It looks like NBC is getting into the game with their new Treasure Hunters show. They have created a Treasure Hunters Challenge site that you can play to enhance the experience. While not as immense in scope as The Hanso Foundation, it’s still not bad (and you may win money). What’s more is that it seems to have some end in site, while The Lost Experience seems almost never-ending.
While I originally started to put the details of the challenges here in this one entry, it quickly overwhelmed the size of this entry. So in order to make things a little more manageable, I’ve broken each week out into its very own entry, which should help to keep things somewhat orderly and help you to find what you need a little faster. At least that’s the plan. Things may change once we see what’s working and what’s not. Stay tuned for further developments on that front.
Each week is listed, along with the primary focus of that week’s challenge, which may or may not agree with what you think the challenge should be named. I’m not trying to be difficult (I promise), but I figured that it would be better to give the challenge some sort of descriptive name, rather than just “Week 1”, “Week 2”, “Week 3”, and hopefully what is there will be enough to help you find what you need. If not, I’m sorry. Click the link and read up to see if it’s what you need. If not, come on back and try the next week. Ultimately there are only 9 challenges (and only 8 weeks) so it shouldn’t take long.
- Week 1: Golden Spruce
- Week 2: Abraham Lincoln
- Week 3: West Point
- Week 4: Thomas Edison
- Week 5: Fulton Paddleboat
- Week 6: Ghost Town
- Week 7: Sleepy Hollow
- Week 8: Spanish Doubloon (and Fireplace)
Just a reminder: Since the details were getting so long, I’ve split this post into detailed reviews of each week’s challenge. Check back here, where I’ll update this list with links to each review, or keep an eye out for the detailed reviews.
If you want to discuss the overall game theory, discuss it here please, and leave the other entries for challenge-specific information.
Update August 15, 2006: For those who have been waiting, the answer has been posted.
We were indeed looking for the Star Spangled Banner at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Apparently either Smithsonian and/or The National Museum of American History was accepted as a correct answer. The ten winners names have been posted.
Thanks, RobH, for the pointer to the post, and to everyone for playing along! If anyone who participated here was among them, congratulations and good luck in the contest!
Comments
144 responses to “Treasure Hunters Challenge”
What is the best guess at the final answer? Lots of ideas but who really feels secure in their answer?
Richmond, Virginia
Has anyone run into a glitch after completing Challenge 8? I completed it and went to the puzzle (map) and I have 2 of the same piece so I can’t complete the puzzle to open the fireplace.
I just want to finish the game…Any ideas? I have gone back and done Challenge 8 again, I have cleared my temp internet files and cookies, I even started over as a new player and did all the challenges again…but to no avail. Any help is appreciated.
Marcus, in regards to the five pointed star, I just think that it adds more to the theory of the SSB, plus adds some masonic history in the mix. The “Professor”, Count st. Germain was a friend of washington and a teacher of Freemasonic and Rosicrucian principles. He had designed the flag with six pointed stars. But when Betsy Ross saw this, she preferred five stars – so they just let her do it her way out of respect and cooperation.
Well with the last clue he said now you have found the place, its like a dome looking at a building could it be the botanic gardens, they have a dome and you can see Capitol Hill from it, they will also have the flower called the Betsy Ross, which is also in the final clue ref: The five pointed star, any thoughts.
The early symbol treaure is of course the Star Spangled Banner of 1812 that was flown over Ft. McHenry during the battle of Balitmore and Francis Scott Key wrote the poem, which later became the song to the tune of “Anacreon in Heaven” an old drinking song which later bacame our national anthem years later in March of 1931.
The SSB flag is indeed going to be laid in the Smithonian National Museum of American History after it is completely restored and it will then be laid not hung vertical as it is today.
The NMAH will be closed on Sept 4th 2006 for
the next three years for this redue and they will take the complete flag apart stitch by stitch.
After the SSB is finished it will be returned to the heart of the NMAH, installed in a new flag room and we will all be able to see it in fine condition once again. It truly is one of our treausred peices of American history.
I do believe that it is the early symbol referred to in the clues which should make the answer “Smithsonian National Mueseum of American History” in the National Mall. My thoughts go to the last clue however, what does “I seek the reef” have to do with the SSB if it is indeed the early symbol.
As we finished the last parts of the game the Besty Ross five star cutting process was indeed clever but most people fold to this method to the right and in this game you folded to the left, then the white line became visible for the cutting into the genworth compass.
I must have folded this star a hundered times for my daughter while she was growing up and this I learned in grade school when we studied the flag and it’s meaning to the United States and how to honor it. Every day we started off our class room with the pledge to the flag and sang the verse of the Star Spangled Banner. This of course is not done in our school room of today
a shame in many ways, but times they do change.
I have given it some thought and I am pretty sure that I am on the money for the answer, of course this remains to be seen. But this Reef thing is has me stumped I can’t for the life of me come up with how to connect it to the rest of the circled clues, WHERE IS THE EARLY SYMBOL LAID OUT FOR….. REEF???? So the Star Spangeled Banner is currently located on the 2nd floor of the National Museum of American History in the conservation lab and exhibit room until Sept 4 2006. Curator Suzanne Thomassen Krauss, 202-633-3943.
Did anyone notice the blimp in the show in the right hand corner over DCFounder’s Hall? The message on the blimp says Independence for the People. I’m wondering is it the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom in Washington,DC. The National Archives building admission is free, many of the writers and founding fathers belonged to the free masons, the shadow from the monument points to the entrance on constitution ave. Just an idea they recently were flooded out etc.Should we just put Washington or something more specific?
I am convinced the final answer is St. George Lighthouse reef. This is what I found regarding this location.
The Brother Jonathan was a steamboat for the Pacific Mail that crashed on an uncharted reef near Point St. George, off the coast of Crescent City, California, on July 30, 1865. It was carrying 215 passengers, 700 tons of freight, 300 barrels of whiskey, 54 crew, and between $800,000 and $1 million in gold coins and bullion. Only 16 survived the wreck. In less then 12 minutes the ship sank, 227 lives were lost. No salvage was attempted.
A memorial for the deceased, registered as California Historical Landmark #541, sits at Brother Jonathan Vista Point in Crescent City. The shipwreck is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The Saint George Reef Lighthouse was built in response to this disaster.
I tried the smithsonian institure earlier which is home to the NMAH, but I am trying to figure out the significance of the circled words in the clues, any thoughts.
I am going to go with the SSB at NMAH, as the NMAH is located on Independence Ave. in Washington, DC