NYC Scavenger Hunt – 48 Manhattan Finds on Foot

How it works

A self-guided NYC scavenger hunt in four walkable parts of Manhattan. Every find is scored from a sidewalk, a park or Grand Central's public hall, so nobody buys a ticket.

Read the full guide

One area per afternoon

Choose an area in the menu beside the main button, then press Print this list. Lower Manhattan opens first: the bull, the Battery and the bridge sit within a mile. Midtown starts at Grand Central; the High Line list works best near sunset.

Checking the answers

Many finds ask teams to write something down: a count, a color, a street number. The note under each find is the judging rule. Press Hide all notes before printing if teams should work it out alone.

Tips

The memorial pools are a quiet stop. Agree before you set out: no posing there.

Questions and answers

Can you do a scavenger hunt in NYC for free?

Yes. Every find on this list is seen from public ground: sidewalks, parks, the Battery, the High Line and Grand Central's Main Concourse. Nothing needs a ticket, a tour or a purchase.

How long does a Manhattan scavenger hunt take?

Plan an afternoon per area. The finds in each area sit close together, but crowds at the bull, Times Square and the High Line slow any team down.

Is it good for kids?

Yes, with an adult in every team. Keep kids to one area, and cross only at marked crossings with the signal. For a hunt that stays inside a museum, try the museum list.

All 48 finds

Lower Manhattan 12

A tall sailing ship tied up at South Street Seaport The iron-hulled Wavertree, built in 1885, is often here. Count its masts from the pier.
The bronze bull on Broadway at Bowling Green Charging Bull was set down here in December 1989. Expect a line; a sighting counts.
The church at the top of Wall Street Trinity Church, in its present building since 1846. Write the color of its stone.
City Hall behind the fence of City Hall Park Seen from the park's paths. Count the columns on its front porch.
The columned front of the Stock Exchange on Broad Street Count the columns across the front. Score it from the street.
The iron fence round Bowling Green, the city's oldest public park The park dates from 1733 and keeps its original 18th-century fence. Tick it from the sidewalk.
The round stone fort in Battery Park Castle Clinton, built 1808 to 1811, was an immigration station before Ellis Island. Walk its outside wall.
The statue of George Washington on the steps of Federal Hall Federal Hall faces the top of Broad Street. The building behind the statue was finished in 1842.
The Statue of Liberty, seen from the Battery Stand at the railing by the water. Write which hand holds the torch.
The tallest tower downtown: One World Trade Center It stands 1,776 feet tall to the tip, a nod to the year 1776. Find a spot where the whole tower fits in view.
The two memorial pools where the Twin Towers stood A quiet find: voices low, no posing. Tick it once your team has walked round one pool.
The walkway entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge The bridge opened in May 1883. Stay on the walkway side marked for people on foot.

Show all 48 finds (36 more)

Midtown 12

A lit theater sign on a side street off Times Square Write the street number. Any theater marquee counts.
Atlas holding up the sky, across Fifth Avenue from the cathedral A bronze Atlas at Rockefeller Center, 45 feet tall with its base. Write what he carries.
The big lawn behind the library Bryant Park fills the block behind it, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. Tick it from any path.
The clock on top of the information booth in Grand Central A four-sided brass clock at the center of the Main Concourse. No ticket needed for the hall.
The golden figure above the sunken plaza at Rockefeller Center Prometheus, gilded bronze from 1934. A skating rink sits below it in winter.
The green ceiling painted with stars in Grand Central Look up from the Main Concourse. Name one constellation you can spot.
The mast on top of the Empire State Building A 102-story tower. Find a street where it lines up at the far end of the block.
Red steps to sit on in Times Square They rise over the theater ticket booth at the north end of the square. Sit, then move on.
The steel crown of the Chrysler Building Art Deco, 1,046 feet tall. It is best seen from 42nd Street looking east.
Three different flags on one Midtown building front Hotels and offices fly them over the entrance. Write one country you know.
The twin spires of the cathedral on Fifth Avenue St. Patrick's Cathedral was completed in 1878. Count the spires you can see from across the avenue.
The two stone lions outside the library on Fifth Avenue They guard the Main Branch at 42nd Street. Say which lion is nearer to 42nd Street.

