Frequently Asked Questions About Our Public Scavenger Hunts

HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED
How do the hunts work? What are we looking for?
Is this a race? Will a bunch of Olympic athletes outrun me?
Where is the meeting place? When do I find out?
What time do I have to be at the meeting place?
How long will the hunt last?
How big can my team be?
How small can our team be? Do we have to join other teams?
Can I bring kids to an adult hunt?
Can adults attend family hunts without bringing kids?
What ages are recommended for family hunts? What about age six or younger?
Must adults accompany kids on a family hunt?
Are the hunts wheelchair accessible?
Is there a prize?

BUYING TICKETS AND OTHER RESERVATION POLICIES
Where can I see the hunt schedule?
Must I buy tickets in advance?
How do I buy tickets?
How do I buy tickets when I don’t have access to a computer or I hate shopping online?
If a hunt is sold out but my friends have tickets, can I still join their team?
How do I receive my tickets? Do they come by mail?
Where is my receipt or confirmation?
All sales are final? No refunds? Really?
What happens if there is horrible weather?
Can I give my ticket to a friend if I can’t make it?
Can I get a discount if I bring a large group?
If I am a museum member, can I get my own museum ticket and get a hunt discount?
I’m a student—can I get a student discount for museum admission?
I have a credit or a gift certificate. How do I redeem it?
Can we arrive at the museum (or zoo) earlier than the hunt start time?
Do you offer gift certificates?

PREPARING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE HUNT
How should I dress for the hunt?
Can I check coats, bags and luggage at the hunt?

RECEIVING E-MAILS FROM WATSON ADVENTURES,
INCLUDING THE HUNT NEWSLETTER
Why haven’t I received the hunt newsletter or other notices I expected?

BUT WHAT ABOUT PRIVATE HUNTS?
See the Private Hunts page for all questions about corporate events, birthday parties, bachelorette hunts, kids hunts, and others.


HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED

How does the scavenger hunt work? What are we looking for?
On most of our hunts, you are not collecting objects, but searching for answers to tricky and humorous questions about the places you visit and sights you see. No previous knowledge of a hunt location is necessary, but you will discover a lot of cool things and fascinating facts. You hunt on a team of two to six people. Each person receives a set of clues and questions, and sometimes the team receives a map. You have a limited amount of time—usually two hours or 90 minutes—to answer as many questions as possible. You earn points for each correct answer, and the team with the most points wins! On a few hunts, where indicated in the hunt description, you might also be taking team photos or, on the gourmet hunts, collecting things to nosh on.

Is this a race? Will a bunch of Olympic athletes outrun me?
The hunts are not designed as races, and we do not encourage people to run. The hunts are designed to be more a test of your wits and your teamwork, not a test of physical fitness. There is a deadline, though, so that people do not have to wait a long time at the end to learn the results. We spend a great deal of effort refining the hunts so that most teams get to answer most of the questions.

Where is the meeting place? When do I find out?
There are two main places to find meeting place information, directions, and other tips to help you join the hunt. First, at the end of each hunt description on the Public Hunts pages, look for a link, in italics, labeled Meeting place information. Click on it to get to the page with the info you need. Also, after you purchase tickets by credit card via our Web site, the last page of your transaction will be your e-ticket, which will include meeting place information.

What time do I have to be at the meeting place?
Be at the meeting place ready to hunt by the time listed on the Hunt Schedule and on your e-ticket. If you are participating in a museum hunt and you have coats or bags to check, please arrive at the museum 10 to 15 minutes early in case of lines at the coat check room—especially when the weather if bad and the lines are longer. Our MC usually is at the meeting spot 10 to 15 minutes before the hunt starts. If you are running late, you can still get in on the hunt, but you might not have the full amount of hunting time. The MC typically remains at the meeting spot until about 20 minutes after the scheduled start time.

How long will the hunt last?
Actual hunting time is almost always two hours for adult hunts and 90 minutes for family hunts. Add another 30 to 40 minutes for distributing materials at the start and scoring and announcing the results at the end.

