An Outdoor Quest for Kids? Burritt’s GeoQuest Adventures are Fun for All Ages

Now through September 9, 2021
Included with regular admission
Open Tuesday - Saturday: 9 AM-5 PM | Sunday: 12-4 PM

Let kids put on their thinking caps as they work through the GeoQuest clues at Burritt on the Mountain.

Maybe you’ve heard of Geocaching but didn’t know how your family can get started or how it works. A local museum has created kid-friendly geocaching activities to get your family out into nature and teach them about life on a 19th century farm. If you’re looking for a new outdoor adventure this spring and summer, Burritt on the Mountain is offering four different GeoQuests to suit your family’s needs.

Adventure for All Ages

We headed up to Burritt on the Mountain one spring Saturday to check out the new GeoQuest activity. Upon arrival, we were given the choice of four quests of varying difficulties.
Critter Quest takes about 30 minutes to complete and focuses on the barnyard animals. This is a great activity for little kids.
The Letterboxing Quest takes about 45 minutes to complete and is based all around the Historic Park.
The Nature and History Quests take about 90 minutes to complete and take you on the numerous nature trails on the property and the clues focus on either nature or history. These two quests are more like traditional geocaching.

Getting Started with GeoQuest

Because we had three kids with us (ages 5, 8, and 13) we opted for the Letterboxing Quest. We were given a brochure explaining the history of Letterboxing, instructions, a map of the Historic Park, and our first clue. Explorers will need to read the clues, which provide information about life in the 19th century, to learn where to head next.

Our clues included information about parts of daily life in the 1800s that led us to different locations in the park. My kids had a great time deciphering clues to lead us to the next location. We traveled around the entire Historic Park area, occasionally stopping to browse through various historic houses and to listen to tour guides offer more information on the area. There were plenty of open spaces in the park for my 5-year-old to burn off energy while her big brothers were deciphering clues.

*Siblings can enjoy a fun experience working together to solve the GeoQuest clues.*

The GeoQuest was interactive, with lots of hands-on activities for kids of all ages as we explored the park solving clues. The kids were able to learn more about what daily life on a farm in the 19th century would have been like as we read the clues and searched for the next clue. We were able to see old houses set up like they would have been back then, gardens, the barnyard, and other parts of daily farm life. My kids enjoyed immersing themselves in the sights and sounds of life long ago.

When we reached the eighth and last location on our quest, we found a box filled with the supplies we needed to complete our quest. We took a small card, which we stamped with a large Burritt on the Mountain stamp for a keepsake. We also used one of the smaller stamps provided to mark the provided logbook with our initials and the date we completed the quest.

While all supplies were provided, there was a note at the last stop with instructions for experienced Letterboxers to follow to mark the logbook using their own stamp.

My GeoQuest Parent Pro-Tips

All of the quests are easy to complete for families with kids of all ages. Because the Nature and History quests are longer and require more walking, be prepared to help carry little kids with tired legs.
If you have trouble finding a clue, the tour guides are available to help guide you in the right direction. The clues were visibly numbered, so when we accidentally stumbled on a clue too early, we were able to easily redirect to the correct clue. Some of the clues do require parents to help.
If you collect Quest Cards for all four adventures, you can enter into a monthly (April through September) drawing for a family membership!
This summer you can arrive early to complete a GeoQuest adventure with your kids, then stay for the City Lights & Stars concerts – you be sure to have a good seat if you arrive late afternoon.

More Things to Do at Burritt

Before you leave, make sure you play a game (or several!) of horseshoes, visit all of the animals, play on the wooden train playground, hike a trail or two, explore Dr. Burritt’s mansion, and check out the breathtaking view of Huntsville!

After completing your GeoQuest adventure, celebrate with a game of horseshoes. — *After completing your GeoQuest adventure, celebrate with a game of horseshoes!*

My kids had a great time completing the Quest, and are already asking when we can go back to do another one.

Plan Your GeoQuest Adventure at Burritt On the Mountain

GeoQuest is included with regular admission and runs through September 9, 2021.
Cost: Adults – $12 | Kids & Students – $8 | Seniors(60+) & Military – $10 | Members & Kids under 2 – FREE
Hours of Operation: Tuesday – Saturday: 9 AM – 5 PM | Sunday: 12-4 PM
Phone: 256-536-2882
Address: 3101 Burritt Dr. Huntsville, AL 35801 (Map)

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Melissa Davison

Melissa Davison is a former Youth Services Librarian turned Stay-at-Home-Mom of 2 boys and 1 girl. Married to her high school sweetheart since 2001, she moved with her family to Madison in 2013 from North Carolina and loves exploring her adopted home. When she's not volunteering with Cub Scouts or the PTA, you can find Melissa drinking caffeinated beverages, knitting, or trying to work her way through her massive To-Read list.