The hunt is ON! Are you and your team ready?
On Saturday August 6, join Open House New York for a citywide scavenger hunt to deepen your knowledge of our city’s libraries, from the past to the future. Race to decipher clues, explore new corners of the city with friends, and find a new appreciation for these vital community anchors.
Please email questions to [email protected].
Get ready.
Make sure that you and your team decide on the following before Saturday, August 6:
- Team name
- Team captain
- Meeting location the day of the hunt (we recommend a library located between you!)
- [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 Saturday August 6 at 10:00am, more than 60 clues will be emailed to teams that hint at key library sites 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 building or structure.
Take photos of clues around the city.
From 10:00am – 11:59pm on August 6, your team will race to the clue locations, taking photos in front of the building or library hinted at. You won’t need to go in; just a photo of your mascot or team in front of the building works!
If a clue refers to something inside of the building, you do not need to go inside unless specified in the clue; the building’s exterior is enough to earn points. If a branch is closed, you just need to take a photo of your mascot or team from the outside of the building. Be sure to read the clue carefully to snap the right photo and earn points!
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 35 point green energy points bonus! As part of Summer Streets, Citi Bike will be offering free day passes on August 6: use the code SUMMER22 in the Citi Bike app to receive unlimited 30-minute rides on a classic Citi Bike for 24 hours.
There are three ways to take clue photos:
- Take a photo of the clue location (library) 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 (library)
- Take a photo with a unique team mascot in front of the location (library). The team mascot can be any household object that is unique to your team, such as a toy or figurine, a hat, or if you want to be on theme with the hunt–a library book! The mascot ensures that you/your team are all on-site on the day of the hunt.
Get ahead by earning bonus points.
Give your team a competitive edge by racking up bonus points throughout the day:
- Category Cataloguer: Libraries are great at cataloguing and organizing their vast collections. If your team completes a “chapter” of clues correctly (i.e. all Carnegie library clues), earn a 30 point bonus for chapters with more than 10 clues, and a 20 point bonus for chapters with less than 10 clues.
- Green Energy Bonus: Teams who do not use cars (personal vehicles, taxis, or rideshare such as Uber, Lyft, etc.) for the hunt will earn 35 points for keeping the city green!
- Citywide Dance Party: Festival of New York dance parties will be happening at libraries across the city throughout the day–snap a photo of you and your team at the party for 5 bonus points per party!
Submit clues.
Teams must submit their clue photos using the clue submission form by 11:59pm on August 6 for scoring. Clues submitted after August 6 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.
Spread the #librarylove!
Post your scavenger hunt pictures on social media with the hashtag #librarylove and tag us at @openhousenewyork on Facebook and Instagram and @ohny on Twitter, and our library partners NYPL (@nypl), BPL (@bklynlibrary), and QPL (@qplnyc). We will repost your photos throughout the day!
Race to win.
The top three winning teams will be notified the evening of Sunday, August 7, and publicly announced on Open House New York’s newsletter and social media the following Monday.
The winning team will receive:
- Admission to an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of a library given by branch librarians and the architects and designers of the library as part of the 2022 OHNY Weekend on October 22-23. Library branches offering tours may include Brooklyn Heights Library, Greenpoint Library, Jefferson Market Library, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library, and more TBA.
- Complimentary invites to the OHNY Weekend Launch Party on October 20 at Surrogate’s Court ($150 value per person)
- Complimentary tickets to OHNY’s upcoming Sunset Boat Tour on August 25 ($45 value per person)
- Complimentary OHNY membership or a 1-year OHNY membership extension for existing Members ($50 value per person)
- OHNY swag (tote bags and pins)
The second place team will receive:
- Complimentary invites to the OHNY Weekend Launch Party on October 20 at Surrogate’s Court ($150 value per person)
- Complimentary OHNY membership or a 1-year OHNY membership extension for existing Members ($50 value per person)
- OHNY swag (tote bags and pins)
The third place team will receive:
- Complimentary OHNY membership or a 1-year OHNY membership extension for existing Members ($50 value per person)
- OHNY swag (tote bags and pins)
ALL participating teams will earn the respect and admiration of OHNY and library staff for completing a such challenging citywide hunt!