What Is It?

Escape room meets museum, scavenger hunt meets haunted trail in this spooky night-time treasure hunt!

Learn about St. Thomas’s vibrant piracy history and enjoy a night-time kayak trip through the mangroves as you search for Captain Jean Hamlin’s cursed treasure. Experience St. Thomas’s only haunted trail of its kind, year-round!

Use the tools in your Adventure Pack to search for buried treasure while encountering the ghosts of piracy past. We partner with Virgin Islands Ecotours to provide your crew kayaks to search for clues in the eerie mangroves to find clues. You will also take in the scenic sunset from the top of the historic Bluebeard’s Castle Museum.

Your adventure begins at Bluebeard’s Castle with a guided tour of the on-site museum. Get up close and personal with genuine treasure and sea-salvaged artifacts as you explore this tower built in 1690. Your guide will share fascinating facts and spooky stories of the Golden Age of Piracy. Once you complete the mind-teasing puzzles in the tower you will be set for the rest of the adventure!

Next, get ready to face the frighteningly fun mangroves in tandem kayaks! You and your crew will enjoy a night kayak trip through the mangroves on the south side of the island in search of a cursed, abandoned island. These mangroves are a unique ecosystem home not only to many fascinating creatures but also the site of many historic pirate attacks and ambushes. Learn about these and other amazing facts as you make your way through the moonlight. If your crew is brave enough, you will find your next clue and escape back out through the mangroves without upsetting the spirits…

If your crew succeeds, your treasure map will lead to a St Thomas beach where legend has it that Jean Hamlin secretly hid his cursed treasure from his mutinous crew. If your crew is pure of heart, you will be able to locate the buried treasure, break the curse, and open an ancient treasure chest. Then, celebrate with a delicious light dinner and a drink for each member of your crew.

Prior to the hunt, you will have the option to select your own custom treasure to surprise your fellow crew members from our selection of merchandise (treasures purchased separately). You can also provide us with your own treasure to put in the chest (eg., birthday gift, engagement ring, etc). If mailing treasure gifts, please notify us ahead of time and give plenty of time for your package to arrive to our office. 

Please note: This experience is limited to ages 13 and up. The Ghosts of Piracy Past is designed to be a spooky and immersive experience. It will be dark, and at one point during the experience you will be in tight quarters in a wooded outdoor area. Strobe lights and other disorienting props may be used. Live actors may spook you in various ways but will not touch your person or belongings. The experience also includes a guided kayaking tour. Experience is not required. You may get wet, so we recommend bringing a bathing suit, flip flops, and towels.

What’s Included

• Up to 4.5-hour immersive and challenging treasure hunt with plenty of surprises and thrills along the adventure
• 1.5-hour guided kayak tour in the mangroves with Virgin Islands Eco Tours
• Admission to Bluebeards Castle Museum with a guided artifact tour before sunset
• A friendly & professional treasure hunt guide to provide piracy history and supply hints throughout the adventure
• Private transportation
• 1 alcoholic (or non-alcoholic) beverage
• A light, late meal
• Dry bag storage for bringing any valuables to and from the boat
• Adventure pack with tools to solve the challenges faced during the adventure
• A walkie-talkie to get in touch with your guide if you need any hints
• Pirate swag to get in the swashbuckling spirit
• Tropical Treasure Hunt souvenir map
• Bottled water and snacks

What to Bring

• We recommend wearing a bathing suit and flip flops, and bring a towel as you will get wet during the kayak portion of the experience but will not need to swim
• Suitable shoes for walking (no more than 5 minutes at a time)
• Cash if you would like to purchase anything at our partners’ establishments including gift shops and quick order food & drinks at a beach bar at the end of the experience
• Bug spray
• Camera
• Your sense of adventure & thinking cap!