Frequently Asked Questions
Table of Contents
Booking & Logistics
How do we book a hunt?
Just call, email, or text us and we’ll get you all set up! Let us know the date, time and hunt you’d like to do, as well as the number of participants. We’ll send you a booking confirmation and invoice. Once that’s finalized, you’ll be on the calendar! We keep in touch and answer all your questions leading up to the event. If you have any special requests, we’ll address them during this time.
Before the hunt (usually a day or two), our staff will make direct contact with your group leader to confirm all the details and make sure any remaining questions about logistics have been answered.
What does this cost?
Every Secret City scavenger hunt is a private, fully hosted production. Each event is tailored to your group size and specific needs, with base price ranging from $30–$50 per participant. Tell us your group size and we’ll send a quick, exact quote.
Do you offer gift certificates?
Yes! Gift certificates are available for private events at the date and time of your recipient’s choosing. They can select from any of our hunt options. Whenever they’re ready to book, they can reach out to us and we’ll get them on the calendar. Contact us to discuss the options!
The Format
How does this work?
See our How It Works page for the full breakdown.
Quick version: We create, staff, and fully operate all of our scavenger hunts. You arrive and participate in an epic competition! We handle everything in person, from start to finish. We’re the game masters, the umpires…the judge and jury. We moderate a contest that takes place between your teams. Live staff, in person – not by text or remote app.
We form teams of 4-5 (maybe 6) participants each, distribute pen & paper clues and a clipboard to each. The race is on! Teams work together to plot their own course and strategy. After the hunt, we tally scores and announce winners. The whole experience runs about 2 hours.
Where do we meet?
Each hunt has its own designated meeting spot. We’ll provide you with the exact location when we confirm your booking, and we’ll be in position before your arrival to help everyone gather.
How long does a hunt take?
The hunt itself has a 2-hour maximum runtime, but teams can turn in early if they’re ready. Most groups use the full time. We also need 5-10 minutes at the start to get everyone organized and form teams, and another 5-10 minutes at the end to score and announce winners. Expect roughly 2 hours and 15 minutes total from arrival to finish.
We also have shorter runtime options if needed – just let us know when you book.
What are your scavenger hunt clues like?
Our hunt clues are like trivia questions (Jeopardy-style) that you search for and discover the answer to. We’re experts at crafting questions that draw upon all kinds of fine details and hidden elements within the hunt venue. For every hunt, there is a wellspring of intriguing material that we use to create our clues. You’ll learn a lot and be challenged in a very fun, creative way.
Hunts include a puzzle that teams solve at the end, based on the answers to the clues. We combine Jeopardy-style clues and a Wheel of Fortune-style phrase challenge with a little New York Times crossword puzzle thrown in.
Why are your hunts pen & paper and not app-based?
Pen and paper keeps teams together around one shared set of clues – real reading, writing, collaborating. Everyone’s heads are up, working through challenges as a group. This kind of analogue experience is becoming harder to find. There are plenty of apps out there. We’re taking you offline!
Plus, we prefer to focus on our craft of developing great hunts rather than worrying about software glitches, connectivity issues, or app installation questions. People find our low-tech approach refreshing.
And we recycle all paper!
Do we use our phones?
All hunt materials and game play are pen & paper. There are several photo and video challenges on each hunt that teams do with their phones. We also use WhatsApp to keep in touch with teams throughout the hunt. Aside from photos, videos, and communication, phone use is minimal. Googling is strongly discouraged, and also not useful.
What should we do to prepare for our hunt?
What to bring: Your phone fully charged (you’ll use it for photo challenges and team communication), comfortable shoes, and weather-appropriate clothing. If you’re hunting at a museum, skip the coat check – wear layers you can carry or tie around your waist.
What NOT to bring: Bags, backpacks, or anything you don’t want to carry for 2 hours. Travel light.
Be ready: This is a high-energy competition. You’ll be on your feet and moving for the full duration. Come prepared to think, search, collaborate, and solve clues in a race against time.
Your group leader will send you details about meeting time, location, and your host’s contact info before the hunt.
About Your Group
What kind of groups book your hunts?
Really, every kind of group you can imagine! We see tons of corporate groups all the time – and also lots of families, friends, birthday parties, weddings, gatherings of all kinds – you name it, we see it.
Our hunts are great for any group and any occasion, large or small. We run hunts for hundreds of participants, or just a few. We have price packages for every group size.
Is this for kids?
If you have a group of kids and they enjoy competitive challenges, this is a great activity for them! We’d love to arrange a hunt for your school, camp, birthday party or other kid-friendly occasion. We have options for ages 9 and up.
We are facilitators of a competition between your teams, but we do not accompany or take responsibility for the kids. Any participants under the age of 18 must be supervised by an adult. We ask that you bring enough grown-ups so that each team has a chaperone that will also function as a team leader, helping to drive the effort for the kids. Before booking, let’s chat about whether or not this is a good fit for your group.
Can we dress up and get really into it?
Yeah, you can. Theme your teams! Go crazy! We love it!
Can we bring our own photographer?
Yes! You’re welcome to bring a photographer to document your event. The hunt also includes photo and video challenges that teams complete with their own phones – those are worth points. We also take photos when opportunities arise, and if we’re able to get some good ones, we’ll be sure to share them with you.
Should this be a surprise for my group?
Sometimes you want to keep your group in suspense about the activity they’ll be doing. A word of caution though: It’s important that all participants in your group understand they’re joining an event that requires their brain power and effort. They will be on the move for two hours and will be participating in a team building competition. If you want to keep the scavenger hunt a surprise, just make sure they are ready for the activity.
Good to Know
What is your cancellation policy?
Bookings are non-refundable – but they are fully transferrable. If you need to change your date, please provide as much notice as possible — ideally at least one week. You can also give your rebooking credit to another group if desired. We ask that you rebook within one year of the original booking.
For full details, please refer to our Terms & Conditions.
What happens in case of bad weather?
If you book an outdoor hunt and the weather is not looking good, we can always switch to an indoor option! We keep the booking and move indoors. If you’d like to build a premium rain date option into your booking, we can do that too.
If there is a severe or dangerous weather event, we may need to reschedule depending on the situation. If, for any reason, public transportation is shut down due to unforeseeable circumstances, we would have to reschedule. Otherwise, we always stick to the booked date and time!
What if someone has mobility issues?
Please discuss this with us in advance and we’ll suggest the best hunt options for your group. Some of our hunts are more accessible than others, and we’re happy to help you find the right fit.
Do you offer foreign language programs?
At this time, all scavenger hunts are in English and fluency in English is a requirement for participation.
Do you have scavenger hunt materials for sale?
We organize and operate in-person scavenger hunt events for groups of all kinds. At this time, we do not have scavenger hunt materials for sale or distribution.
Do you have public events?
At this time, all of our events are privately organized for individual groups.
Are you affiliated with other organizations?
We’re not affiliated with any other organizations in an official way, but we have lots of friends! Since 2008, we have been operating scavenger hunts as Secret City. Secret City Scavenger Hunts is an evolution of our director’s previous endeavor, The Lunch Club (est. 2001). We’re based right here in NYC and our offices are at 450 Lexington Avenue.
