Independence Hall — Crack the Founding Fathers' Cipher
Decipher hidden codes embedded in the Declaration and Constitution to expose a conspiracy that nearly derailed the American Revolution. Uncover the truth before the British do.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
July 1776
Independence Hall — Crack the Founding Fathers' Cipher
You are Benjamin Franklin, inventor and Founding Father, returned to Philadelphia in 1787 for a crucial mission: to find the keys to a riddle left during the signing of the U.
Delve into the heart of Philadelphia, where America was born, to decipher the coded messages of the Founding Fathers who forged a nation.
« Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof »— Inscription engraved on the Liberty Bell, cast in 1752, displayed at the Liberty Bell Center adjacent to Independence Hall
The story that haunts this land
Your journey in Philadelphia begins at Independence Hall, the beating heart of American history. Built between 1732 and 1753 as the Pennsylvania State House, this Georgian red-brick building, measuring 25.6 meters long by 13.7 meters wide, was the scene of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, and the U.S. Constitution in 1787. Benjamin Franklin actively participated in the debates here, leaving behind clues you'll need to decipher. It was here that the Liberty Bell, initially installed in the steeple in 1752, first rang, announcing a new chapter for the nation.
Continue your investigation through the streets of Philadelphia to the City Tavern, opened in 1773 at 138 S 2nd St. This location was an essential meeting point for Founding Fathers like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin during the First Continental Congress in 1774. Although destroyed by fire in 1835 and rebuilt in 1975, the tavern retains the spirit of those clandestine meetings. Imagine the conversations that shaped the future of Pennsylvania and the United States as you search for the marks left by these historical figures on the walls of this restored edifice.
Your path then leads you to the Second Bank of the United States, an imposing neoclassical building constructed between 1819 and 1824 by William Strickland at 420 Chestnut St. Having served as the central bank until 1836, this edifice testifies to the economic evolution of the young nation. Today, it houses an art gallery of the National Park Service, exhibiting 195 portraits by Thomas Sully and John Neagle. These paintings may well contain visual details or hidden symbols, linked to the secrets Franklin left behind for future generations of Philadelphia.
A short walk away, the Merchants' Exchange Building, built in 1834 by William Strickland at 143 S 3rd St, represents Philadelphia's last grand neoclassical building. Its 36.6-meter-high tower once served as a lighthouse for the port, guiding ships and information. This site, in the heart of the historic Society Hill district, with its Georgian and Federal homes from the 1750s-1830s, is named after 'Society Hill' linked to the Free Society of Traders (1681). Merchants of the era exchanged not only goods but also ideas, and among them, perhaps, encrypted messages from the Founding Fathers.
Finally, your quest takes you to the Liberty Bell Center. The Liberty Bell, cast in 1752 in Whitechapel, London, stands 0.91 meters tall and weighs 944 kg. It rang for the first time on July 8, 1776, announcing the public reading of the Declaration of Independence. Cracked during a test in 1846, it was retired from service, but its message 'Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof' (Leviticus 25:10) remains. By solving the final riddle, you will understand the legacy left by these men, a timeless message of freedom that still resonates in the streets of Philadelphia. This interactive visit offers a unique perspective on Pennsylvania's heritage, a thematic circuit for the whole family.
A game, a guided tour and a heritage guide — all in one
You're not just buying an escape game. You're carrying a living guide — historical anecdotes, forgotten legends, key monuments, hidden architecture — unfolding as you go.
At each stop, places ordinary guides miss — secret façades, sculpted crests, alleys steeped in history.
Every riddle is rooted in a real historical fact or local legend. You leave with dozens of stories to tell.
Learn to read buildings — flamboyant Gothic, Baroque, Art Deco — like a real art historian, while having fun.
Walk through the city like a novel's character — every alley becomes a stage, every square a theatre.
A voice walks with you at every step, tells the story of each place, reads clues, adds a cinematic feel.
Keep access to the guide & game for 1 year. Come back any time, share it with friends.
« You will not leave this city the way you entered it. »
How does it work?
Explore the city on foot solving puzzles based on real historical facts. No locked room — the city is your playground.
No app to download. Play directly from your browser. Guided step by step, at your own pace.
One purchase per phone is enough. Play with family, friends or as a couple — everyone participates.
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears and speaks to you in your language. Golden letters magically write themselves on the wall to reveal the puzzle answer.
