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August Hunts, Sunset Adventures, Get Schooled
August 2010, Vol. 12, No. 8

IN THIS ISSUE
• Upcoming Scavenger Hunts
• Hunt News: Post/39 Clues Hunt, Foursquare, Hunting in the Berkshires, Wizard School, Offers for Social Groups
• Pop Quiz: Get Schooled
• Missed the Boat on a Summer Outing? Stage a September Hunt

You can also read this newsletter online at WatsonAdventures.com/culture.html


UPCOMING SCAVENGER HUNTS

You won’t be collecting objects (put back the Statue of Liberty!), you’ll be searching for answers to tricky and humorous questions. Bring a team of up to six people or tell us if you’d like us to help you join kindred spirits. To read complete descriptions and buy tickets, you can click on the name of any hunt below, listed in chronological order by the first date a hunt will take place.

See the complete Calendar of Hunts

The Fright at the Museum Family Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, July 31, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
If you enjoyed Night at the Museum, you’ll love this adventure, which features exhibits in the American Museum of Natural History that inspired scenes in the hit movie. Learn More and Buy Tickets

The Munch Around the Village Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, July 31, 1 to 4 p.m.
Discover the gourmet delights of Greenwich Village while collecting treats and answers along the way. Featuring new ice cream stops including PopBar and Grom. Learn More and Buy Tickets

The Murder at the Met Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, July 31, 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 14, 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 28, 5 to 7:30 p.m.
A murdered curator has left behind a cryptic trail of clues connected with secrets in works of art. Can you figure out whodunnit? Learn More and Buy Tickets

The Munch Around Chinatown Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, August 7, 1 to 4 p.m.
Treat your taste buds to an exotic adventure in a culinary wonderland and discover the most unusual and enticing restaurants, cafes, markets and even food carts in Chinatown and neighboring Little Italy. Learn More and Buy Tickets

The Museum of Natural Hysteria 2: The N*ked and the Damned Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, August 7, 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Experience the Museum of Natural History as an R-rated adventure. Search for exotic tribes and ornery beasts in battles of tooth and claw–and to the victor go the enticing spoils. Learn More and Buy Tickets

The Wizard School Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, August 14, 4 to 6 p.m.
Saturday, August 21, 4 to 6 p.m.
Follow in the footsteps of young wizards on a field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in search of art that echoes characters, places and enchanted objects in the famed Harry Potter books and movies. Recommended for ages 10 and up. Learn More and Buy Tickets

The Skyline at Sunset Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, August 14, 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Discover movie locations, famous writers’ homes, a baseball landmark, Underground RR stops, a Revolutionary battleground–all in the beautiful neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights. Learn More and Buy Tickets

The Murder at the Museum of Natural History Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, August 21, 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Someone, or some thing, has been bumping off museum staffers involved in acquiring a sacred Egyptian relic. Your team of sleuths will have to crack a hieroglyphic code and uncover the museum’s secrets to stop the killings. Learn More and Buy Tickets

The Ghosts of Greenwich Village Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, August 21, 7 to 9:30 p.m.
Armed with a flashlight, you’ll visit ghost-plagued buildings and secret cemeteries in the Village while learning the stories of the restless souls you might disturb. Learn More and Buy Tickets

The Secrets of Central Park Family Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, August 28, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Kids and adults work together to see the best of the park and discover places they might never otherwise visit. Learn More and Buy Tickets

The High Line at Sunset Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, August 28, 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Sunset is the most dramatic time to enjoy the views atop New York’s newest, utterly unique park, the High Line, built atop an old elevated railway. This becomes the spine of your quest to explore the Meatpacking District, the trendy “new” neighborhood that has sprung from an area of warehouses and historic buildings. Learn More and Buy Tickets

Ready to Buy Tickets?

Click on the button below to see the full Hunt Calendar. To buy tickets by phone, call OvationTix at 866-811-4111. Please note that there is a $1 surcharge on phone orders.



Questions?

