Thanks to Sue Rodman of 365 Atlanta Family for “cluing me in” to Clue Town Books. I was reading her suggestions of what to do in Atlanta over the holiday week and discovered these great interactive books. As soon as I can get my family to go with me, I’m grabbing the Oakland Cemetery Clue Town Book and heading over there to experience this Clue Town concept. Note the video below is from 2013 and there are several more than 2 books now!
Each book title focuses on a walkable area of Atlanta. Solvers go to the starting point whenever they are ready, and then use nearby landmarks to solve puzzles. The solution to each puzzle will be a direction of how to get to the next landmark checkpoint. There are books for exploring Piedmont Park, the Atlanta Beltline, Decatur, Emory, Athens, Savannah, Oakland Cemetery and more.
According to the Clue Town Books website, the books came about when creator Jay Carlson visited Piedmont Park and discovered off-path landmarks that he had never noticed before, even though he had visited the park dozens of times. He thought it would be interesting to show others what was under their noses the whole time. He created a puzzle scavenger hunt, requiring solvers to be on-site instead of sitting indoors.
Clue Town Books contain puzzles that range in difficulty from easy (e.g. connect-the-dots, maze) to challenging (e.g. word puzzles, rebus). Solvers 12 and older should be able to complete the entire hunt on their own. Younger children may need help from an adult.
Check out their website here. You can also purchase at one of the following retail outlets:
The Beehive
Citizen Supply
Crafted (4 GA locations)
Little Shop of Stories
Rhen’s Nest
Treehouse Kid & Craft
High Museum of Art
Little Red Bird Gifts (Kennesaw)
Avid Bookstore (Athens)
Oakland Cemetery Museum Shop
Atlanta History Center Museum Shop
Margaret Mitchell House Museum Shop
Decatur Visitor Center
