DFW Scavenger Hunt

There are always secrets to discover about any given neighborhood, and Brandon Oropallo, founder of DFW Scavenger Hunt, is passionate about sharing the hidden history and bits of trivia about the Dallas area. 

Brandon started DFW Scavenger Hunt to enable people to learn about their communities in a unique and fun way. He launched his first game in Klyde Warren Park in Downtown Dallas in the summer of 2018 and has since launched a game in Downtown Plano. 

“The hunt through Downtown Plano takes participants on a wild quest to unlock a riddle inspired by the trains that have run through town for over a hundred years,” said Brandon. “By seeking out historical markers, public art and more, [participants] solve puzzles, word games and trivia questions that lead them to more questions. Teams compete against one another to score more points and solve the puzzle faster.”

Plano Magazine was recently invited to try out the Downtown Plano game, and we were pleasantly surprised with the professional level of this particular scavenger hunt. There were multiple components including picture clues, word puzzles and riddles that kept the game interesting, evolving and quite fun. Even though our team has a pretty solid knowledge of the history of Plano, we were still stumped at points during the game.

“It was the aroma from Lockhart Smokehouse that first drew me to Downtown Plano, but I realized it’d be perfect for a scavenger hunt when I understood how much history lay in the small area,” said Brandon. “It’s full of art, interesting architecture and other quirks that make for great clues. There are many great restaurants and bars to stop in after – or during – a hunt. Best of all, it’s incredibly pedestrian-friendly, which is essential to an outdoor activity like this one.”

The DFW Scavenger Hunts are perfect for businesses locking for a local, easy company outing. Each game focuses on collaboration and communication and is in close proximity to local restaurants and bars for a company happy hour before or after a game. The hunts are also ideal for birthday parties, family outings or showing off your neighborhood to out-of-town family and friends. The hunts are all family-friendly, but due to the amount of walking and skill level of challenges, Brandon would not recommend the games for kids younger than 13 years old. 

Each game lasts about two hours, but the competitive teams really try to beat the clock. The Downtown Plano hunt costs $30 per person and the Downtown Dallas hunt costs $32 per person. 

Brandon and his team are currently building a hunt in the Frisco area and have hopes to open a new hunt every few months around DFW.