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The Secrets of Greenwich Village Scavenger Hunt
Recommended by the New York Times, Time Out New York, and New York magazine!
On our most popular outdoor team-building adventure, you and your team will go on a whirlwind tour of the best of Greenwich Village—the historic places, famous people, movie locations, nooks and crannies, and much more.
Your team might search for…
- The homes and haunts of Mark Twain, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Richard Wright, Willa Cather, Saul Bellow, Caleb Carr, Henry James, and Louisa May Alcott
- A former poet laureate’s house that blew up when it harbored a terrorist bomb factory
- TV locations, including the Friends apartment building as well as the block that posed as Paris on the Sex and the City finale
- A former courthouse that was the scene of a sensational trial that was the basis for Ragtime
- Locations used in such movies as When Harry Met Sally…, Spider-Man 2, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Big Daddy, Serpico, Barefoot in the Park, The Hours, and many more
- The narrowest house in the Village (if not the city), next to the oldest house
- A former speakeasy with a secret entrance
No knowledge of the area is necessary to play or even to win. You just need sharp eyes, comfy shoes, and good teamwork.
For groups that want a private scavenger hunt, an International Edition is available, tailored for participants whose first language isn’t English.
What people are saying about the Greenwich Village scavenger hunt
A 5-star review on Google: “Watson Adventures was a BLAST! Our team of ~30 had so much fun competing throughout Greenwich Village. Our host Correy was so fun and engaging—we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Looking forward to booking another hunt!”
- private
- adults
- kids
- outdoor
The Munch Around Greenwich Village Scavenger Hunt
If you literally hunger for adventure…
…this is the scavenger hunt for you! Nosh your way through the gooey, chewy center of New York City, better known as Greenwich Village. You’ll discover the neighborhood’s best restaurants, cafés, bars, and food shops—all while tackling tricky questions and collecting delectable treats. Starring: cannolis, paratha, pizza, exotic cheeses, chocolate, croissants, gelato, kebabs, and more.
Highlights include…
- Hangouts enjoyed by 19th-century hipsters
- Locations from movies and TV shows
- The bars and restaurants that were the stomping grounds of Ernest Hemingway, e.e. cummings, Tennessee Williams, Jackson Pollock, Billie Holiday, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and other artists
- The saucy Italian-immigrant streets of Fiorello LaGuardia’s childhood
- A fruity remnant of a building said to have been owned by Aaron Burr
- A century-old coffee shop featured in movies
You’ll also be challenged to take creative Team Photos to document your food stops. And this is all just a taste of the fun you’ll have! (See what we did there?)
A Kids Edition is also available, in which kids and adults team up on their search for snacks.
What are players saying about the Munch Around Greenwich Village Scavenger Hunt?
A 5-star review on Yelp: “I did a Watson Adventures scavenger hunt at a management meeting last year and it was so much fun I decided to do The Greenwich Village Munch Hunt for my birthday….It was a real blast!!!!! We got to eat at some great places and found out a lot about Greenwich Village….It was a great ways to make wonderful memories!!! Thanks so much to everyone at Watson Adventures! It couldn’t have been a better experience!!”
Join us for a weekend hunt for the public, or contact us to learn how you can enjoy a private Greenwich Village scavenger hunt for your group—and find more fun in NYC!
- private
- adults
- outdoor
The Murder in Greenwich Village Scavenger Hunt
Can you deduce who dunnit?
A Watson Adventures staffer has been found dead in Washington Square Park, and we need your help to catch his killer. Before he died, he drew a star on the ground with his 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 that could have catastrophic consequences?
Along the way, you’ll also uncover the secrets of Greenwich Village, where many a surprising detail turns out to be part of a cryptic code. The fate of the free world may depend on your teamwork.
This team-building adventure takes you to many of the great places featured in the Secrets of Greenwich Village Scavenger Hunt, from fascinating historic spots on 19th-century streets to new cafés and stores on Bleecker and MacDougal Streets.
- private
- kids
- outdoor
The Secrets of Greenwich Village Scavenger Hunt for Kids
Recommended by Time Out New York Kids and the New York Times!
Hidden history is revealed around every corner thanks to fun and funny questions. In this kids’ version of our classic Greenwich Village scavenger hunt, kids and adults work together to explore one of New York City’s most fascinating neighborhoods.
On teams, you might search twisty streets to discover such unusual sights as…
- Mark Twain’s house and a connection to the Statue of Liberty a few doors down
- Bats that aren’t afraid of daylight on a former courthouse
- Places where Edgar Allan Poe lived, wrote, and got treated for a cold
- “Chess pieces” that reveal where a famous artist played the game
- A scorpion lurking in a pocket park
- Skeletons and cats hanging out over your head
- A high-up horse head that reveals a stable where musicians later played
Our clever clues will take you to the right places to find the answers. No previous knowledge of the Village is required: you just need sharp eyes, comfy shoes, and good teamwork skills.
The hunt is intended for kids ages 7 and up, and each team must be accompanied by at least one adult. The game is a perfect activity for any school field trip, family get-together, birthday party, or other celebration.
What happy hunters are saying
“Watson Adventures helped my school plan an extremely adventurous day from start to finish. We had a unique experience around New York City, and everyone had a blast! Thank you!!! Can’t wait to do it again!” –A high school teacher
- public
- private
- adults
- outdoor
The Ghosts of Greenwich Village Scavenger Hunt
Beware of scare tactics in this eerie adventure!
