Hundreds of amateur detectives gathered in the galleries of the Dallas Museum of Art on a sunny June weekend. The paintings had come to life, and there was a shocking crime to investigate!
Being an Agatha Christie fanatic, I knew I had to score tickets to this year’s Murder Mystery party at the art museum. It was one of the coolest events I have ever attended.
The Murder Mystery game is an annual event, so if you missed it this year you can mark your calendar for 2020. Here is everything you can expect at this game of live action Clue.
Tickets for the Dallas Museum of Art Murder Mystery
The first thing you need to know about the DMA Murder Mystery event is that tickets tend to sell out fast. I wanted to attend last year, but missed my chance because they sold so quickly!
To make sure you stay on top of upcoming DMA events, you can follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
The other important things to note about the tickets is that they cost $36.50, they do not include parking, and they can only be refunded up to the day before the event. Since visiting the Dallas Museum of Art is normally free, you can feel good about the fact that you are supporting access to art and culture for everyone in your city by purchasing tickets!
Checking In
After you arrive at the DMA, a staff member will direct you to the check-in desk. There you will provide your tickets and receive a fact sheet with background on the mystery and each of the suspects. It also contains a blank area for you to make notes during your investigation, and an answer sheet or you to turn in at the end of the game.
After you check in, you can order drinks at the cash bar or snacks at the cafe while you wait for the game to begin. Sleuths who solve the mystery successfully will be entered to win raffle prizes, including DMA membership and Clue board games.
The Investigation
Your first task is to explore the museum until you find the scene of the crime marked by the outline of a body. Once you have determined where the murder happened, you have to catch the culprit and identify the murder weapon.
Al of the murder suspects are paintings and sculptures in the museum, and all of the possible weapons are artifacts. You’ll decide who committed the crime based on your interrogations of each suspect.
The Suspects
The most enjoyable part of the evening is interacting with the “artwork.” Each suspect hams up their character with funny mannerisms and annecdotes, dropping helpful clues along the way.
This year there were seven suspects spread out all over the museum, and guests could interview them in any order they chose. I talked to nearly every piece of artwork before I determined who the killer was.
The Culprit
After an hour and a half of investigating, everyone turned in their answers. The DMA staff announced the murderer on stage and let her confess to all of the guests. This year the culprit was “Woman with a Mirror.”
Mystery: Solved
If you enjoy watching or reading mysteries, I definitely encourage you to give this event a try. I felt like Nancy Drew dashing through the corridors to interview suspects and making notes about their testimonies.
The Dallas Museum of Art Murder Mystery game was a perfect date night for Austin and I. We can’t wait to attend again next year and bring another painting to justice!
If you are looking for more fun things to do in DFW, check out our adventures here. Want to grab some dinner before your next event? Here are few of our favorite places to eat. For more updates on the coolest local businesses and events, follow along with us on Instagram.
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