Neighborhood Scavenger Hunts in Philadelphia

Ever try team-building time travel?

This hunt takes you back to colonial times and the tumult of 1776. You’ll see and uncover the secrets of such hallowed historic places as Independence Hall, Carpenters’ Hall (where the Continental Congress first met), the site of Ben Franklin’s home, the First Bank of the United States, City Tavern, and Dolley Madison’s digs. The hunt also dips into Society Hill, with its carefully preserved homes of the colonial elite, and Old City, the commercial district turned trendy neighborhood with artists living in cast-iron buildings.

Don’t worry if you can’t tell Ben Franklin from Ben Affleck: the hunt requires no previous knowledge. You just need to use your wits and work well with your team.

What are people saying about the Secrets of Old Philadelphia Scavenger Hunt?

A 5-star review on Google: “The scavenger hunt with Watson Adventures was really great. The whole department really got onboard for the adventure. It was fun seeing the competitive spirit come out as people broke out into teams. Would definitely do it again in the future.”

A 5-star review on Yelp: “Our team of six did the Secrets of Old Philadelphia scavenger hunt this week. The game was really fun, easy to use on our phones and our guide Karen was always nearby if we needed something. Educational, entertaining and overall a great team building activity. Highly recommend.”

Another 5-star review on Google: “Fantastic hunt staged for our company offsite of 170+ employees. Staff onsite were super communicative and helpful, did a great job setting up the event and had fun personalities. Really enjoyed this and would highly recommend for any other corporate or team events! So much more fun to get out and explore the city for team building rather than staying in conference rooms, etc. Would definitely suggest working with the Watson Adventures crew!”

Yet another 5-star review on Google: “After 2+ years of not being together in our offices, the staff at the Alzheimer’s Association Delaware Valley Chapter needed to reunite and reconnect (and in some cases, meet for the first time)! The goal: fun and team building. Watson Adventures delivered on both! The Secrets of Old City Scavenger Hunt was interesting, challenging and exciting. Our host, Andy, was energetic and entertaining! When you see your colleagues relaxed and smiling, you know it was a good day! Thank you, Watson Adventures, for making the planning easy and for helping us execute on a memorable outing!”

Another 5-star review on Yelp: “Our team did the Secrets of Old Philadelphia hunt this week. The game was really fun, easy to use on our phones and our [hunt host] Karen was always nearby if we needed something. Educational, entertaining and overall a great team building activity. Highly recommend.”

A 5-star Google review: “The scavenger hunt with Watson Adventures was really great. The whole department really got onboard for the adventure. It was fun seeing the competitive spirit come out as people broke out into teams.”

Contact us to learn more about this team-building scavenger hunt—and find more fun in Philadelphia!

Don’t miss your shot at this game starring Alexander Hamilton

Follow in the feisty Founding Father’s footsteps along the streets of Philly’s historic district, from Independence Hall to Society Hill, and discover the places where he worked, played, debated, fought, and (ahem) flirted. Your road map? A trail of clues and tricky, humorous questions about what you find.

You’ll love this game if you’re a fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit Broadway musical, or the Ron Chernow book that inspired it, or if you’re just curious about the Revolutionary War in colonial Philadelphia.

Along the way, you might see…

• Independence Hall, where Hamilton first served as a delegate to the Confederation Congress, allied himself with James Madison, and later signed the Constitution…and where Aaron Burr served as a senator
• City Tavern, where Hamilton rubbed elbows with politicians and gave a controversial speech on behalf of the elite, exclusive Society of the Cincinnati
• The former First Bank of the United States building, a linchpin in Hamilton’s economic plans for the new nation
• The home of Founding Father James Madison, Hamilton’s onetime ally—and later determined foe
• The site of the home of Maria Reynolds, with whom Hamilton had an infamous affair
• Benjamin Franklin’s print shop, which, under the direction of his grandson, published tirades against Hamilton
• Carpenters’ Hall, scene of the first Continental Congress
• The remains of the mansion of Robert Morris, the powerful financier who recommended that Hamilton become the first Secretary of the Treasury
• The Second Bank of the U.S., now a gallery of portraits of the Founders that includes Charles Wilson Peale’s rendition of Hamilton

And those are just a few of the highlights on this fun, history-packed tour. No knowledge of Alexander Hamilton or Philadelphia history is necessary.

Adult groups can book this hunt anytime. A Kids Edition of this game is available for private groups. It’s perfect for school field trips, birthday parties, and any other events where you want to amuse and entertain young revolutionaries.

