Detroit Scavenger Hunt

48 free finds around Campus Martius, on Hart Plaza and the Riverwalk, on Belle Isle and in Midtown.

Detroit Scavenger Hunt

TeamMeet at (place and time)

  1. Stay with your team on plazas, park paths, sidewalks and the Riverwalk.
  2. Keep back from the river railing, the fountains and the beach water; cross at marked crossings.
  3. Buy nothing, pick nothing and climb nothing, the fist and the fountains included.
  4. Photograph nobody outside your team without asking.
  1. A small square where Woodward Avenue once ranSpirit Plaza was made from a stretch of old street in 2017. Write one thing standing in it now.
  2. A Civil War monument in a traffic circleThe Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument was unveiled on April 9, 1872, at the southeast tip of Campus Martius. Count the eagles near its base.
  3. A golden sphere with rays in a statue's handThe Spirit of Detroit's gilt sphere stands for God. Sketch the rays.
  4. A government tower faced in white marbleThe Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, finished in 1954, has two parts of different heights. Count the floors of the taller one.
  5. A bronze giant holding a family in one handThe Spirit of Detroit, 26 feet tall, was made by Marshall Fredericks in 1958. Write which hand holds the man, woman and child.
  6. A park named for the Roman Field of MarsCampus Martius was rebuilt and dedicated again on November 19, 2004. Write the name of one street along its edge.
  7. Stone figures by the door of a 1929 Art Deco towerThe Guardian Building, nicknamed the Cathedral of Finance, has two sculptures by Corrado Parducci at its Griswold Street entrance. Sketch one.
  8. Two seals on a curved marble wallThey belong to the City of Detroit and Wayne County; the sculptor designed the county's seal, since it had none. Sketch one.
  9. The medallion where Detroit's mile roads beginIt is set in the walkway at the western point of the diamond around the Woodward Fountain. Seven Mile Road lies seven miles north. Stand on it.
  10. Four bronze portraits of Union leadersPlaques on the Civil War monument show Lincoln, Grant, Sherman and Farragut. Write the first name you read.

Next step Turn it into a photo hunt

How it works

Where do Detroit's mile roads start counting? At a medallion in a downtown walkway, the first of 48 finds on this Detroit scavenger hunt, all free to see.

Read the full guide

Pick one of four areas

Campus Martius and Hart Plaza and Riverwalk sit a few blocks apart on Woodward Avenue. Midtown is about two miles north; Belle Isle lies east, over the MacArthur Bridge. Pick one in the menu, then press Print this list.

How a find counts

Teams score a find by writing its answer: a count, a direction, a word off a plaque. The note printed under it settles any argument.

Tips
  • Belle Isle is big: walk the conservatory, aquarium and fountain together, and save the marble lighthouse at the far end for last.
  • The aquarium is free but opens only Friday to Sunday, 10 to 4.

Questions and answers

Is there a free scavenger hunt in Detroit?

Yes. Every find here is seen from plazas, parks, sidewalks and the Riverwalk. The art museum and library are ticked from outside, and the Belle Isle aquarium charges nothing to go in.

Can kids do it?

Yes, with an adult in each team. The fist, the Spirit of Detroit and the Belle Isle fountain suit younger children. Stay back from the river railing and the swimming beach's water.

Which area is best for a first hunt?

Campus Martius. Its 12 finds sit within a few blocks of each other, and the Riverwalk area is a short walk south if a team finishes early.

