The Best Boston Scavenger Hunt Ideas

Boston is a central location in the founding history of the United States, and is abundant in monuments, landmarks, and memorials preserving the ideals laid out by the founding fathers. Boston proper is also home to over 50 Universities and institutes of higher education, the most famous of which are Harvard and MIT.

We've populated our Boston scavenger hunt with a mix of historical sites from the Freedom Trail, as well as well-known tourist attractions. This list would be ideal for a group scavenger hunt, a photo scavenger hunt, or as a starting point for somebody putting together an urban adventure race in the city.

If you're using Goosechase to run your event, you can even click the blue button below to add these missions to your account as a duplicate game. Still planning your scavenger hunts on paper? Take a look at our How It Works page to see how easy it is to get started on Goosechase!

Boston Goosechase Mission Ideas

• Bates Hall (Photo) - Bates Hall is located at the McKim Building Central Branch of the Boston Public Library. Take a photo of your reading a book of your choice by the light of this reading room’s signature green-shaded lamps!

• Boston Cream Pie (Photo) - This eponymous pie was officially declared the “Official dessert of Massachusetts” in 1996. Take a photo of you chowing down into a slice of this custard cream treat!

• Fenway Park (GPS) - GPS Check-in at Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox, and the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball.

• Freedom Trail (Text) - How many historical sites are included in Boston’s famed Freedom Trail?

• John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum (Text) - This official national memorial to the 35th US President first opened in 1979. Who is the famous architect who designed this famous building?

• John Harvard's Toe (Photo) - Thousands of tourists over the years are mistakenly told that rubbing the left toe of the John Harvard statue is a student tradition, leaving the bronze on the left shoe exposed and gleaming. Find this iconic statue in Harvard Yard and take a photo of you perpetuating this false tradition!

• Marathon Finish Line (Photo) - The Boston Marathon Finish Line at is crossed by over 30,000 runners every April. The painted finish line remains outside the Boston Public Library at 700 Boylston Street Year Round. Take a photo of this iconic landmark to complete this mission!

• Massachusetts State House (GPS) - GPS Check-in at the state capitol building, the seat of government for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and an architectural masterpiece that ran over 5 times it's budget when it was constructed in 1798!

• New England Aquarium (Photo) - The New England Aquarium features a cylindrical 200,000-US Tank simulating a Caribbean coral reef as its central exhibit. Take a fish-face selfie outside of the aquarium building, then consider heading in to take a gander at some of the featured marine life!

• Paul Revere House (GPS) - GPS Check-in at the colonial home of Paul Revere. This Patriot is famous for his midnight ride warning of the arrival of British forces during the American Revolution.

• Ray and Maria Stata Center (GPS) - GPS Check-in at this Frank Gehry-designed building, one of the most unique architectural buildings at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

• Swan Boats - Summer Only (Video) - The Swan Boats of Boston Public Garden have been in operation since 1877. Head over and take a video of one of these cultural icons in action!

• The Bad Boys from Boston (Text) - What Boston-hailing hard rock band released an album named “Get Your Wings” in 1974?

• The Goal (Photo) - Portal Park is home to a full-sized bronze statue depicting Bobby Orr’s famous leap through the air after scoring the 1970 Stanley Cup-winning goal. Take a photo of you or a team member on the other side catching Bobby before he hits the pavement!

• USS Constitution (GPS) - Otherwise known as "Old Ironsides", the USS Constitution is a Navy ship first launched in 1797, and named by George Washington after one of the most important documents in American history. Head to this landmark and GPS Check-In!

Be sure to also check out our other city-based scavenger hunt lists and theme-based scavenger hunt ideas!

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