Scavenger Hunts, Special Offers, Trivia, Jokes, Confetti
January 2009, Vol. 11, No. 1

IN THIS ISSUE
• Quote Unquote: Snow Blow
• Upcoming Scavenger Hunts
• Hunt News: Harry Potter at the Met; The Liar Show and The Trivia Slam
• Fast Facts: New Year’s Eve in the Auld Days
• Jokes: Happy New Beers

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


QUOTE UNQUOTE: SNOW BLOW

For two days the snow had New York in its power, encircled, terrified, like a prize fighter drive to the canvas by a sneak punch. —Jose Marti


UPCOMING SCAVENGER HUNTS

On all of our hunts, you’ll search for answers to tricky, humorous questions about the things and places you discover. No previous knowledge is required—all you need is a sharp mind and a good pair of shoes. You can bring your own team of two to six people, or you can join kindred spirits at the start. More than 99,000 hunters served!

Click here to see the complete Hunts-at-a-glance Calendar

Holiday-Break Hunts Added by Popular Demand!
The Fright at the Museum Family Scavenger Hunt
Recommended by the New York Times, GoCityKids and NY1
Tuesday, December 30, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Wednesday, December 31, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — SOLD OUT
Friday, January 2, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
If you enjoyed the movie Night at the Museum, you’ll love this adventure, which features exhibits in the Museum of Natural History that inspired scenes in the hit movie. Kids and adults work together to take on Dexter’s monkey cousin, a not-so-woolly mammoth with tooth trouble, personal items that belonged to Teddy Roosevelt, a dance that Sacagawea would have done, a scary Easter Island statue, an attack by a monster whale, a slice of a giant tree, humongous warring mooses, Aztec and Incan warriors, dangerous dinosaurs and more. Please note that if you would not take your kids to see Night at the Museum, then you should not take them on this hunt. Kids must be accompanied by an adult, and vice versa—teams with only adults are not permitted on this hunt. Price, which includes museum admission: Ages 7 to 17 $27 per person, 18 and up $31 per person. Also available January 31. Buy tickets now

Holiday-Break Hunts Added by Popular Demand!
The Grand Central Scramble Family Scavenger Hunt
Recommended by GoCityKids, New York Magazine, the New York Times and Time Out New York
Friday, January 2, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Kids and adults work together to uncover the secrets of this amazing train station. To win, you’ll have to go nuts in the Whispering Gallery, learn a secret about the stars, find TV celebs in the food court, stand on fish under an upside-down tree in the Grand Central Market, learn the arrival time of a “ghost” train and think like Willy Wonka in the Transit Museum Gallery. For ages 7 and up. Kids must be accompanied by an adult, and vice versa. Price per person: Ages 7 to 12, $18; everybody else $22. Also available January 17 and January 18. Buy tickets now

The N*ked at the Met Scavenger Hunt
Recommended by the New York Times, Time Out New York, Daily Candy, Metromix and the Star-Ledger
Friday, January 2, 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Here’s something to kick off the new year: a search for n*dity in art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You’ll scrutinize paintings, sculptures, period rooms, sultry sirens, a literally bronzed Adonis, a medieval codpiece, an incontinent Cupid and a randy reveler who’ll make you exclaim, “I never sausage behavior!” No previous experience with art, or n*dity, is required. If you’ve done our Murder at the Met Hunt, prepare yourself for something completely different—a lighthearted romp featuring new questions, new exhibits and lots of humor. Price, which includes museum admission: $40.50 per person. Also available January 17. Buy tickets now

The Secrets of Grand Central Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, January 3, 2 to 4:30 p.m.
Discover little-known passageways, the holiday model trains exhibit at the Transit Museum Gallery, the gourmet delights of the Grand Central Market, the stunning Art Deco lobby of the Chrysler Building, the fate of the famed Biltmore Hotel clock, a hidden waiting room, the eclectic food court, mysterious marks on the main hall’s constellation ceiling, the secret symbol of the Vanderbilts, the uncanny Whispering Gallery and more. The hunt is all indoors, so no need to worry about the weather. Price: $24.50 per person. Also January 17. Buy tickets now