More tools

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All 48 finds

Campus Martius 12

  • A 45-story tower named for a river in Maine The Penobscot Building, 566 feet, was Michigan's tallest from 1928 until 1977. Write the color of its top.
  • A bronze giant holding a family in one hand The Spirit of Detroit, 26 feet tall, was made by Marshall Fredericks in 1958. Write which hand holds the man, woman and child.
  • A Civil War monument in a traffic circle The Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument was unveiled on April 9, 1872, at the southeast tip of Campus Martius. Count the eagles near its base.
  • A golden sphere with rays in a statue's hand The Spirit of Detroit's gilt sphere stands for God. Sketch the rays.
  • A government tower faced in white marble The Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, finished in 1954, has two parts of different heights. Count the floors of the taller one.
  • A park named for the Roman Field of Mars Campus Martius was rebuilt and dedicated again on November 19, 2004. Write the name of one street along its edge.
  • A small square where Woodward Avenue once ran Spirit Plaza was made from a stretch of old street in 2017. Write one thing standing in it now.
Show all 48 finds (41 more)

Campus Martius, continued

  • A woman with a raised sword on top of a monument The top figure, Michigania or Victory, holds a sword in her right hand. Write what she lifts in the other.
  • Four bronze portraits of Union leaders Plaques on the Civil War monument show Lincoln, Grant, Sherman and Farragut. Write the first name you read.
  • The medallion where Detroit's mile roads begin It is set in the walkway at the western point of the diamond around the Woodward Fountain. Seven Mile Road lies seven miles north. Stand on it.
  • Stone figures by the door of a 1929 Art Deco tower The Guardian Building, nicknamed the Cathedral of Finance, has two sculptures by Corrado Parducci at its Griswold Street entrance. Sketch one.
  • Two seals on a curved marble wall They belong to the City of Detroit and Wayne County; the sculptor designed the county's seal, since it had none. Sketch one.

Hart Plaza and Riverwalk 12

  • A 63-foot steel arch for working people Transcending, the Michigan Labor Legacy Landmark, was dedicated on August 30, 2003. Copy one word from around it.
  • A bronze of Detroit's founder stepping ashore It shows the 1701 landing and was unveiled on July 24, 2001, the city's 300th birthday. Copy one word from its plaque.
  • A cruise ship dock beside the plaza The port authority opened a passenger terminal and dock here in 2011. Write whether a ship is tied up.
  • A giant bronze fist hanging from a frame The Monument to Joe Louis, dedicated October 16, 1986, honors the boxer. Its 24-foot arm is said to point toward Canada. Write which way that is on a compass.
  • A man pointing across the river In the same memorial, George DeBaptist points from Detroit to Windsor. Stand behind him and write what his finger aims at.
  • A riverside path you can follow for miles The Riverfront runs 5.5 miles from the Ambassador Bridge to Belle Isle. Write which bridge you can see from here, if either.
  • A steel ring held up on two legs over a pool Isamu Noguchi designed the plaza's fountain; it has 300 jets and 300 lights. Write whether the water is on.
  • A steel spire that twists a quarter turn Pylon, 120 feet tall, is also Noguchi's; its double twist came from the shape of DNA. Look up from its base and sketch the twist.
  • A sunken trail where the graffiti was left on purpose The Dequindre Cut, an old rail line, runs 25 feet below the streets near the river; the Dequindre Trail joins it to the Riverwalk. Write the brightest color on one wall.
  • An open-air amphitheater sunk into the plaza Hart Plaza, opened in 1975, has two. Count the rows of seats in one.
  • Canada on the far shore From Hart Plaza you look across the Detroit River to Windsor, Ontario. Write one building or sign you can read over there.
  • Freedom seekers waiting for a boat, in bronze The Gateway to Freedom memorial, dedicated October 20, 2001, marks the Underground Railroad's crossing. Count the figures waiting.