How big can my team be?
The hunt is played on teams of two to six people. Teams must stick together. You can have a team larger than six people, but you won’t be eligible to win the hunt, because your team will have an unfair advantage. Also, after running hunts since 1993, we have found that teams larger than six usually don’t have as much fun or do as well—just getting the team to stick together becomes a preoccupation. If you do bring a large group to a public hunt, we request that you have at least five to six people per team. 

How small can my team be? Do we have to join other teams?
We never force anyone to join a team—except that we do not let people hunt solo. If you want to hunt as a duo or a trio, that’s fine. If you would like to join up with other people, we’ll help you meet kindred spirits at the start. We find over and over that people who are game for joining others and meeting new people end up really hitting it off. (Consider how much you already have in common: You’re excited about a scavenger hunt, you have an interest in this particular hunt location, and you think meeting new people will be fun.) For some reason, these “pick up” teams win more often than other teams.

Can I bring kids to an adult hunt?
Yes, but please keep in mind that the adult hunts are designed for adults, and younger kids may find the questions too hard or feel that there is too much walking. Also, there is no discount for children at an adult hunt. We urge you instead to bring kids to our family hunts, which are specifically designed for kids and adults to do together.

Can adults attend family hunts without bringing kids?
Sorry, no. That’s not fair to the teams with kids on them. If you’re just dying to do a particular location where we’re not currently offering an adult hunt, let us know you’re interested and we’ll keep you posted. Your vote might be the one that makes us add an adult hunt to the schedule.

What ages are recommended for family hunts? What about age six or younger?
Our family hunts are designed for ages seven and up. Younger children might find a hunt too long, too difficult and too exhausting. Plus reading skills help increase a child’s enjoyment of the hunt clues and the search for answers. That said, if you would like to bring along a child that is too young to do the hunt, be our guest: you do not need to buy a hunt ticket. But if you are participating in a museum or zoo hunt, we will leave it to you to get admission, if required, for that child. You must purchase a hunt ticket for every child seven and older, of course.

Must adults accompany kids on a family hunt?
On family hunts, there must be at least one adult per team. Everyone on the team above the age of seven must purchase a ticket for the hunt. On some hunts all ages pay one price; on others—museum hunts in particular—there may be separate prices for different age groups (usually depending on museum admission fees, which are included in the hunt ticket price).

Are the hunts wheelchair accessible?
Most hunts include staircases. Some hunts are more accessible than others, and sometimes we can accommodate hunters in wheelchairs. Contact us for information about specific hunts.

Is there a prize?
Yes! Each member of the winning team will receive a rare, coveted Watson Adventures t-shirt, with a cool-looking rebus puzzle on the front, and the words Watson Adventures Scavenger Hunts 2008 Winner on the back. Only people who have won a hunt ever get to own one of these t-shirts. (We like to think that the ones from previous years are now collectors’ items.) It is not an expensive prize for one reason: We find that the more valuable the prize, the more incentive people have to cheat. And we’re not offering that sort of competition. The most important result we want is for people to have a fun, amazing experience.

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BUYING TICKETS AND GETTING REFUNDS

Where can I see the hunt schedule?
Click on the name of a city: We offer public hunts in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Chicago and Los Angeles. For other cities and states where we offer private hunts, see Private Hunts or Hunt Locations.

Must I buy tickets in advance?
Yes. We need to know how many people will come so that we can prepare for the correct number of participants. Plus our public hunts often sell out, particularly in New York. We do not accept cash “at the door” of a hunt. You can purchase tickets online via the Public Hunts pages (see below for more on this) or by calling our ticketing service, OvationTix, at 866-811-4111 (Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time, Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time).

How do I buy tickets?
You can purchase tickets via the Public Hunts pages of this Web site. Choose the city you want to hunt in, then look for a link to a Calendar showing all of the upcoming hunts. Click on a hunt title and you will start the transaction. Or you can look for Descriptions of the Hunts, each of which is followed by a button that takes you to a calendar or a ticket purchase page. We accept all major credit cards via OvationTix. At the end of the transaction, you will see an onscreen “e-ticket” that you must print out and bring to the hunt. You will also receive an e-mail confirmation.