Check out our Frequently Asked Questions page first. If you still can’t get no satisfaction, call the Hunt Hotline at 877-9-GO-HUNT (877-946-4868), extension 12, or click here to e-mail us.

September Highlights

• The N*ked at the Met Scavenger Hunt, September 11
• The Lox, Stock and Bagel Scavenger Hunt, September 12
• The Haunted Times Square Scavenger Hunt, September 18
• The Revolutionary New York Scavenger Hunt, September 19
• The Secrets of Central Park Scavenger Hunt, September 25

For the complete schedule, see the September calendar.

Road Trip! Upcoming Hunts in Other Cities

Click on the name of the city to see the complete calendar.
• Boston: The Secrets of Old Boston Hunt, August 7
• Chicago: The “Starring the Loop” Movie Locations Hunt, August 7
• Los Angeles: The Wizard School Hunt at the Getty, August 14
• Philadelphia: The Munch Around the Market Scavenger Hunt, August 7
• San Francisco: The Murder at the de Young Hunt, August 14
• Washington, D.C.: The Murder at the Museum of American History Scavenger Hunt, August 21


HUNT NEWS: 39 CLUES HUNT, FOURSQUARE, HUNTING IN THE BERKSHIRES, WIZARD SCHOOL & OFFERS FOR SOCIAL GROUPS

Sweepstakes Winners From Across the U.S. Compete in a Custom Watson Adventures Hunt

Four lucky families were flown to New York to participate in a customized Watson Adventures scavenger hunt after winning The 39 Clues™ “Race to Win” Sweepstakes.

Watson Adventures partnered with Scholastic Media and Post Foods, LLC to offer the special39 Clues hunt for the Grand Prize winning families. The Hinegardner Family (pictured) came in first place and took home a $1,500 prize.

The 39 Clues™ is a New York Times bestselling multi-media adventure series, and the sweepstakes was featured on more than four million cereal boxes this year.

Win Scavenger Hunt Tickets by Joining Foursquare and Becoming “Mayor” of Watson Adventures

Share your hunting experience or check in with Watson Adventures via our new Foursquare page in New York.

To “check-in” using your phone, do a search for Watson Adventures under Search Venues using the Foursquare app. As long as you’re in the general New York area, you’ll be able to reach our page this way. To post a tip or suggestion, just click on Add Tip at the bottom of our Foursquare page.

We’ll treat you to a pair of tickets to any outdoor hunt in New York in September if you’re the current Mayor of Watson Adventures on Foursquare at noon on August 23. Contact us via our Web site on August 23 to redeem your complimentary tickets.

To learn more about how Foursquare works, what a Mayor is and much more, visit Foursquare’s Help Section.

Go on a Scavenger Hunt in the Berkshires and Save $25 on a Club Getaway Weekend Adventure

Need to get out of the city? You can literally head for the hills on our scavenger hunt in the Berkshires this summer. Watson Adventures will offer our special camp-themed hunt at Club Getaway during the weekends of July 30 to August 2 and August 20 to August 22. Located in Kent, Connecticut, Club Getaway is a “summer camp for adults” and New England’s premier sports resort offering all-inclusive weekend vacations. The scavenger hunt is included in the price of your weekend getaway.  

Special offer: Receive $25 off the price of a Club Getaway weekend vacation this summer when you mention Watson Adventures.

To book your getaway at a discount, click here or call Club Getaway at (877) 746-7529 and let them know you’re a Watson Adventures hunter. Once you’ve booked, drop Watson Adventures a note and let us know which weekend you’ll be attending.

Wizard School Scavenger Hunts Now Available in Five Cities

Harry Potter fans in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and New York can follow in the footsteps of young wizards on a field trip to the museum in search of art that echoes characters, places and enchanted objects in the famed Harry Potter books and movies by joining one of our Wizard School scavenger hunts.

The hunts are offered to the general public on select weekends and can be staged for private events almost anytime.

Learn more by visiting our Wizard School Hunts page or click here to buy tickets for a public Wizard School Hunt in New York.