Belle Isle 12

  • A garden fountain by the Spirit of Detroit's sculptor Marshall Fredericks designed the Levi L. Barbour Memorial Fountain in the conservatory's west gardens. Write what its figure is doing.
  • A glass dome 85 feet high The conservatory opened on August 18, 1904, and is the oldest continually running one in the country. Sketch the dome from outside.
  • A half-mile swimming beach Tick it from the path and write the color of the lifeguard stand, if there is one.
  • A lily pond beside a greenhouse It lies on the conservatory's north side. Write one thing floating on it.
  • A marble fountain with a bowl 510 feet across The James Scott Memorial Fountain, finished in 1925, was designed by Cass Gilbert. Its center jet reaches 125 feet. Write whether it is running.
  • A park drawn up by the designer of Central Park Frederick Law Olmsted planned Belle Isle in the 1880s, though only parts were built. Write the name of the road you are on.
  • A sign for an island once called Hog Island French settlers named it Île aux Cochons and let their livestock roam; it became Belle Isle on July 4, 1845. Copy the name from any sign.
  • A trail into the woods by the nature center The island's nature center has wooded trails. Write one bird or animal you see.
  • An aquarium with a green glass ceiling It opened the same day as the conservatory and is free to enter. If it is open, look up at the tiled arch and count one kind of fish.
  • The bridge that brings you onto the island The MacArthur Bridge links the island to the city. Count its arches.
  • The channel where the border runs The U.S.-Canada line lies in the water south of Belle Isle. Write one thing on the Canadian shore.
  • The only marble lighthouse in the United States The William Livingstone Memorial Light, 58 feet of fluted Georgia marble, was dedicated in 1930 at the island's northeast end. Count its sides.

Midtown 12

  • A campus sign with the founding year 1868 Wayne State's main campus covers 203 acres of walkways. Write the building name on the nearest sign.
  • A hall built as a high school in 1896 Old Main was Detroit's Central High School before college classes began there. Count its towers.
  • A historical marker with a date on it Write the oldest year you can find on it.
  • A library facing an art museum across Woodward Cass Gilbert designed the Main Library in Vermont marble; it opened on March 21, 1921. Copy one word carved over its entrance.
  • A museum of African American history with a rotunda The Charles H. Wright Museum holds more than 35,000 artifacts. Copy the museum's name from its sign.
  • A painted mural on a Midtown wall Write its main color and one thing it shows.
  • A statue in front of a museum Write who or what it shows.
  • A stone church on or near Woodward Avenue Midtown has many historic churches. Write the name on the one you found.
  • A white marble art museum on Woodward The Detroit Institute of Arts' first building was designed by Paul Philippe Cret; its first painting was given in 1883. Tick it from the sidewalk and count the arches over the front.
  • Green stone trim on a white building The library's trim is serpentine Italian marble. Write where on the building the green shows.
  • The third building of the cultural center The Horace H. Rackham Education Memorial Building stands with the library and art museum in the Cultural Center Historic District. Copy one word carved on it.
  • Where a 1921 library meets its 1963 wings Gilbert's son was a partner in the design of the wings added in 1963. Write one way the new part looks different.

How this list was compiled: Written for this page in September 2026: 48 finds on foot in Detroit, Michigan, around Campus Martius, on Hart Plaza and the Detroit Riverwalk, on Belle Isle and in Midtown, sorted by area, all scored from plazas, park paths, sidewalks and the Riverwalk with nothing bought and no ticket (the Belle Isle Aquarium is free to enter). Nothing was copied from another list; no team, brand, carmaker, casino or bar is named. Levels are our judgment. Names, dates, sizes and places in the notes were checked on 2026-09-24 against English Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ followed by Campus_Martius_Park, Michigan_Soldiers%27_and_Sailors%27_Monument, The_Spirit_of_Detroit, Coleman_A._Young_Municipal_Center, Guardian_Building, Penobscot_Building, Philip_A._Hart_Plaza, Monument_to_Joe_Louis, Detroit_International_Riverfront, Dequindre_Cut, Belle_Isle_Park, James_Scott_Memorial_Fountain, Belle_Isle_Conservatory, Belle_Isle_Aquarium, William_Livingstone_Memorial_Light, Detroit_Institute_of_Arts, Detroit_Public_Library, Charles_H._Wright_Museum_of_African_American_History, Midtown_Detroit and Wayne_State_University. Licence: own work