SmartHunts® - Top Rated Austin Scavenger Hunts

Experience SmartHunts®, the #1 Rated Austin scavenger hunts with a perfect 5.0 Customer TrustScore. SmartHunts are fun, collaborative, and entertaining, high-tech city hunts! They are a creative way to experience the essence of Austin with photo missions, video challenges, and trivia questions that guide teams on their corporate adventure through monumental attractions, historic sites, and local gems. SmartHunts Austin scavenger hunts can be delivered In-Person on Apple iPad Minis that we provide – or Remote using Live Zoom facilitation. Our customized scavenger hunts are tailored to fit your company’s objectives, group size, and location.

Austin offers a variety of historical landmarks!
Blending fun, exploration, and corporate teambuilding, SmartHunts® are an experience that will have your team buzzing with excitement. SmartHunts can customize your event to include much of what Austin has to offer, including unique live music, great food, and creatine drinking venues, bars, and restaurants that highlight the features of Austin’s mix of modern and historic culture. SmartHunts will take your team on Austin scavenger hunts on a fun journey through this, fast growing, central Texas city.
Whether your team is local to the Austin area, or visiting from out-of-town, the SmartHunts team can create a fresh experience for your group. SmartHunts offers unique corporate Austin scavenger hunts adventures that are tailored just for you and can take your group on any combination of
Austin great landmarks, including:

(Hover over names for more detail)

  1. Downtown Austin
    Downtown Austin is a great place for Austin scavenger hunts. Downtown Austin extends from North Lamar Blvd east to the I-35 and from West Martin Luther King Blvd south to West Cesar Chavez Street and there is a lot to do and see here.

    Texas State Capitol – Built in 1888
    Bullock Texas State History Museum – Congress Ave
    The Contemporary Austin – Jones Center – Congress Ave
    The Driskill Hotel – Built in 1886 – Brazos Street.
    Mexic-Arte Museum – Congress Ave
    Blanton Museum of Art – E Martin Luther King Blvd
    Museum of the Weird – E 6th Street
    Waterloo Park – Moody Amphitheater – where Austin City Limits is taped
    Erwin Events Center – Arena at The University of Texas at Austin
    Red River Cultural District – Live music, bars, DJs, food
    2nd Street District – Specialty stores, boutiques, restaurants, cocktails
    Bremond Block – 11 historic 1800s Victorian homes. 8th and San Antonio St

    The following downtown areas are listed below in more detail:
    Rainey Street Historic District
    Texas Capitol Building
    6th Street Historic District
    Civic District
    Congress Avenue Bridge
    Republic Square

  2. Rainey Street Historic District
    Rainey Street Historic District is also a great place for SmartHunt scavenger hunts. Located in the SE corner of downtown Austin extending from Driskill St down to Cummings St near the Colorado River and is an extremely popular destination for visitors and locals.

    Rainey Street was developed by Jesse Driskill and Frank Rainey in 1884 and although many of the original structures were lost in a flood in 1935, more than 30 of the historic craftsman style bungalows remain and most have been converted to bars & restaurants.

    This half mile long quaint little oak tree lined street is one of the liveliest areas in Austin, boasting 20+ bars and restaurants with lots of outdoor seating areas and an impressive selection of good quality cuisines and hand-crafted cocktails from which to choose.

    Food trucks are also found in abundance in this unique, festive neighborhood, and in keeping with the Austin tradition, there’s no shortage of live music.

  3. Texas State Capital
    The State Capitol building is located on a hillock in downtown Austin between 11th and 15th Streets and smack dab in the middle of Congress Avenue. Built in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, similar to the U.S. Capitol, it has a 4-story tall rectangular center, 3 story wings, a dome over the central rotunda and is clad in locally sourced red granite. In 1993 a four-story underground extension was added along with expansive lines of skylights disguised as planters and an inverted open-air rotunda. It’s really cool.

    The beautifully landscaped 22-acre grounds include many historic monuments such as:
    Heroes of the Alamo Monument – 1891
    Volunteer Firemen Monument – 1896
    Confederate Soldiers Monument – 1903
    Terry’s Texas Rangers Monument – 1907
    Texas Pioneer Woman Monument – 1998
    Texas Peace Officers Memorial – 1999
    Korean War Veterans Memorials – 1999
    Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument – 2014
    Texas African American History Memorial – 2016
    The Price of Liberty Monument – 2018

    Other structures include:
    The Supreme Court of Texas Building
    Sam Houston State Office Building
    Texas Capitol Visitors Center

  4. 6th Street Historic District
    The 6th Street District is also known as the Entertainment District. Situated on the east side of downtown Austin, it stretches from I-35 east past Congress Avenue to Lavaca Street and from 7th Street south to 5th Street.

    In the 1800s, when 6th Street was known as Pecan Street, this was a commercial district filled with Victorian style structures and many of these cool buildings now house current businesses and lend a historic charm to the area. The Driskill Hotel, 6th at Brazos Street, was built in the Romanesque Revival Style in 1886 is worth a visit.

    Nowadays the 6th Street Historic District is primarily considered the Party District. It’s vibrant, colorful, rowdy, boozy, noisy, and busy.

    They’ve got bars, pubs and cantinas, bars, lounges and saloons, bars, brew pubs and cocktail lounges, bars, tap rooms, a speakeasy and yes, more bars!

    They also have restaurants, deli’s, coffee bars, cafes, diners and food trucks serving every type of cuisine imaginable.

    Live music is everywhere, in venues, theaters, nightclubs, dance clubs and on the street. Festivals are a regular occurrence as well.