Stuck? Progressive personalised hints. The character repeats the puzzle on demand — at your own pace.
French, English, German, Spanish, Italian + 27 other languages auto-translated by AI.
The game downloads to your phone on start. Once the "✓ Downloaded" indicator appears, everything works without data — narration, AR, GPS and puzzles. Perfect abroad without a data plan.
Want to go deeper?
Places tied to your adventure — optional entries, totally up to you · per person
The Route
8 stages through the city
The gameplay: AR, camera, hidden clues
At each stop, open your phone camera: an augmented reality character appears on the façade and speaks your language. Hunt the clue — it materializes as golden letters on the real wall or floats in front of you. When you find it, the phone vibrates, an AR chest opens and reveals your answer fragment. 8 stops, 8 clues to find with the camera, 1 final code.
The stops on your route are a surprise. You'll discover them one by one, guided by your phone, starting from the meeting point.
How does it work with a group?
One phone = one team. Pick the number at checkout (1 to 10).
Solo, or a group sharing the screen. One team, one code.
Family, couple, or 2-3 teams competing. Each phone has its own code and its own score.
Friends, bachelor/bachelorette, small office outing — each their own code, each plays at their own pace. Tiered pricing then €6 flat per phone from the 6th.
- ✓All codes are independent — play at the same time OR separately, each team advances at its own pace.
- ✓Leaderboard between your teams + global game leaderboard — each score appears in the public ranking.
- ✓More than 10 phones or need a personalized quest? Discover custom tours.
Ready to live this adventure?
Get my code · 12€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Cryptographic Investigation
Follow the trails of a shadowy cryptographer to decrypt a vital message.
Hidden Codes and Symbols
Each clue is part of a complex puzzle left by the Founding Fathers.
The Founding Institutions
Explore the iconic places that witnessed the birth of the American Republic.
Decipher the past to protect the Republic's future
Philadelphia 1787
9 features nobody else has
OddballTrip combines gamified play, augmented reality and AI. All our competitors deliver 1 or 2 of these angles. We deliver all 5.
AR treasure chest
A golden chest floats in front of the monument. Tap → opening animation → reveals a secret message.
AR narrator character
Point your phone at the façade: a knight, witch, monk, sailor, detective or ghost appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language with their dedicated ElevenLabs voice (each character has their own unique voice) — your living guide.
Magic golden letters
At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's the puzzle answer. An unforgettable visual effect.
Written + audio narration
Every puzzle available as text AND voice-over: read at your own pace or listen eyes-free while walking. Great in groups and for accessibility.
360° radar + vibration
A mini-radar shows the target even behind you, and the phone vibrates when you aim in the right direction.
Heritage storytelling
Every puzzle weaves in real historical facts (architecture, era, anecdotes). You learn by playing — like a gamified audioguide.
Progressive AI hints
3 levels of AI-generated help: vibe → where to look → answer format. You're never stuck.
AR selfie memento
At the end of the game, capture a selfie with OddballTrip banner + mascot, shareable on Instagram, TikTok.
Zero app to install
PWA technology: open the link, it plays in your browser. Same quality as an app, no App Store hassle.
Frequently asked questions
Q01Do I need an app or a paper guide?
Neither. Everything plays in your browser (Safari, Chrome) after you tap your activation link. No PDF to print, no download. The trail lives in your phone, that's it.
Q02How many stops are in Independence Hall — Crack the Founding Fathers' Cipher?
Eight stops total. At each stop you find a camera clue, solve the puzzle, collect a fragment of the final code. With all eight, you've got the answer.
Q03Can we play Independence Hall — Crack the Founding Fathers' Cipher as a couple?
Great two-person format. Narration is dramatic without overdoing it, puzzles are designed to spark conversation. Ideal for new relationships or anniversaries — you discover the city and coordinate on puzzles simultaneously.
Q04Do we need 4G data to play?
Intermittent 4G is plenty. Maps are cached at startup. Narration and clues load per stop, so a so-so signal between stops is fine. GPS itself uses no data.
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Your turn to play
Delve into the heart of Philadelphia, where America was born, to decipher the coded messages of the Founding Fathers who forged a nation.
1 purchase = 1 phone. Play several on the same device.
No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
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Other escape games in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
See all games in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States→More ideas for self-guided walking tours, scavenger hunts & city quests in the same city
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