Herald Hunt facts for kids

The Herald Hunt, once called the Tropic Hunt, is a fun annual puzzle hunt held in Miami, Florida. It was created by Miami Herald writer Dave Barry, along with Tropic editors Gene Weingarten and Tom Shroder. The Tropic Hunt started in 1984. By 2018, there had been 18 Hunts, plus one "non-hunt" played from home. The winners of the 2011 Herald Hunt were Jeffrey Kobal, Cheryl Kobal, and Adam Horowitz.

What is the Herald Hunt?

The Hunt got its first name, Tropic Hunt, from a Sunday magazine called Tropic. This magazine was a part of the Miami Herald newspaper. Dave Barry wrote a regular column in Tropic.

For the Hunt, the magazine and a big part of South Florida turned into a giant scavenger hunt and puzzle. Thousands of people from all over the United States come to play.

From Tropic Hunt to Herald Hunt

The 1998 Hunt was the last Tropic Hunt. This was because the Miami Herald stopped publishing Tropic magazine soon after.

But don't worry! The Miami Herald brought the Hunt back in 2001. They renamed it the Herald Hunt. For each Hunt, the newspaper creates a special magazine section just for the game.

How the Hunt Works

In the first two years, the Hunt was a car chase all around South Florida. But in 1986, it changed to the way it is now. Hunters gather in one area where they can walk around.

Hunts have been held in different parts of South Florida. These include Downtown Miami, South Miami, Miami Beach, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, and Hollywood.

Parts of the Hunt

The Hunt has three main parts:

• Opening Questions: These questions guide Hunters to five puzzle spots. These spots are spread out in the Hunt area.
• Hunt Puzzles: At each of the five spots, you solve a puzzle. The answer to each puzzle is always a number. These numbers help you find the real clues from a long list of fake ones. Hunters have three hours to solve these puzzles.
• The Endgame: At 3 p.m., a sixth and final clue is announced from the main stage. This starts the "endgame," which is the hardest puzzle of the day.

Solving the endgame often leads to a phone number. Or, it might tell Hunters to go to a secret spot and give a password to someone described in a tricky way.

An Example Endgame

In 2007, Hunters who solved the endgame knew they needed to find a sandwich. But when they went to a spot on the Hunt Map marked with a sandwich, they saw a sign that said, "Right idea. Wrong one."

They actually had to go to a spot on the beach marked with a witch. Think about it: a "sand witch"! If they went to that spot on the beach, they found a Hunt volunteer wearing a witch's hat and holding a broom.

Beyond the Hunt

Since it became the Herald Hunt in 2001, Dave Barry and Tom Shroder have designed it.

In May 2008, the Washington Post Magazine held a similar Hunt in downtown Washington D.C. About 5,000 people attended, including many who traveled from South Florida. The May 17, 2009, Post Hunt attracted even more people, with an estimated 10,000 participants!

For the first time in 10 years, Gene Weingarten joined Shroder and Barry in designing the 2010 Post Hunt. Gene Weingarten is now a writer for the Post Magazine, and Tom Shroder is its editor. The winners of the 2010 Post Hunt were John Sanders, Joe Grossman, Chris Wong, Eric Pilar, Katie Elder, Eana Chung, and Suzanne Schwartz.

• Unofficial Hunt Archives maintained by Andy Wenzel -- This website has puzzles, clues, answers, photos, and videos from past Tropic and Herald Hunts, from 1984 to today.