    The east end of 6th Street has been known as “Dirty 6th” and is great for those looking for that Bourbon Street, New Orleans vibe. At this time part of 6th Street is closed to vehicular traffic from Thursday through Sunday night.

  5. Civic District
    Austin’s Civic District can be found between the Texas Capitol Building and the Market District.

    Texas Governor’s Mansion on Colorado Street sits just SW of the Texas Capitol grounds, has been the official Governor’s residence since 1856 and was Texas’ first designated historic landmark. Remodeling of this Greek Revival style structure in 1914 added 2,920 sq ft to the original 6,000 and its first bathrooms!

    Wooldridge Park, also known as Wooldridge Square, is another of the four public squares included in the original 1839 city plan. Located in the center of the Civic District this 1-acre urban green space offers a respite from the bustle of the surrounding area. It has a charming gazebo and is a great place for a picnic or to catch some live music.

    Just across 9th Street from the Square the historic Austin History Center, Austin Public Library is a must see. The building was designed by local architect Hugo Kuehne and work began on this Italian Renaissance Revival style landmark in 1932. It was constructed from Cordova Cream limestone with ornamental wrought iron embellishments, carved woodwork, and frescoes.

    A little further south running from 7th Street to 8th Street between San Antonio St and Guadalupe St is the absolutely must-see Bremond Block. These 11 historic Victorian homes were built between 1850 – 1910 many for the Bremond family and are gorgeous examples of Greek Revival and Victorian architecture with artfully landscaped yards and beautiful gardens.

  6. Congress Avenue Bridge
    The Congress Avenue Bridge spans the Colorado River, which winds through the center of Austin, and this simple, yet elegant, bridge is home to an estimated 1.5 million bats, the largest urban bat colony in America.

    The Mexican free-tailed bats migrate from Mexico every March and can be witnessed foraging for insects from dusk until dawn each night until November when they migrate back to Mexico. They consume roughly 30,000 lbs. of insects nightly. Talk about earning your keep!

    There are a variety of vantage points from which to view this awesome spectacle, the middle of the bridge itself or the Statesman Bat Observation Center at the SE end, from either side of the shoreline or from right on the water.

    There have always been bats living under this 1910 bridge, but it wasn’t until 1980 that the population exploded. The rehabilitation of the bridge that year added a series of structural joints which created deep narrow crevices that just happened to be warm, safe areas which were perfectly suited for bat habitation. An estimated 750,000 “pups” are born here each year.

    With bats populations in decline, we need more of these fortuitous coincidences!

  7. Republic Square
    Republic Square is an urban park located across the way from the US Federal Courthouse in downtown Austin between 4th and 5th Streets and San Antonio and Guadalupe Streets.

    Originally called Hamilton Square, is one of four public squares laid out in Edwin Waller’s plan for Austin and in 1839 an auction was held here under the iconic Auction Oaks and the first 306 Austin lots were sold.

    In the later part of the 1800s it became an important gathering place for the Mexican American population who had settled the surrounding area.

    In the spring of 2022 Republic Square got a sizable makeover with a totally replanted lawn, more shade trees added to the existing oaks as well as upgraded landscaping, gardens, benches, and pavers.

    The Sustainable Food Center’s Downtown Farmers’ Market and Movies in the Park are held weekly, free yoga classes daily and music events regularly.

  8. SXSW – (South by Southwest)
    SXSW is an annual 10-day festival held in the middle of March in venues all over Austin, where thousands of visitors descend upon the city to hear live music, catch tv and film premiers, comedy showcases, attend conferences and exhibitions and much more.

    SXSW will be held from March 10-19th, 2023. As all the events happen somewhat simultaneously it’s best to check the SXSW website for up-to-date info and to register in advance to get your pass.
    Film & TV Festival
    Music Festival
    Interactive (tech) Festival
    Conferences, panels, workshops, and keynote speakers.
    Awards
    Exhibitions
    Culture, Education
    Networking, Professional Development
    And much more…

Austin SmartHunts are fun, challenging, hi-tech corporate Austin scavenger hunts that are designed for 30 people or more. They are delivered using our Apple iPads® and the SmartHunts® App.
Our proprietary apps utilize text messaging, audio, video, ZOOM®, QR Codes, social media sharing, and GPS tracking to produce the best hunts available. Austin SmartHunts combines sightseeing, gaming, laughter, and team building. We permit teams to have fun! Every SmartHunt® is customized for the client.

For more information call us at (800) 764-4868.

We offer simple options for your group to consider. All of our programs include destination specific points of interest, fun trivia, pop-culture mission, clues to solve, photo & video missions, GPS mapping system, social media sharing, team tracking, and a live leaderboard with an event slideshow. Whether your gathering is in-person or remote, your group will enjoy the same great hunt. Which SmartHunt® is the best for your group?

IN-PERSON HOSTING

PROFESSIONAL FACILITATION

Professionally facilitated by our experienced staff and delivered using our iPads®.

SmartHunts® are a creative way to explore new destinations. Informative & fun!

Ideal for corporate groups of 40 -2000.
Starting at $4750

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REMOTE HOSTING

ZOOM® FACILITATION

Your group is together at your destination, our facilitator joins your group via ZOOM®.

Simply install SmartHunts®on your phones, and enjoy our great SmartHunt®.

Ideal for corporate groups of 40-100.
Starting at $2950

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SELF HOSTING

DIY FACILITATION

DIY SmartHunts® are a great alternative for looking for an economical way to play.

Install on your phones and enjoy the same great SmartHunt!

Ideal for smaller groups of 20-40.
Starting at $1950

Get Started!

Need help getting started or want a quote? We are here to help.
Email sales@smarthunts.com give us a call at 800-764-4868