The New York History Mysteries Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, January 3, 2 to 4:30 p.m.
Uncover secrets about the Founding Fathers, Hudson River painters, exotic treasures from the Far East, deadly plagues and other forces that shaped the city, all at the New-York Historical Society. This is the last chance to do this hunt with special, temporary exhibitions on Civil War generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee, the spectacular paintings of the Hudson River School, and six centuries’ worth of New York drawings and watercolors. Plus you’ll explore the Luce Center, which can be considered Manhattan’s attic: it’s packed with nearly 30,000 objects, including such amazing items as the cot used by Washington at Valley Forge, the remains of the Bowling Green statue torn down in a riot after the Declaration of Independence was first read in the city, and a founding father’s wooden leg. Price, which includes museum admission: $27.50 per person ($17.50 for New-York Historical Society Members; $23.50 with valid college ID). Buy tickets now

The Murder at the Museum of Natural History Scavenger Hunt
Recommended by the New York Times, Newsday and Time Out New York
Saturday, January 3, 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Someone, or something, has been bumping off museum staffers involved in acquiring a sacred Egyptian relic. Is it the dreaded Curse of Ahtchu? Or is a serial killer on the loose? Your team of sleuths will have to crack a hieroglyphic code and uncover the museum’s secrets to stop the killings. Please be ready to hunt by 2:30. If you plan on checking a bag or coat, arrive by no later than 2:15—the lines are staggeringly slow. Price, which includes museum admission: $38 per person ($36 with valid college ID). Buy tickets now

The Wax Attacks Scavenger Hunt at Madame Tussauds
Recommended by Time Out New York
Friday, January 9, 7 to 9 p.m.
Go on our campiest, most pop-culture-filled hunt for adults as you tackle questions at Madame Tussauds’ wax museum. Starring Gandhi, Madonna, Napoleon, Joe DiMaggio, Bob Dylan, Usher, George Washington, Elle MacPherson and many more. Bring a digital camera for the Team Paparazzi Challenges—bonus points are awarded for the most creative photo ops with the stars. Space is limited! Price, which includes museum admission: $41.50 per person for teams of 4 to 6 people, $43 per person for teams of 2 or 3 people. Also available January 24. Buy tickets now

The MoMA Mania Scavenger Hunt
Recommended by the New York Times
Saturday, January 10, 2 to 4:30 p.m.
See the best of the Museum of Modern Art on a tour featuring Picasso’s poison, Pollock’s secret ingredients, Warhol’s soup, Dalí’s wilting watches, Chaplin’s antics and other oddities. The hunt includes paintings, sculptures, household items in the design galleries, photographs, a motley assortment of contemporary works, plus the sculpture garden (weather permitting). Space is limited. Price, which includes museum admission: $40.50 per person ($34.50 with valid college ID). Buy tickets now

The Met Madness R e l a x e d Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, January 10, 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Our classic hunt at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but at a more relaxed pace, for those who want to take their time and see more of the art. We’ll show you some of the most startling and humorous works in galleries you never knew existed. Highlights include a secret drinking game, Van Gogh’s a-peeling portrait, a Roman’s lively sarcophagus, disarming armor, Marie Antoinette’s dog house, a saint’s tooth, randy revelers, a ghastly look into Hell and a real shark in a tank. Price, which includes museum admission: $40.50 per person. Buy tickets now

The Murder at the Met Scavenger Hunt
Recommended by the New York Times, Time Out New York, New York Magazine, the New York Post, Newsday, AM New York and About.com
Saturday, January 10, 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Fans of murder mysteries and The Da Vinci Code will enjoy this scavenger hunt throughout the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A murdered curator has left behind a cryptic trail of clues connected with secrets in works of art. As your team gathers answers about the art, you begin to piece together a sordid tale of greed, lust, pride, revenge and treachery, all revolving around the museum’s planned multimillion-dollar purchase of a rare painting by Leonardo da Vinci. The murder victim knew too much—and now it’s your turn to learn what he knew and discover what drove one of four suspects to commit murder. To find out, you’ll have to crack a secret code left in the victim’s appointment calendar. Can you figure out who dunnit? Be prepared for our most challenging hunt. The darkened and less crowded galleries in the evening make a setting perfect for...murder (cue sinister laugh). Price, which includes museum admission: $42.50 per person ($34.50 with valid college ID). Also available January 18, January 24 and January 30. Buy tickets now