Village and Flatiron 12

A building front made of painted iron, with rows of columns SoHo has many, on Greene and Broome Streets. Look, do not tap.
A carved inscription on the arch It runs along the top of the arch. Write its first four words.
A red-brick courthouse with a clock tower, now a library Jefferson Market Library on Sixth Avenue at West 10th Street, built 1874 to 1877.
A stoop with a brownstone front Count the steps up to the door. Stay on the sidewalk.
A street paved in stone blocks instead of asphalt Write the street name from the corner sign.
A white Gothic church where Broadway bends Grace Church at East 10th Street, designed by James Renwick Jr. Write what is on top of its spire.
A wooden water tank on a rooftop Round, on legs, with a pointed lid. Two teammates must both see it.
A zigzag fire escape down a brick building Count its landings from the ground to the roof.
The fountain in the middle of Washington Square Park Stand where the arch lines up behind the fountain.
The marble arch at the foot of Fifth Avenue Washington Square Arch, designed by Stanford White in 1891. Its opening is 47 feet high.
The narrowest house in the city 75½ Bedford Street is 9 feet 6 inches wide. Look from the sidewalk; people live here.
The triangle-shaped building where Broadway crosses Fifth Avenue The Flatiron Building, 22 stories. Find its narrow uptown tip.

High Line and the river 12

A bike lane along the river with its own traffic light Cross it only at a marked crossing.
A ferry crossing the Hudson Write the color of its hull.
A gull or cormorant on a river piling Watch the old wooden stumps in the water.
A mural painted on a whole building side in Chelsea Best seen from the High Line. Write its main color.
A park on tulip-shaped pillars in the Hudson Little Island at Pier 55 opened in May 2021 and stands on 132 concrete "tulips". Tick it from the riverside path or walk on.
A spot on the High Line where you look straight down a street A window-like overlook above the traffic. Write the cross street.
A wooden bench on the High Line that seems to grow out of the deck The planks of the walkway curl up to form the seat. Sit if it is free.
An old pier turned into a park or lawn Hudson River Park has several. Write the pier number from its sign.
The Empire State Building seen from the High Line Look east between buildings. Tick it only if the mast is in view.
New Jersey across the river Stand at the Hudson River railing. Name one tall building you can see on the far side.
Old rail tracks left among the plants on the High Line The park runs 1.45 miles on a former railroad spur. Find a stretch where the rails still show.
The sun going down behind New Jersey A late find for an evening hunt. The whole team must be at the railing.

How this list was compiled: Written for this page in September 2026: 48 finds on foot in Manhattan, sorted by area, all scored from sidewalks, parks, plazas and the public halls of Grand Central. Nothing was copied from another list; nothing needs a ticket, a purchase or a shop. Levels are our judgment. Dates, heights and names in the notes were checked on 2026-09-24 against English Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ followed by Bowling_Green_(New_York_City), Charging_Bull, Castle_Clinton, Federal_Hall, Trinity_Church_(Manhattan), One_World_Trade_Center, National_September_11_Memorial_%26_Museum, New_York_City_Hall, Brooklyn_Bridge, Wavertree_(ship), Grand_Central_Terminal, New_York_Public_Library_Main_Branch, Bryant_Park, Atlas_(statue), Prometheus_(Manship), St._Patrick%27s_Cathedral_(New_York_City), Chrysler_Building, Empire_State_Building, Flatiron_Building, Washington_Square_Arch, Washington_Square_Park, Jefferson_Market_Library, 75%C2%BD_Bedford_Street, Grace_Church_(Manhattan), High_Line and Little_Island_at_Pier_55. Licence: own work