PHILADELPHIA SCAVENGER HUNTS
See your world with new eyes on a scavenger hunt. Teams of up to six people will tackle tricky, humorous questions about the objects and places discovered. Don’t have a team? We’ll help you find kindred spirits at the start of the hunt. No knowledge of any hunt location is required—you just need a sharp mind and a good pair of shoes. More than 87,000 hunters served since 1999.
Advance purchase is required for all hunts. To purchase tickets, go to the Calendar or Descriptions of the Hunts, or call our ticketing service, OvationTix, toll-free at
866-811-4111 (Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday
and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.).
CALENDAR Listing All Upcoming Philadelphia Area Hunts
DESCRIPTIONS of the Hunts
FAQ: How the Hunts Work and Other Frequently Asked Questions
Gift Certificates
Download the Schedule
Get the Schedule by E-Mail
Go Deluxe: Information About Private Hunts
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE HUNTS
Adventure Aquarium
• The Go Fish Family Scavenger Hunt
Center City
• The Ghosts of Philadelphia Family Scavenger Hunt
• The Haunted Philadelphia Scavenger Hunt
• The Munch Around the Market Scavenger Hunt
• The Secrets of Old Philadelphia Scavenger Hunt
• The Hidden Philadelphia Family Scavenger Hunt
Franklin Institute
• The Mad Science Scramble Family Scavenger Hunt
Philadelphia Museum of Art
• The Art Attack Family Scavenger Hunt
• The Murder at the Philadelphia Museum Scavenger Hunt
• The Naked at the Philadelphia Museum Scavenger Hunt
• The PMA Madness Scavenger Hunt
• The PMA Madness R e l a x e d Scavenger Hunt
Philadelphia Zoo
• The Wild Wildlife Family Scavenger Hunt
Princeton, New Jersey
• The Princeton Prowl Scavenger Hunt
ADVENTURE AQUARIUM
The Go Fish Family Scavenger Hunt
Recommended by GoCityKids.com
Kids and adults work together to explore the Adventure Aquarium, featuring a wide array of exhibits, environments, and surprising sea creatures. Highlights include the toothsome Shark Realm, the bizarro deep-sea creatures of the Jules Verne Gallery, the technicolor Caribbean Currents exhibit, the gigantic 760,000-gallon Ocean Realm tank, and the Amazonian inhabitants of the roaring Irazu Falls. For ages 7 and up. Kids must be accompanied by an adult and vice versa. Prices, which include aquarium admission: Ages 7 to 12, $27 per person;
13 and up, $30.50 per person. Meeting place information
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CENTER CITY
The Ghosts of Philadelphia Family Scavenger Hunt
Recommended by GoCityKids.com and Philly.com
Kids and adults work together to go in search of 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, a Quaker to make you quake in Washington Square, the burning bride of City Tavern and various other sudden chills, rustlings and knockings. For ages 7 and up. Kids must be accompanied by an adult and vice versa. Price: $17 per person, all ages. Meeting place information
The Haunted Philadelphia Scavenger Hunt
Recommended by the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philly.com
Armed with 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 1776 in Independence Hall, Ben Franklin (of course), the Hag of Pine Street, the spectral poltergeist of St. Peter’s, a Quaker to make you quake in Washington Square, the burning bride of City Tavern, and various other apparitions, sudden chills, rustlings and knockings. Price: $22.50 per person. Meeting place information
NEW! The Munch Around the Market Hunt
You can literally taste victory on this hunt, which combines tricky questions and a challenge to sample some of the best foods in the Reading Market Terminal and in nearby Chinatown, while discovering other suprises in the neighborhood. Price: $20 per person, plus bring $10 cash for food purchases. (We ask you to bring cash so that you can have a wide range of food options to suit your taste and diet. We’ll point you toward our favorites, but the ultimate choice is between you and your tummy.)