Explore the streets near City Hall

…on this whirlwind scavenger hunt. On teams, you’ll follow clues and search for answers to tricky questions about places and secrets you discover. The hunt trail stretches between LOVE Park and Reading Terminal Market, and you’ll venture out into the side streets in search of nooks and crannies and hidden treasures.

On this scavenger hunt, your team might…

• Uncover a cornerstone hidden in the depths of City Hall.
• Eat your (chocolate) heart out in Reading Terminal Market.
• Marvel at the cavernous space of a former train station.
• Wonder about a weird giant head outside the Academy of Arts.
• Learn to love Bacon in LOVE Park.

BOO!

Sorry to startle you, but you might as well brace yourself now for this eerie adventure. On teams, you’ll answer devilishly tricky questions as you visit ghost-plagued buildings and secret cemeteries while learning the stories of the restless souls you might disturb. Starring: the spirits of 1776 in Independence Hall, Ben Franklin (of course), the Hag of Pine Street, the spectral poltergeist of St. Peter’s, a Quaker that’ll make you quake in Washington Square, the burning bride of City Tavern, and various other apparitions, sudden chills, rustlings, and knockings.

Square off in the square!

What are you most looking for in an adventure? A beautiful setting? Check. Hidden history? Check. Unusual art with sneaky details? Check. Lively streets with shops filled with snacks for discerning foodies? Check. This scavenger hunt in and around Rittenhouse Square has all these and more.

Your team will tackle three kinds of challenges: you’ll follow clues to answer tricky, amusing questions about what you find; you’ll seek opportunities to fulfill the quirky requirements of team photo challenges; and you’ll use your best scavenging skills to find unusual items. Along the way, you’ll meet your Hunt Host for a surprise bonus challenge.

No previous knowledge of the neighborhood is necessary. You just need sharp eyes and comfy shoes.

An International Edition is available for groups with participants whose first language is not English. And the Kids Edition is a great activity in which kids (age 7 and up) and adults to work together and have fun together, whether for a school field trip, a birthday, or other special occasions.

What delighted clients are saying

“Watson Adventures is Fantastic! Booked the Rittenhouse Ramble for my 8th grade students as an end of the year adventure! It was fun and interactive! The tour organizers were knowledgeable, nice, and very organized! If you’re looking for a good time, look no further!” —a 5-star review on Google by Cordell Turner of Kings Collegiate Charter School

There’s something for everyone in this game. Contact us to learn more—and find more fun in Philadelphia!

Fun games with humorous twists!

If you’re looking for a good, old-fashioned scavenger hunt, we have one—with very unusual challenges that will exercise your brain and tickle your funny bone. Your tasks may involve strange uses for food, new lyrics for old songs, people in any kind of uniform, strangers wearing valuable words, secrets about local landmarks, and more. If you’ve been on scavenger hunts where you’ve had to collect boring things like clothespins and obscure CDs, you’re in for a surprise and a treat.

Teams fan out to tackle such challenges as…

Take unusual team photos

Get creative and keep your eyes open as you explore your area and try to meet the requirements of diverse “photo op” challenges. Everyone has to get into the picture (except the person holding the camera, of course). We’ve designed them to allow room for creativity while also delivering dramatic visuals (not just shots of people standing around, smiling and pointing). You might be asked to demonstrate a group member’s superhuman powers. Or treat a staircase as if it’s a carnival ride. Or photobomb another team.

Participants use their smartphone cameras and our browser-based app. You’ll get to see the other players’ pictures and download them afterward.

Find or create unusual items

As in a classic scavenger hunt, you’ll have to locate or create unusual items. But in our version, you might encounter these tricky tests: Can you create and name an amazing new food by combining two unlikely foods? How about an appropriate trophy for the hunt winners? Three items that rhyme? Something improved by being broken? You’ll be surprised by the results that come from great teamwork.

Crack a code to decipher a mystery message

Your hunt materials will include a bizarrely coded message. What the heck does it say? To crack the code, you’ll need to solve crafty, fun puzzles, involving a trivia questions, pop music, and a “pigpen cipher.” Can you piece together the key that unlocks the mystery message?

Locate the Hunt Host for a surprise bonus challenge

At a designated spot in the hunt area, the Host will be waiting for you, ready to spring a tricky, humorous visual puzzle for you to ponder. It could involve unusual celebrity pairings…or musical snippets…or international maps…or strangely altered art.