Armed with only a flashlight, you’ll visit ghost-plagued buildings and secret cemeteries while learning the stories of the restless souls you might disturb. Starring: the spirits of Mark Twain, Aaron Burr, Edgar Allan Poe, Washington Irving, Thomas Paine, artist John LaFarge, the Shadow, Clement Clarke Moore, Mayor Jimmy Walker, Lee Chumley, Patrolman Schwartz, a few skeletons, and various other apparitions, sudden chills, rustlings, and knockings.
You’ll learn the haunting stories of…
- The converted stable where the restless spirit of Aaron Burr lurks—or perhaps it’s his daughter Theodosia, who died in a shipwreck
- The hundreds or perhaps thousands of bodies buried beneath a popular park
- The woman tickled by a feather at 3 a.m. in a cursed house
- The artist whose mural fell from a church wall the moment he died elsewhere
- The last known location of Judge Crater, “The Missingest Man in New York”
- A possible former opium den where a mayor kept his mistress and Howdy Doody’s daddy heard banging in the walls
- 19th-century spirits who still trod the stairs of a theater
- The former speakeasy where the original proprietor jinxed the jukebox
But leave the salt, iron, and other ghost preventives at home: to win this game, you just need sharp eyes and good teamwork. And if you miss out…it might haunt you for the rest of the week! [Cue sinister laughter.]
A 5-star review on Yelp: “These adventures are fun, I’ve done two different ones….Staff is always friendly—one [hunt host] we had during the Greenwich Ghost tour was really entertaining and fun, definitely added to the overall experience. Great group activity with your friends pre/post drinks.”
Book a private hunt for your group anytime, and join us in October for Saturday hunts for the general public—and find more spooky fun in NYC!
- private
- adults
- outdoor
The Puzzled in Greenwich Village Scavenger Hunt
Solve puzzles to save yourself!
You’ve been poisoned at the start of this scavenger hunt—whoa, sorry there!—and it’s down to you and your group to find the cure. How? By solving a series of murder mystery puzzles created by a dastardly villain. He’s daring you to decipher a mystery message that reveals how to obtain the antidote. Can you survive this fiendishly tricky scavenger hunt?
Following a trail of clues hidden in those puzzles, you’ll explore the streets of Greenwich Village for historic places, famous people, movie locations, and more. Along the way, your team will be challenged to answer humorous, brain-tickling questions about the surprising details you find. You’ll also tackled a special bonus challenge with the Hunt Host and ultimately crack a code.
No knowledge of Greenwich Village, New York, or pop culture is required to win this game. You just need sharp eyes, comfy shoes, and excellent teamwork.
What are players saying about the Puzzled in Greenwich Village Scavenger Hunt?
A 5-star review on Google: “We had a great time at our Scavenger Hunt! The questions and puzzles were clever and our Host was great! Super fun activity and highly recommended!”
Contact us to learn more about our private games for groups in Greenwich Village—and find more puzzle-filled group activities in New York City.
- public
- private
- kids
- outdoor
The Ghosts of Greenwich Village Scavenger Hunt for Kids
Spooky fun for the whole family!
Kids and adults work together to uncover the stories of creepy places and the ghosts that have haunted them. As a team, you’ll follow clues in search of answers to tricky, humorous questions about hidden cemeteries, looming skeletons, the haunted homes of Edgar Allan Poe and Mark Twain, bats on a building, disturbing door knockers, Harry Potter’s arch-enemy, and plenty of tales that will chill your bones.
Recommended for ages 7 and up. Each team must include at least one adult.
- private
- adults
- outdoor
The Greenwich Village Movie Locations Scavenger Hunt
See Hollywood’s favorite back lot
Greenwich Village may have had more movies and TV shows shoot scenes on its streets than any other part of the city. Discover places used as locations in such movies as Manhattan, Raging Bull, When Harry Met Sally…, I Am Legend, As Good As It Gets, Spider-Man 2, The Hours, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Big, Big Daddy, Serpico, and Desperately Seeking Susan (to name just a few), and such TV shows as Friends and Sex and the City.
You don’t need to have seen any of the movies or shows to have fun—or even to win. Along the way, you’ll also get a “greatest hits” tour of the Village, from Washington Square Park to the winding old streets of the West Village.
- private
- adults
- outdoor
The Artists’ Greenwich Village Scavenger Hunt
Discover the homes and haunts of the former bohemia, where artists of all types sought inspiration, fame, and a free meal. On teams, you’ll follow clues through the neighborhood and answer tricky, humorous questions about what you find. Along the way, you might visit locations associated with such writers as Washington Irving, Edgar Allan Poe, Jack Kerouac, Willa Cather, Saul Bellow, Henry James, e.e. cummings, Caleb Carr, Thomas Paine, and Allen Ginsberg; such artists as Marcel Duchamp, Willem de Kooning, and Edward Hopper; and such musicians as Billie Holiday, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, the Clash, and Bob Dylan.
- private
- kids
- outdoor
The Lincoln Conspiracy Scavenger Hunt for Kids
Can your team save Lincoln’s life?
Go on a tour of Civil War–era New York while trying to foil a plot to kill Lincoln before he even reaches the presidency!
You’ll hold historic photos and stand where the photographers stood as you track down a time-traveling John Wilkes Booth. He’s trying to assassinate candidate Abraham Lincoln before he delivers a speech at Cooper Union that will win him the Republican nomination for president. Can you stop Booth before he rewrites history?
Recommended for ages 10 and up. No previous knowledge about the Village or Lincoln is necessary. It’s a great field-trip activity for teachers who want to introduce students to the history of New York City and Greenwich Village.