Martin Luther King Day Weekend
The Grand Central Scramble Family Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, January 17, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, January 18, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
See January 2 for details. Buy tickets now

The Secrets of Grand Central Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, January 17, 2 to 4:30 p.m.
See January 3 for details. Buy tickets now

The N*ked at the Met Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, January 17, 5:30 to 8 p.m.
See January 2 for details. Buy tickets now

The Murder at the Met Scavenger Hunt
Sunday, January 18, 2 to 4:30 p.m.
See January 10 for details. Also available January 24 and January 30. Buy tickets now

The Museum of Natural Hysteria Scavenger Hunt
Recommended by the New York Times, Time Out New York and Newsday
Saturday, January 24, 3 to 5:30 p.m.
Go on our most surreal hunt—a whirlwind tour of almost the entire American Museum of Natural History, from dinosaurs to diamonds, planets to penguins. Highlights include your prehistoric ancestors and talking apes in the new Hall of Human Origins, plus an angry otter, a dinosaur with a drinking problem, a mummified mammoth, a hidden cannibal, a shy model and a president’s sloth dung. Please note that this hunt is for adults only. Price, which includes museum admission: $37 per person ($35 with valid college ID). Buy tickets now

The Murder at the Met Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, January 24, 5:30 to 8 p.m.
See January 10 for details. Also January 18 and January 30. Buy tickets now

The Wax Attacks Scavenger Hunt at Madame Tussauds
Saturday, January 24, 7 to 9 p.m.
See January 9 for details. Buy tickets now

The Murder at the Met Scavenger Hunt
Friday, January 30, 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
See January 10 for details. Also January 18 and January 24. Buy tickets now

The Fright at the Museum Family Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, January 31, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
See December 30 for details. Buy tickets now

The Museum of Natural Hysteria 2: The N*ked and the Damned
Recommended by Time Out New York and the New York Times
Saturday, January 31, 3 to 5:30 p.m.
You’ll see nature and humans in a way that would make PBS blush, including exotic tribes and well-armed beasts in battles of tooth and claw—and to the victors go the eyebrow-raising spoils. Highlights include venomous liquor, a saucy “cigarette girl,” real shrunken heads, flying volcanic debris, a headhunter’s ax, X-rated Aztecs and history’s largest dinosaur (it’s not the T-Rex). Please note that this hunt is for adults only. If you plan on checking a bag or coat, arrive by no later than 2:45—the lines are staggeringly slow. Price, which includes museum admission: $37 per person ($35 with valid college ID). Buy tickets now

The Met Madness Scavenger Hunt
Recommended by the New York Times, Time Out New York, Daily Candy, Metromix
Saturday, January 31, 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Here’s our original, classic hunt. On this unforgettable tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, you’ll discover some of the most startling and humorous works in galleries you never knew existed. And unlike on the N*ked at the Met or Murder at the Met hunts, we have no thematic restrictions to keep us from including any wacky or strange item that has caught our eye since the first Met Madness hunt in 1994. It’s sort of like our personal, warped “Best of the Met” tour. No knowledge of art is required—in fact, it might be a hindrance. Price, which includes museum admission: $40.50 per person. Buy tickets now

Road Trip! January Highlights in Other Cities
• Boston: The Murder at the MFA Scavenger Hunt, January 10 and 24
• Chicago: The Field of Screams Hunt at the Field Museum, January 24
• Los Angeles: New! The Murder at the Getty Scavenger Hunt, January 10
• Philadelphia: The Munch Around the Market Scavenger Hunt, January 10
• Washington, D.C.: The National Treasures Scavenger Hunt at the Museum of American History, January 3 and 24

February Highlights in New York
• The N*ked at the Met Hunt for Valentine’s Day, Feb. 13 and 14
• The N*ked at the Brooklyn Museum Scavenger Hunt, Feb. 21
• The Art Attack Family Hunt at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Feb. 28
For the complete schedule, see the online calendar.

Ready to Buy Tickets?
Buy tickets online by clicking on a “Buy tickets now” link above, or go to the Hunt Calendar. To buy tickets by phone, call 877-9-GO HUNT (877-946-4868), extension 22. 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.