How do I buy tickets if I don’t have access to a computer or I hate shopping online?
If you do not have access to a computer or just hate buying online, call our ticketing service, OvationTix, at 866-811-4111 (Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time, Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time). At the end of the transaction you will receive a confirmation number—be sure to bring this number to the hunt. Please note that OvationTix add a service charge of $1 per transaction for phone orders.

If a hunt is sold out but my friends have tickets, can I still join their team?
Maybe. One condition is that the total number of people on the team cannot exceed six. But there are other factors that determine whether we can accommodate you. Please note that “Murder” hunts tend to sell out several days or as much as a week in advance, so buy all the tickets you need early to guarantee participation. To check with us about getting into a sold out hunt, e-mail us or call 877-9-GO HUNT, extension 12.

How do I receive my “tickets”? Do they come by mail?
At the end of your online purchase, you will see an onscreen “e-ticket” that you should print out and bring to the hunt. You will also receive an e-mail confirmation. You will not receive tickets in the mail nor will there be tickets waiting for you at the hunt location. If you bought tickets by phone, you will receive a confirmation number at the end of the transaction. Be sure to bring that number to the hunt.

Where is my e-mail receipt?
If you have a spam filter on your e-mail, check your junk mail folder. Failing that, contact our ticketing service, OvationTix, at 866-811-4111 (Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time, Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time).

All sales are final? No refunds? Really?
Yes. Consider these tickets to be the same as theater tickets or sports event tickets: All sales are final. Actually, unlike the theater or sports events, once you tell us you are coming, we start to commit to printing materials for you and hiring enough staff to make your hunt experience ideal. Plus if a hunt sells out, we turn away people who would otherwise take your place. Thus, there are no refunds. If you are absolutely, positively in a pickle, can’t attend a hunt and can give us enough advance notice, we might be able to reschedule you—in which case, call us at 877-9-GO HUNT, extension 12.

What happens if there’s horrible weather?
If a hunt must be rescheduled due to horrible weather or other unusual circumstances, we will make an announcement on the Hunt Hotline, 877-9-GO HUNT, extension 12, as to whether the hunt must be rescheduled. That said, we know that many hunters are intrepid, and that a particular day may be their only chance to do a hunt, so we seldom cancel hunts due to poor weather. If we must reschedule a hunt, or if you prefer not to risk being uncomfortable, please call us at the number above, or e-mail us, to switch to any other hunt. If you switch to a hunt with a different price for the same number of tickets, you must pay the difference if the new hunt is more expensive or we will refund the difference if the new hunt is less expensive.

Can I give my ticket to a friend if I can’t make it?
Yes, as long as you give your e-ticket or confirmation number to your friend and he or she brings it to the hunt.

Can I get a discount if I bring a large group?
Sorry, but no. The public hunts are already discounted from our private hunt rates. Large groups cannot expect special treatment at a public hunt—we urge you instead to consider a private hunt, where you get to call the shots. To learn more, see Private Hunts or contact us.

If I am a museum member, can I get my own museum ticket and get a hunt discount?
Sorry, but we cannot offer a discount to museum members. The museums charge us for each participant, whether or not that person is a museum member, so the museum admission price must be included in every ticket we sell.

I’m a student—can I get a student discount for museum admission?
Yes, but only when you see an option for a Student Ticket during the ticket purchasing process. If you don’t see a special ticket for students, it means we can’t offer a discount for that hunt. You must present a current, valid student ID at the hunt.

I have a credit or a gift certificate. How do I redeem it?
Call us at 877-9-GO HUNT, extension 12, to make your reservation—do not use our regular online ticketing service. If you have a free hunt credit, we will have a record of it on file. Be sure to bring your free hunt card or gift certificate to the hunt. If the tickets you wish to purchase exceed the value of your gift certificate, we will tell you how to pay the balance online with a credit card. If there is a balance due you on the gift certificate, you must apply the balance to another purchase—we don’t give “change,” so to speak.

Can we arrive at the museum earlier than the hunt start time?
If the museum (or zoo) charges an admission fee, then your admission is included in the price of the hunt. Unfortunately, our staff will not be at the museum (or zoo) with your admission ticket until the start of the hunt. Actually, we’re not sure that we’d recommend to people that they stroll a hunt location before the hunt, because you might end up wishing you had all of your energy while doing a two-hour hunt.

