll also need to complete a Bonus Challenge with the Hunt Host, and crack a musical Mystery Message.
This game provides a great way to see the grounds and exhibits while getting to know your teammates better, through cooperation and laughter.
If you need more of a challenge, try the Murder Mystery Mayhem Scavenger Hunt, where your sleuthing skills will be tested as you track down a killer in the colonial village…if you dare.
Contact us to learn more about our group and team-building activities at Plimoth Patuxet—and find more fun in Massachusetts!
The Museum of Natural Hysteria Scavenger Hunt
- private
- adults
- kids
- indoor
Set off on Boston’s most surreal hunt…
…a whirlwind tour of two museums: the Harvard Museum of Natural History and the Peabody Museum. On teams, you’ll follow intriguing clues through the exhibits in these next-door neighbors and answer tricky, humorous questions about what you find. On your quest, you’ll discover exotic stuffed animals, sparkling jewels, odd artifacts, thousands of glass flowers, meteorites, and more.
You might tackle such questions as…
- In Meteorites, find a big rock / That gave one cow a fatal clock / These aren’t little bits of stardust / Indeed, how heavy is Harvard’s largest? Answer: Near a meteorite that struck a cow, the largest is more than 400 pounds.
- Among Asian mammals, you could get crushed by a snake or shredded by a tiger—or even worse, get an embarrassing nickname. Which crazy quadruped is often the butt of jokes? Answer: The Kiang’s nickname is “wild ass.”
- Insurance agents, take note! Which frequently airborne African animal comes equipped with an “anti-skid” device? Answer: The scale-tailed squirrel. The scales help it stop after a leap.
You don’t need to know anything about the museum or science to do well on this hunt—or even to win. You just need to pay attention to the details, use your wits, and work well with your group. The game is great for corporate team building, social-club meetups, and any other kind of gathering where you want people to have fun while getting to know one another better.
For younger audiences, check out the Kids Edition, suitable for ages 7 and up. It’s the perfect activity for school field trips, youth-group outings, and birthday parties.
The Peabody Essex Escapades Scavenger Hunt
- private
- adults
- indoor
Discover a treasure chest from voyages around the globe
For a salty taste of the 19th-century sailor’s life on the high seas—and the kind of booty brought back from distant lands—you’ll want to get shanghaied for this surprising scavenger hunt inside the Peabody Essex Museum.
Your team will go in search of art and artifacts featuring harpooned whales, shipwrecks, the luxurious cabin known as Cleopatra’s Barge, drunken sailors carousing, nutty Japanese netsuke, a mysterious hand beneath a fashionable gown, a castaway’s unusual calendar, the first penguin ever seen in North America, and more.
You don’t need to know anything about the varied, impressive galleries to win at this seafaring adventure. The only tools you’ll need are sharp eyes and comfy shoes.
The Puzzled at the Institute of Contemporary Art Scavenger Hunt
- private
- adults
- indoor
Look at art, 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 going on a whirlwind tour of the Institute of Contemporary Art and solving a series of art-related puzzles created by a diabolical villain. He wants to see if you can decipher a coded message that will reveal how to get the antidote. Sure, you can escape a room, but can you escape the ICA?
The puzzles will test your teamwork. You might need to tease out hidden words. Or translate the rebus HIJKLMNO into a familiar term. Or solve a riddle. Or find what this means: Arrow shooter —> not fast. The variety of puzzles is designed to call upon the talents of everyone on your team—while delighting you with eye-popping art.
No knowledge of contemporary art 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—and find more puzzle-loving fun with Boston team-building activities like these!
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!