The Secrets of Old Philadelphia Scavenger Hunt
If you think you know Old Philadelphia—from Society Hill to Old City—then prepare to be surprised. This irreverent tour reveals the most curious and quirkiest aspects of Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Carpenter’s Hall (where Continental Congress first met), Elfreth’s Alley, and museums featuring Ben Franklin, portraits of Founding Fathers (and Mothers) and the military. If you ever wished you could time-travel, this is the hunt for you. Price: $22.50 per person. Meeting place information
The Hidden Philadelphia Family Scavenger Hunt
Recommended by GoCityKids.com
Here’s a kid-friendly version of our popular adult hunt. If you think you know Old Philadelphia—from Society Hill to Old City—then prepare to be surprised. This irreverent tour reveals the most curious and quirkiest aspects of Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Carpenter’s Hall (where Continental Congress first met), Elfreth’s Alley, and museums featuring Ben Franklin, portraits of Founding Fathers (and Mothers) and the military. If you ever wished you could time-travel, this is the hunt for you. Plus, can you find the hidden giant? For ages 7 and up. Kids must be accompanied by an adult and vice versa. Price: $17 per person, all ages. Meeting place information
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FRANKLIN INSTITUTE
NEW! The Mad Science Scramble Family Scavenger Hunt
Recommended by This Week in Philly and GoCityKids.com
You’ll need Ben Franklin’s craftiness to search out answers to tricky questions about such things as a full-size gigantic locomotive, an Air Force jet, a mad scientist’s electric device that you spark to life, secret messages in optical illusions, a giant heart you must walk inside, strange space suits, a real moon rock, an overequipped athlete and even Ben’s own inventions, including an unusual way to get across a lake. For kids 7 and up. Kids must be accompanied by an adult and vice versa. Adult edition coming this fall!
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PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART
The Art Attack Family Scavenger Hunt
Recommended by GoCityKids.com and the Philadelphia Inquirer
Kids and adults work together to discover the secrets of all kinds of art, starring knights in armor, munching monks, puzzling jugs, dragons with bad breath, surprising sea monsters, twinkling tortoises and goofy glasses. You’ll think you’ve traveled to foreign lands, in galleries that re-create an Indian temple, a Chinese palace, a Japanese village, a medieval courtyard and fancy mansions. No knowledge of art or the museum is required. For ages 7 and up. Kids must be accompanied by an adult and vice versa. Price, which includes museum admission: Kids 7 and up, $27.50 per person; adults, $31.50 per person (please note that the price has increased because the museum recently raised its admission fee). Meeting place information
The Murder at the Museum Scavenger Hunt
Recommended by ABC Action News and Play Magazine
A murdered curator has left behind a cryptic trail of clues connected with secrets in works of art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. As your team gathers answers about the art, you begin to piece together a sordid tale about greed, lust, pride, revenge and treachery, all revolving around the museum’s planned multi-million dollar purchase of a Rembrandt. The murder victim knew too much—and now it’s your turn to learn what he knew and discover what drove one of four suspects to commit murder. To find out, you’ll have to crack a secret code left in the victim’s appointment calendar. Can you figure out who dunnit? Price, which includes museum admission: $36.50 per person; college students with current ID, $32.50. Meeting place information
The Naked at the Philadelphia Museum Scavenger Hunt
Recommended by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Metro and PhillyFunGuide.com
Take an unblushing look at nudity in art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. You’ll scrutinize paintings, sculptures, period rooms, extra-large bathers, a sultry sea monster, saints with shocking piercings, and a Peeping Tom who discovers a new meaning for the term “stag party.” No knowledge of art, or nudity, is required. (If you’ve done our PMA Madness Hunt or Murder at the PMA Hunt, you’ll discover an entirely new set of questions and works of art on this hunt.) Price, which includes museum admission: $36.50 per person; college students with current I.D., $32.50. Meeting place information
The PMA Madness Scavenger Hunt
Our original, classic whirlwind tour of the spectacular Philadelphia Museum of Art requires no special knowledge of art—but you do need a good sense of humor and good teamwork. You’ll search for an elegant woman and her monkey, a 19th-century scene that looks like something out of Hitchcock’s The Birds, a dragon with a deadly case of bad breath, a martyr who thinks he’s Steve Martin, a Japanese teahouse, a Chinese palace room, an Indian temple, a painting that flummoxed a Founding Father, and Bullwinkle and Ariel’s bizarre love-child, among other oddball objects. Price, which includes museum admission: $36.50 per person; college students with current ID, $32.50. Meeting place information No hunts currently scheduled—stay tuned!
