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From historic postcards and lithograph prints to newspaper clippings and family snapshots, you’ll explore Detroit’s Belle Isle in a brand-new way—tracking down postcard locations that have become iconic, been ironically forgotten, or remain hidden in plain sight—all with the mission of uncovering Detroit’s legendary past. From the visionary who brought colorized postcards to America to the woman who collected tens of thousands in her lifetime, you’ll dive into the river’s history and leave your team’s stamp on its future.Join the Detroit History Club for a one-of-a-kind adventure at the iconic Detroit Yacht Club! This road rally-style Postcard History Hunt will take you on a journey through Belle Isle’s fascinating past and offer plenty of wintertime fun.
Event Details:
Location: The Detroit Yacht Club (on Belle Isle) 1 Riverbank Dr, Detroit, MI 48207
Date: Saturday, January 11th, 2025
Check-In: Arrive anytime between 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM
Duration: Most teams will take between 2 and 2.5 hours to complete the challenges, but there is no rush. The last turn-in will be at 4:45 PM. The hunt ends whenever your team successfully completes the challenges and collects your prize(s) or 5:00 pm.
End Time: 5:00 PM or your team's successful completion.
Teams will be awarded their completion prize as soon as they turn in their History Hunt.
For teams winning additional prize(s) they need not be present to win. Prizes will be mailed to winning teams (USA addresses only) who complete the hunt and choose not to stay until awards are announced at 5:00 pm.
Working in teams of any size, you’ll check in at the Detroit Yacht Club to receive a set of historic reproduction postcards, detailed instructions, and exciting side missions. Start your hunt in the members-only DYC Clubhouse, where you’ll search for modern versions of the historic locations depicted on the postcards. Then, take your exploration outdoors!
Using your own transportation—whether by car, bicycle, riding a trained raccoon, or on foot (it’s January, so dress warmly!)—head out to Belle Isle to find the historic sites featured on your postcards. Plus, there are fun side missions scattered throughout the hunt, offering the chance to earn bonus prizes. These could include solving riddles, doodling, snapping creative photos, or uncovering little-known history tidbits.
This History Hunt is not time-competitive, and can be done at your own pace. Most teams will complete it within 2 to 2.5 hours. All participants who successfully complete the hunt and return to the Yacht Club by 4:45 PM will win a prize (we are pretty excited about the custom pennant flag prize we’ve created for this event). Bonus prizes will be awarded to the best recreated postcards, most creative side mission completions, best team name, and more!
What You’ll Need to Join the Fun:
Clothing and footwear: Dress warmly in layers and wear comfortable shoes to make being outdoors on Belle Isle, on the river in January enjoyable.
The DYC board of directors has kindly removed the dress code for the DYC clubhouse for the duration of the History Hunt.
Smartphone: A phone capable of taking up to 20 photos is essential for completing the hunt.
Don’t worry if you’re not tech savvy - we will have helpers on hand to support you throughout the hunt. (Seriously, we are bringing in our Gen Z team members for this - they are ready!)
Transportation: You’ll need a way to get around Belle Isle—most participants will want a vehicle due to the season. We highly recommend a vehicle.
Michigan State Park Pass: Belle Isle requires a park pass. These can be purchased when you renew your license plate tabs or for $4 per car (regardless of the number of passengers) at the guard shack upon entering the island.
If you wish to purchase an annual pass to the Michigan State Parks which includes Belle Isle that information is available HERE.
A Team Name: Each team will identify themselves with a team name. This can be anything as long as it’s not wildly inappropriate (what are we considering wildly inappropriate? Racism, sexism, xenophobia, etc…)
There is no need to tell us your team name in advance, you’ll have the opportunity to list it upon arrival.
Your team does not need to register together - simply show up and work together to complete the History Hunt.
Important to know:
No prior knowledge required: You don’t need to be a Detroit expert! No prior knowledge of Detroit, Belle Isle, or the Yacht Club is necessary to participate or win.
The Detroit History Club will have dozens of staff standing by ready to help! Tech savvy, history savvy, or just ready to tell a joke- we’ll have folks to help with it all.
Team size: Teams can be as small as a single player or as large as you’d like. Each person will receive a full set of clues for themselves, however, teams, wishing to solve the clues as a group are welcome to do so, and will only need to turn in a single set of photo answers.
Teams do not need to register together, but each member of the team does need to have their own ticket. Teams are encouraged to arrive at the same time so they can begin as soon as they check in. Groups arriving separately can meet at the Detroit Yacht Club before setting out to solve their History Hunt.
Duration: The scavenger hunt will last from 12 PM until 5 PM but our expectation is most groups will be able to complete the scavenger hunt in 2 to 2 1/2 hours. The very last arrival time will be 2 PM. Teams may turn in their completed scavenger hunt as soon as they finished from 1 PM on. 5 PM scavenger will be considered finished regardless of groups have completed all tasks.
Why are we celebrating postcards of Detroit's past? They are a significant part of Detroit's history and an excellent adventure waiting for your special delivery. At its peak, the Detroit Publishing Company, originally known as the Detroit Photocrom Company, industrialized postcard production, churning out over seven million postcards annually. These beautiful postcards allowed Americans to marvel at landscapes like the Grand Canyon in full color, all from the comfort of their homes.
Why does the History Hunt start and end at the Detroit Yacht Club? The Detroit History Club is proud to support the Detroit Yacht Club Foundation with a donation of $5.00 per ticket to aid in the ongoing restoration and rehabilitation of the nation's largest yacht club clubhouse. As stewards of this historic building, the DYC Foundation has graciously agreed to support our use of this normally members-only space. By invitation of the commodores and board of directors, History Hunt participants will have the unique opportunity to explore areas of the clubhouse as they work to match historic images to modern-day locations. This arrangement also provides free parking, accessible bathrooms, and workstations where you can puzzle out your clues in comfort.
All teams will receive a parking pass upon check-in to facilitate quick and easy reentry of vehicles throughout the hunt.
This special sneak peek into the DYC members-only clubhouse adds a distinctive element to the adventure, which we’re sure all teams will value. Plus, there will be excellent photo opportunities and side missions available on DYC property!
Get ready to explore, learn, and have a blast with us on Belle Isle. We can’t wait to see you there!
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Detroit Yacht Club, 133 Lakeside St, Detroit, MI 48207-6301, United States
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