Alumni Clubs, Meetup.com Groups and Social Groups Take Advantage of a Special Watson Adventures Benefit

Scores of social groups from across the country have organized successful, fun events around Watson Adventures hunts. To show our appreciation, we’re offering special benefits for social groups planning to attend a hunt as a group outing.

If you’re the organizer for a group that has more than 100 people on your mailing list, contact us and we’ll send you the details on our special offer. Be sure to include the formal name of your group along with a link to your official Web site.

Contact us to learn about benefits for social groups


POP QUIZ: GET SCHOOLED

It must be back-to-school season, because we’re getting lots of calls from colleges looking to book our scavenger hunts as an activity for freshmen week. If you’re a soon-to-be student, sharpen your wits with this quick quiz on universities in New York. As Emil Faber, the founder of Faber College, put it, “Knowledge is good.”  

1. Which New York State governor and native Manhattanite joked that he got an FFM degree from Fulton Fish Market?
(a) Al Smith  (b) Franklin D. Roosevelt  (c) Mario Cuomo (d) David Paterson

2. A famous New York City tycoon considered giving $1 million to establish a university on Staten Island. Instead, the money went to a small college in Nashville that took the donor’s name. The Staten Island plot became a cemetery, where the tycoon rests in a large tomb. Who was the tycoon?

3. A now-famous director failed a film course at New York University before being expelled. He later said, “I was thrown out of college for cheating on the metaphysics exam. I looked into the soul of the boy sitting next to me.” Who is he?

4. After it moved uptown, a Manhattan school leased its former location to John D. Rockefeller, who then built Rockefeller Center there. In 1985 the school sold the land to the Rockefeller Group for a mere $400 million. What was the lucky school?

5. Samuel F. B. Morse invented the telegraph while he was professor of arts and design at New York University. In the first public demonstration of his device, he wired a message from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore. What was that message?
(a) Watson, come here, I want you. (b) That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. (c) What hath God wrought? (d)  Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow.

6. If you attend the Wizard School Scavenger Hunt at the Met, and find yourself tied for first place, this tidbit could come in handy: When Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling was asked in 2001 how old Dumbledore was, what was her answer?
(a) 75  (b) 150  (c) 212  (d) 500
 
Answers
1. (a)
2. Cornelius Vanderbilt
3. Woody Allen
4. Columbia University
5. (c); (a) was the first words spoken over the telephone, and (d) was the first words recorded for and played on a phonograph, by Edison
6. (b)


MISSED THE BOAT ON A SUMMER OUTING? STAGE A SEPTEMBER SCAVENGER HUNT

If the summer flew by before your company could plan an corporate outing, consider planning your “summer” activity in September.

Boost morale and build teamwork by staging a unique, fun and cost-effective scavenger hunt in late summer or early autumn. Whether you’re planning a large corporate outing, an end-of-season activity for summer associates or a team-building activity for an individual department, a Watson Adventures hunt will provide an array of benefits and make you the toast of your company–all in a way that is easy on the bottom line.

You can use a Watson Adventures scavenger hunt to…

• Encourage employees to interact in a fun, high-energy environment
• Build teamwork in a dynamic new way, with challenges that engage even the grumps.
• Express appreciation and reward excellent performance.
  
• Re-energize staffers and increase productivity. See How Team-Building Hunts Boost Your Bottom Line.
• Save money compared with what you’d spend on a typical company outing.

You can choose from a large variety of locations to find one that best fits your location and the interests and goals of your company. If you need an event that takes place in your own office, consider the Watson Adventure Trivia Slam, a battle of wits and nerve that brings forth the various talents of every member of your team. Or test your ability to listen for lies and grill suspects in The Liar Show, in which your team enjoys tales by professional storytellers and comics and must identify which one is false.

Learn more about Team-Building Scavenger Hunts for private and corporate groups by visiting WatsonAdventures.com. You can stay up-to-date on the latest news about our corporate hunts by clicking here and selecting the “Corporate Hunt Newsletter” option.

Contact Us for More Information or Get a Quote


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