The PMA Madness R e l a x e d Scavenger Hunt
Go on a search for the humorous and unusual aspects of art at Philadelphia Museum of Art. This special edition of our classic tour is at a more relaxed pace, for those who want more time to see the art. The hunt requires no special knowledge of art—you just need a sharp mind and a good pair of shoes. You’ll scrutinize an elegant woman and her monkey, a 19th-century scene that looks like something out of Hitchock’s The Birds, a dragon with a deadly case of bad breath, a martyr who thinks he’s Steve Martin, a Japanese teahouse, a Chinese palace room, an Indian temple, a painting that flummoxed a Founding Father, among other oddball objects. Price, which includes museum admission : $36.50 per person. Meeting place information
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PHILADELPHIA ZOO
The Wild Wildlife Family Scavenger Hunt
Recommended by GoCityKids.com
Kids and adults work together to uncover the secrets of the zoo, from ants to apes. Highlights include the Pachyderm House, the Rare Animal Conservation Center, Bear Country, the Reptile Exercise Yard (“Give me 20 push-ups, iguana!”) and of course Monkey Junction (“...what’s your function?”). For ages 7 and up. Kids must be accompanied by an adult and vice versa. Price, which includes zoo admission: $29.50 per person, all ages. Meeting place information
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PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY
The Princeton Prowl Scavenger Hunt
A whirlwind tour of the best of Princeton, New Jersey, and the delightful Princeton University campus. See for yourself why this is one of our staff’s favorite hunts. The historic town—where George Washington defeated the British—and the stunning campus combine to provide a hunt landscape that is filled with history, outdoor sculptures, dramatic Gothic and ivy-clad buildings, goofy gargoyles, famous Americans and amazing views. Guest stars include Russell Crowe (from locations for A Beautiful Mind), F. Scott Fitzgerald, John F. Kennedy, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Henry Moore, Aaron Burr, Woodrow Wilson, Albert Einstein, William Hurt (from locations for One True Thing), David Duchovny of The X-Files, Meg Ryan (in the movie I.Q.) and an enemy bulldog. We highly recommend making a day of it: There are great places in Princeton to dine before or after the hunt—ask us for recommendations. Special price: $17.50 per person. Meeting place information
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DOWNLOAD THE SCHEDULE
If you’d like a fancy-shmancy printed version of this schedule, you can download the PDF file by clicking here. Print the two pages on opposite sides of one sheet for maximum fanciness. Please note that we often add new hunts to the schedule that are not included in the printed version, so check this page for the latest listing of what hunts are available.
GET THE SCHEDULE BY E-MAIL
It’s part of our free quarterly Culture Vulture newsletter, featuring special discount offers, jokes, Philly trivia and more. Sign up here and be sure to check off “Philadelphia Area” on the next page you see:
(We DO NOT share your address with any other companies, especially purveyors of spam.)
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GO DELUXE: INFORMATION ABOUT PRIVATE HUNTS
Get up, get out, get on the move and discover how Watson Adventures Scavenger Hunts bring people together and forges bonds in surprising ways. And when it’s a private hunt, you have the hunt all to yourself—you get to choose the hunt, the date and the time. Plus you can add custom elements, such as Team Photo Challenges and trivia questions about the participants. But please note that private hunts do cost significantly more: Prices start at $600.
To learn more about private hunts, see Private Hunts or Contact Us.
Contact Us about Public Hunts
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