Philadelphia Self-Guided Outdoor Mystery Game

1–3 hours Free cancellation Private tour

Philadelphia Self-Guided Outdoor Mystery Game, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Escape the Park turns Old City Philadelphia into three self-guided outdoor mystery games, played on your own phone with no guide and no fixed schedule. Pick one — you are buying the game you choose, not all three.

The Bell's Lost Word is built for junior agents ages 6-12. Count clues hidden on real landmarks - columns, stars, names, statues - and use a Junior Agent Codebook to return the Liberty Bell's lost word.

The Shadow of Old City is the intermediate game. Gather a letter at eight real landmarks, from Washington Square to Elfreth's Alley to the President's House, and name the shadow that has followed the city since 1776.

The Spy Winter goes deepest - play a courier in Major John Clark's spy ring in British-occupied Philadelphia, 1777-78, and decode a cipher hidden in the city's monuments.

Each game stands alone and runs 1 to 2 hours at your own pace, on foot. Play one now and save the others for next time. Start anytime and walk the streets the founders walked.

Private and Luxury Private Sightseeing Tours Historical Tours Walking Tours Adventure Tours Short term availability Weather Dependent - Moderate Agent Low Quality Product

At a glance

Duration: 1–3 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–12
Written guide: English
Operated by: Escape the Park

What is included

Included

Included: Seven to ten historic stops across Independence National Historical Park
Included: Digital access to your game (link delivered by email)
Included: Your choice of three games: The Bell's Lost Word, The Shadow of Old City, or The Spy Winter

Itinerary

Independence Hall

10 min

Solve clues at the exterior of the building where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were debated and signed. The game uses features you can see from the public square - no ticket or timed entry required.
Elfreth's Alley

10 min

Walk the oldest continuously inhabited residential street in the country and find the clue hidden in its doorways and markers. Free to walk at any hour.
Washington Square

15 min

Two of the three games open here, at the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier and the memorial wall. An outdoor public square, open and free at all hours.
Second Bank of the United States

10 min

Count the Greek Revival columns across the front and read the site signage - two different games take a clue from this building. Everything needed is visible from the street.
First Bank of the United States

10 min

The oldest bank building in the country. Junior agents count its marble Corinthian columns to crack one letter of the code. Exterior only, free, always visible.
Christ Church Burial Ground

10 min

Benjamin Franklin's grave lies just inside the corner railing, readable from the sidewalk. Two clues come from here - the names on the slab and the burial-ground sign.
Betsy Ross House

10 min

Count the stars on the flag flying over the courtyard, and find the state marker on Arch Street. Both clues are outdoors - no ticket needed to solve them.
Franklin Court

10 min

Franklin's home site, the ghost-frame steel outline, and the B. Free Franklin Post Office sign - the sign itself hides a clue. All outdoors and free to reach.
The President's House

15 min

The open-air memorial on the site of the executive mansion, where the nine people Washington enslaved here are named on the granite wall. All three games take a clue from this site. Free, outdoors, always open.
Powel House

10 min

A Georgian townhouse on Third Street whose bronze tablet supplies clues in two of the games. Washington and Lafayette were frequent guests here. Read the tablet from the pavement.

Meeting point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

Meeting point

Begin at Washington Square, at the memorial in the center of the square. Open your game link on your phone and start Stop 1 - there is no in-person check-in. The junior-agent game, The Bell's Lost Word, starts two blocks away at Signers' Garden, 5th and Chestnut.

End point

Begin at Washington Square, at the memorial in the center of the square. Open your game link on your phone and start Stop 1 - there is no in-person check-in. The junior-agent game, The Bell's Lost Word, starts two blocks away at Signers' Garden, 5th and Chestnut.

Using your ticket

YOUR GAME IS IN THIS VOUCHER - no separate email needed, and the link does not expire.

Open this on your phone when you are ready to play:

https://escapethepark.com/voucher/independence?k=e529gpvn

You will see the three Old City games with their difficulty, length and starting point. Pick the one you booked and it opens straight away. Two of them begin at the square at 6th and Walnut; the junior-agent game begins two blocks away at Signers' Garden, 5th and Chestnut - so check yours before you set off.

The game runs in your phone's browser - no app to download - on any modern smartphone with internet. There is no set start time; begin whenever you like. Bring a fully charged phone, water, sunscreen and comfortable walking shoes. Each game takes about 1 to 2 hours at your own pace.

Any trouble at all, text or call 215-510-6383 or email [email protected] and we will get you playing.

Cancellation

Free cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

If you cancel	You get back
At least one day before	100%
Less than a day before	0%

Good to know

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Options

The Bell's Lost Word

Jr. Agents 6-12 - 7 stops: Seven stops, about 1 hour and 1 mile. Count at each stop, decode the numbers, unscramble the letters.
The Spy Winter

Deep Dive - 10 stops: Ten stops, about 2 hours and 2 miles. Run a spy ring through occupied Philadelphia. The hardest of the three.
The Shadow of Old City

Intermediate - 8 stops: Eight stops, about 1.5 hours and 1.5 miles. Eight words each surrender a letter; unscramble them into a name.