Go on a scavenger hunt anywhere, with versions and themes to suit your group

Go Deluxe: Let us tailor the hunt to your needs. Tell us what you want to highlight and we’ll weave it into the game. Perhaps someone you want to celebrate? A theme or slogan for a new campaign? Hidden talents in your group? Talk to us! We like a challenge.

Care to take a bite out of crime? Check out the Murder Mystery Mayhem Scavenger Hunt.

The hunts are available in International Editions, for hunters whose first language is not English. They are also available in Spanish, as well as in other select languages.

A Grab ’n’ Go Scavenger Hunt for Kids challenges youngsters and adults to work together to tackle challenges appropriate for ages 7 and up. It’s the perfect activity for birthday parties, bar/bat mitzvahs, family reunions, school field trips, summer-camp outings—you name it.

For a snack-tastic adventure, the Grab ’n’ Go Food Edition features food-themed Collect & Create and Photo Challenges.

And young Harry Potter fans will be cheating if they use their wands and other magical powers on the Wizards & Witches Scavenger Hunt, for ages 7 and up.

What happy clients are saying

“The Grab ’n’ Go Scavenger Hunt was so much fun! All of the teams were engaged and working together. We couldn’t have asked for a better team-building and celebration event.” –Brittney Gallardo, Office Manager/Executive Assistant, Texture by Next Issue Media

A 5-star review on Google: “We hired Watson Adventures to host the Grab ‘n’ Go scavenger hunt for a teambuilding event in our local downtown area. We chose to pay for an on-site host and it was well worth it. Kim, the host, was fantastic, well organized, very helpful with the game app, and added even more fun to the game with opportunities to earn extra points. Our team had a blast!! We thoroughly enjoyed getting out from in front of our computers to spend time together in this fun and creative environment!”

A 5-star review on Yelp: “I planned a surprise custom scavenger hunt for my fiancé’s birthday last year and it was so much fun! Tara was a pleasure to work with and incredibly accommodating with all of my requests. The event host was equally wonderful. We all had a blast. I wish I had more reasons to plan scavenger hunts!”

Contact us to learn more about the Grab ’n’ Go Scavenger Hunts—and find more fun wherever you are!

Happy Halloween!

Whether you want festive fun or a chance to show off your costume before you go party, a spooky Halloween scavenger hunt is a mummy-rable—sorry, memorable—adventure for all. You might have to discover weird new uses for food, dig up a skeleton, ward off a vampire, use your bodies to spell “BOO!,” do your best zombie impression, and more.

Teams fan out to tackle such challenges as…

Take unusual team photos

Get your creative juices flowing and your haunted side showing as you come up with clever ways to complete fun “photo op” challenges. Everyone has to get into the picture (except the ghoul holding the camera, of corpse).

They’re designed to give you room to have fun while also delivering dramatic visuals (not just shots of people standing around like a bunch of stiffs). You might have to do the Monster Mash in a crowded place. Or rise from the dead in a funny way. Or pretend to go trick-or-treating.

Participants use their own smartphone cameras and send the images to our photo-sharing site. You’ll get to see the other players’ pictures and download them afterward.

Find or create unusual items

You’ll also have to procure or concoct unusual items, often with a tricky twist. Can you find or draw a creature that represents your team spirit? How about a food menu featuring blood and bone? A haunting Halloween mask? Something inflatable with a terrifying message written on it? You’ll be shocked—and occasionally horrified—by the results that come from devilishly good teamwork.

Crack a code to decipher a mystery message

Your hunt materials will include a bizarrely coded message. What the H-E Double Hockey Sticks does it say? To crack the creepy code, you’ll need to solve crafty, fun puzzles, possibly involving a few twisted trivia questions, an intriguing message from beyond the grave, a musical phone call, and other surprises. Can you piece together the key that unlocks the mystery message?

Locate the Hunt Host for a bone-tingling bonus challenge

At a dead-signated spot in the hunt area, the Host will be waiting to treat you to a tricky, icky visual puzzle. It’s a monstrous good time, and you’ll want to do your best if you hope to stay alive…to win the game, that is!

’Tis the season for a team-building game

Gather your friends and colleagues for a holly, jolly holiday scavenger hunt in your favorite neighborhood. Your challenge: take creative team photos and collect items that relate to the holiday season. If you’re looking for a different way to kick off your year-end celebrations, you don’t have to ask Santa: just go on this holiday scavenger hunt!