Go Deluxe with a Private Hunt
Belt-tightening shouldn’t be confused with starving to death. During tough times it’s more important than ever to boost morale and build teamwork. A Watson Adventures scavenger hunt at a great New York museum or in Grand Central can be a cost-effective tool for accomplishing your goals. We have also debuted two additional affordable indoor adventures, The Liar Show and the Trivia Slam—see below to learn more about those. To find out how we can help you, visit Watsonadventures.com or speak with our sales team at 877-9-GO HUNT (877-946-4868) extension 11. Or you can fill out our handy e-mail form. You can’t afford to stay out of the game.


HUNT NEWS: HARRY POTTER AT THE MET; THE LIAR SHOW AND
THE TRIVIA SLAM

Hunt for Harry Potter at the Met on the New Wizard School Scavenger Hunt

Brace yourselves, Harry Potter fans: This month we’ll be debuting the Wizard School Scavenger Hunt! You’ll be following in the footsteps of young wizards who went on a field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in search of art that echoes characters, places and enchanted objects that Harry encounters in the famed books and movies. Keep your trusty wand handy as you track down a sorceress, a Snape-like potions master, owls and dragons, Hagrid-like giants, centaurs and unicorns like those you’d see in the Forbidden Forest, strange mermaids and sharks that seem straight out of the Triwizard Tournament, fierce knights in armor, and cloaked and masked figures as scary as Death Eaters and Dementors. The hunt will initially be available by invitation only to Hunt Veterans who have done at least three hunts, but we expect that by the end of January it will be available to everyone. (To be recognized as a Hunt Veteran, be sure to fill out a survey after every hunt you attend—that’s how we know you were there.) This hunt is designed for families, but all-adult teams will be allowed to participate—except that they will not be eligible to win (because that would not be fair to the kids, of course.) Keep your eyes on your e-mail box for news of hunt dates....

Enjoy the Great Indoors on Two New Games for Corporate Groups

If you’d like an unusual, entertaining event in a venue that doesn’t lend itself to a scavenger hunt, consider booking one of our new indoor offerings: The Liar Show and The Trivia Slam.

In The Liar Show, four professional storytellers and writers will regale you with unusual tales. Three are true and one is a complete fabrication. Your team’s job is to expose the liar. With the help of the MC, your team will get to interrogate the speakers and try to catch one in a dubious detail, an inconsistency, an implausible explanation. It’s a great way to sharpen your group’s listening skills and ability to work together to solve a problem. And it’s fun and can be staged in almost any location. Public performances of The Liar Show have received rave reviews from critics. For more information on The Liar Show, visit www.theliarshow.com.

The Trivia Slam is an amazing race while remaining in place—a rousing team-building contest that can be played almost anywhere. Better than a conventional pub quiz, this battle of wits and nerve brings forth the various talents of every member of your team. Each round poses a different challenge, featuring wide-ranging questions, participatory challenges, a video round, a Know Your Colleagues Quiz, musical and other auditory teasers, and Watson’s unusual twist on a scavenger hunt. Special rounds allow teams in last place to vault ahead by valuing the skills of other teams. Learn more.

Book Your Private Liar Show or Trivia Slam: To arrange an event for your company or other private group, contact Watson Adventures at 877-9-GO HUNT (877-946-4868), extension 11, or click here to contact us online.

Get Your Hunt Questions Answered on Facebook

Do you have a burning, insatiable desire to ask us something about a hunt you’ve been on? Or a hunt you’d like to go on? Or that cute MC on your last hunt? OK, maybe not...but you might be amused to see the kinds of questions we field here in the Watson Adventures World Headquarters, and to read our answers. Some questions don’t really require an answer, such as this one we get every few months: “Do the hunters really get n*ked on the N*ked at the Met Hunt? The museum lets you do that?” But then there are questions like this popular one:

Why don’t you offer more hunts on Sundays?
Believe us, we’ve tried! People keep asking us to offer more Sunday hunts, but when we do...no one buys tickets. The one exception we’ve found is when we offer Murder at the Met on a Sunday, as we do this month on the 18th. Our dilemma is similar to what we call the Bronx Zoo Paradox: On post-hunt surveys, where we ask people to check off what other hunts they’d most like to do, the Bronx Zoo gets a huge number of votes. But when we offer a Bronx Zoo hunt...bupkis. Well, as anyone who will soon be struggling with New Year’s resolutions can tell you, what we think we want to do and what we actually do are often very different things.

