The hunt is ON! Are you and your team ready?
On Friday July 7 and Saturday July 8, join Open House New York for a citywide scavenger hunt to deepen your knowledge of our city’s great public spaces and structures. Race to decipher clues, explore new corners of the city with friends, and find a new appreciation for New York.
Please email questions to [email protected].
Get ready.
Make sure that you and your team decide on the following before Friday, July 7:
- Team name
- Team captain
- Meeting location the day of the hunt
- [Optional] Designate a mascot—make your own or pick an object that will be pictured in all the photos you submit for points. If you do not use a mascot, you will take your clue photos as group photos or team selfies.
Decipher clues.
On Friday July 7 at 10:00am, more than 30 clues will be emailed to teams that hint at award-winning public spaces across the five boroughs. The clue list will be sent as a password-protected website link as well as a printable attachment.
Each clue will include a clue number, the borough where it is located, and the number of points if answered correctly. Clues are worth different points depending on their difficulty and distance from each other.
You do not need to decipher every clue or visit every location. The goal is to decipher and visit as many locations as you can over the course of the day. No points will be earned for deciphering a clue alone; you must also visit and photograph your team in front of the space or structure.
Take photos of clues around the city.
From 10:00am on Friday July 7 to 11:59 pm on Saturday July 8, race to the clue locations, taking photos in front of the building, artwork, or location hinted at. You won’t need to go in; just a photo of your mascot or team in front of the place works!
Teams can walk, run, take public transportation, or use bikes, ferries, or cars to get around during the hunt. Teams that do not use cars (personal vehicles, taxis, or rideshare) will receive a green energy points bonus!
There are three ways to take clue photos:
- Take a photo of the clue location with all team members, minus the photo-taker, in the photo
- Take a selfie with all team members in the photo in front of the clue location
- Take a photo with a unique team mascot in front of the location. The team mascot can be any household object that is unique to your team, such as a toy or figurine, a hat, or anything else! The mascot ensures that you/your team are all on-site on the day of the hunt.
Submit clues.
Teams must submit their clue photos using the clue submission form by 11:59pm on July 8 for scoring. Clues submitted after July 8 will not be scored.
Each clue should be uploaded to the form with the team name, clue number, answer, and accompanying photo.
Please submit one form PER clue.
Share your journey!
Post your scavenger hunt pictures on social media with the hashtag #publicworksohny and tag us at @openhousenewyork on Facebook and Instagram and @ohny on Twitter, and our partners the New York City Public Design Commission (@nycpublicdesign). We will repost your photos throughout the day!
Race to win.
The top three winning teams will be notified the evening of Sunday, July 9, and publicly announced on Open House New York’s newsletter and social media the following Monday.
Prizes will be announced soon, and will include access to exclusive invite-only OHNY events, private tours of PDC locations, OHNY merch, and more!