Players use our browser-based app on their phones to check off challenges, take photos, and at the end, share them with other teams. The emphasis is on teamwork and appreciation. By the finish line, even a Scrooge will be acting like it’s Christmas morning.

Your team will tackle holiday-themed challenges…

Take unusual team photos

Get creative and keep your eyes open as you explore your area and try to meet the requirements of diverse “photo op” challenges. Everyone has to get into the picture (except the person holding the camera, of course). You might need to pose while blending in with a holiday window display. Or act as if you are caroling. Or spell a season’s greeting with your bodies. Or re-create a sleigh ride, dashing through the snow.

Find or create unusual items

As in a classic scavenger hunt, you’ll have to locate or create unusual items. But in our version, you might encounter these tricky tests: Can you create and name an amazing new holiday treat by combining two unlikely foods? How about something that could create a “snow storm” for one of your photo challenges? Something you’d put in a colleagues stocking? A holiday gift that is improved by being broken? You’ll be surprised by the results that come from great teamwork.

Crack a code to decipher a mystery message

Your hunt materials will include a strangely coded holiday message. What the heck does it say? To crack the code, you’ll need to solve crafty, fun puzzles, involving a trivia questions and festive holiday season music. Can you piece together the key that unlocks the mystery message?

Locate the Hunt Host for a surprise bonus challenge

At a designated spot in the hunt area, the Host will be waiting for you, ready to spring a tricky, humorous holiday-themed puzzle for you to ponder. It might involve celebrities who have played Santa or the Grinch or Scrooge…

This game can be played in almost any outdoor location. A Kids Edition is also available. Contact us to learn more about this holiday scavenger hunt—and find more fun!

And show what makes your state so great…

…on special versions of the Grab ’n’ Go Scavenger Hunts featuring activities that give you a chance to flaunt your hometown pride. The fun tasks involve collecting unusual objects, taking creative Team Photos, and meeting the Hunt Host for a surprise challenge.

If you’re from New York City, you might need to locate an actual big apple, or know the best subway route to get from Yankee Stadium to Citifield.

If you’re from Texas, the Lone Star Showdown might challenge you to come up with one of the six flags that have flown over the state, or get a photo with a Longhorn signing “Hook ’em Horns” or with an Aggie signing “Gig ’em.”

Celebrate Milwaukee and the great state of Wisconsin on games that send you in search of such local delights as frozen custard, cheese curds, brats, and booyah stew. Or dramatize the phrase “Fear the deer!”

If you have a case of Minnesota Mania, we might prescribe that you collect some cough drops or lozenges, in honor of Minnesota homeboy Bob Dylan.

In Wilmington, Delaware, you can help a stranger in honor of Joan of Arcadia (the TV series in which Wilmington poses as the fictional Arcadia), or collect a used Amtrak ticket in a salute to hometown hero and rail enthusiast Joe Biden.

In Atlanta, brace yourself for a photo in which you seem to be “gone with the wind” (you know why), or strike a pose with one of the more than a thousand works of street art. Or find a takeout menu with the word peach on it. Peachy!

Or are you visiting the Magnificent Mile in Chicago? Get in the spirit of the Windy City by taking a Team Photo as if you’re being blown away by a gust, or get historical by remembering the Great Fire and finding something toasted (not yourself, please).

In Washington, DC, you can “filibuster” another team for points, or get caught by a “spy camera” with just your heads showing. Or present a stranger with DC’s official flower, an American Beauty red rose.

What people are saying about the Celebrate Your City Scavenger Hunts

A 5-star review on Google: “Our team of 100 had a wonderfully fun time and the coordination with Watson Adventures was super smooth and easy. Laura L. was a wonderful event consultant…she was exceptionally knowledgeable and answered every question I had when planning our team’s Grab n Go option from our hotel conference in San Francisco, which for any event planner is a gold standard. The event hosts Alexis & Eric too were communicative and instructed our teams with great succession and they bought the energy and fun to our team which was fantastic. Overall this [company] was highly recommend to me by colleagues and now I know why, if you need a fun team building event you will not be disappointed by Watson Adventures!”

“Everyone, even the cynics who weren’t planning on having fun, really enjoyed themselves. We were having so much fun that a complete stranger tried to join our group photo at the finish line!” —a director of sales

Let us know what city or state you love, and we’ll provide a madcap team-building scavenger hunt for your group!