We’ll field questions like this and post our answers on the Watson Adventures fan page on Facebook. We also post inside news on hunts and hunt locations, unusual hunt photos, special offers and more. Join the 300-plus-and-growing group by clicking below.




FAST FACTS: NEW YEAR’S EVE IN THE AULD DAYS

How would you like to celebrate the new year: with a raucous drunken parade or by visiting all your friends to have punch and cookies? In 19th century New York, your answer depended on your class. Here’s a look at how bygone New Yorkers marked the holiday.

Walking in a Winter Rumble Land
Let’s start with the working class: For over a century and well into the 19th, their tradition on New Year’s Eve was to grab a pot or pan or horn or rattle or any other noisemaker and form into large, long spontaneous parades—so-called Callithumpian bands—that filled the air with drunken revelry as they randomly wound through the streets. In 1827 the mob trashed the Wall Street area on the way down to the Battery, where the mob smashed the windows of genteel homes and tried to tear down the railing around the park. The merrymakers then went back uptown along Broadway and harassed people leaving a fancy-dress ball at City Hall. The mayor made a new year’s resolution: to have watchmen crack down on such mayhem the following December 31.

God Rush Ye, Merry Gentlemen
The upper crust also took to the streets to celebrate New Year’s Day, by hopping in their carriages and visiting each other’s homes. Or at least the men traveled; the women stayed at home to greet friends and serve refreshments. The visitors dropped off calling cards, and totaling up stops and cards became something of a contest. In 1855 diarist George Templeton Strong boasted of making more than 30 calls between 10:45 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. John Ward might have set a record in 1866 when he and a friend hit 107 houses. But the custom declined as the city grew and the distances traveled increased.

Deck the Halls with Vows of Folly
The upper and lower traditions did not mix well. On New Year’s Day 1837 newly re-elected Mayor Cornelius Lawrence opened his house to callers as usual, but was surprised when his working-class supporters showed up en masse. “Every scamp who has bawled out ‘Huzza for Lawrence’ and ‘Down with the Whigs’ considered himself authorized to use him and his house and furniture at his pleasure,” recorded diarist Philip Hone, “to wear his hat in his presence, to smoke and spit upon his carpet, to devour his beef and turkey, and wipe his greasy fingers upon the curtains.”

Good King Adolph Ochs
In 1904 New York Times owner Adolph Ochs moved his newspaper to a new tower on 42nd Street at Broadway, and to commemorate the occasion he had fireworks shot from the rooftop on New Year’s Eve. Thus began a tradition in what would become Times Square. Three years later the city banned the fireworks as too dangerous, so the Times switched to the descent of a 600-pound ball down a flagpole to mark the countdown to midnight. The confetti climax is a recent addition: The Times Square Business Improvement District didn’t like how quickly TV coverage cut away from Times Square after the ball landed, so another spectacle was added to increase camera time. And broom sales.


JOKES: HAPPY NEW BEERS

We’ll say “Good riddance!” to 2008 by toasting in the new year. You can celebrate with us on a variety of hunts during the first weekend of 2009. And to make sure you’re not still hung over by then, heed the warnings of these comedians....

The proper behavior all through the holiday season is to be drunk. This drunkenness culminates in New Year’s Eve, when you get so drunk you kiss the person you’re married to. —P.J. O’Rourke

Women get a little more excited about New Year’s Eve than men do. It’s like an excuse: You get drunk, you make a lot of promises you’re not going to keep, the next morning as soon as you wake up you start breaking them. For men, we just call that a date. —Jay Leno

I drink too much. The last time I gave a urine sample it had an olive in it. —Rodney Dangerfield

I don’t have a drink problem, except when I can’t get one. —Tom Waits

It takes only one drink to get me drunk. The trouble is, I can’t remember if it’s the 13th or the 14th. —George Burns

You’re not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on. —Dean Martin


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The hunt’s afoot!

© 2009 Watson Adventures LLC. All rights reserved.

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