Do you offer gift certificates?
You bet! To learn more or to purchase one, visit the Gift Certificates page.

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PREPARING TO PARITICPATE IN A HUNT

How should I dress for the hunt?
Dress comfortably. In particular, be sure to wear comfortable shoes. Avoid carrying anything heavy.

Can I check coats, bags and luggage at the hunt?
On museum hunts, there is usually a place provided by the museum to check coats and bags. If you plan on bringing luggage, check with the museum before your arrival—some museums, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, won’t even let you in the door with luggage. Some museums have do-it-yourself coat check rooms that require a quarter deposit to secure a locker. Some museums charge a separate fee for checking coats (New York’s Museum of Natural History charges $2 per person, for example). Again, check with the museum for its policies or consult the Meeting Place Information links at the end of each hunt description on the Hunt Schedule. Please note that the Watson Adventures staffers are constantly on the move during the hunt and thus unable to watch anyone’s possessions, on indoor and outdoor hunts.

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RECEIVING E-MAILS FROM US, INCLUDING THE NEWSLETTER

Why haven’t I received the newsletter or other notices I’ve expected?
So you bought tickets to a hunt or signed up to receive The Culture Vulture in your e-mailbox, but you haven’t been receiving e-mails from us. What gives? Here are some possible explanations and what you can do to help us correct the problem:

• Junk Mail Filters: The number one cause of people not receiving our e-mail notices is spam or junk mail filters. If you can control your junk mail settings, be sure to put “watsonadventures.com” on your “safe list.” This is a list that tells your e-mail service provider “Please let e-mails from this address go through to my mailbox.” You can usually find controls for your junk mail filter under a menu with a name such as “Options” or “Preferences.” Sometimes it’s as simple as finding a Watson Adventures e-mail in your junk mail folder and clicking on a button that says “Not Junk.”

• Company E-Mail Addresses: If you subscribe or make a reservation using your office e-mail address, your company may have a filter that blocks out messages with “inappropriate” language. So although we might call our popular hunt “N-ked at the Met,” that might not be enough to slip past your company’s filter. In that case, you’ll probably have to use a personal address. Please click here to re-subscribe, and be sure to put “watsonadventures.com” on your e-mail “safe list.”

• Your Address May Have Been Deleted from the Newsletter Database: We recently had to send out an e-mail to all of our subscribers, asking them to confirm their continued interest in receiving the newsletter. If you did not reply within 60 days, Microsoft’s Listbuilder (our newsletter mailing service) automatically deleted you from the list. This can also happen if for some reason your e-mail service provider blocked one of our messages and bounced it back to Listbuilder. The remedy: Please click here to re-subscribe, and be sure to put “watsonadventures.com” on your e-mail “safe list.” We apologize for this hassle, but strict spam laws and our own policy prevent us from adding your e-mail address to our list if there is any indication that you might not want us to do so.

• You Forgot to Choose an Edition of the Newsletter: If you signed up for our newsletter via our Web site, you were taken to a page where you had to choose which edition(s) of the newsletter you’d like to receive, based on region. This page is set up by our newsletter service provider, and it can be easy to miss this important section. Unfortunately, if you don’t check off one of the cities listed, you won’t receive any newsletters. If you think that might be the case—or if you are getting the wrong edition, because we spotted the omission and guessed incorrectly which edition you wanted—try re-subscribing by clicking here or contact us.

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YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS? WE HAVE MORE ANSWERS!

To learn more about the individual hunts, see a schedule and buy tickets online, go to Public Hunts.

If you have a question we haven’t answered above or want to purchase tickets by phone, call our ticketing service, OvationTix.com, toll free at 866-811-4111.

You can also contact us by e-mail.


GET THE SCHEDULE SENT TO YOUR E-MAIL BOX

It’s part of our monthly Culture Vulture newsletter, chock full of jokes, trivia and cool Web site links. To sign up, click on the button below, and on the next page you see, be sure to check off the region you’re interested in:

(We DO NOT share your address with any other companies, especially purveyors of spam.)

The hunt’s afoot!

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Last updated: 01-Dec-2008 9:03 PM