Jeramey Jannene

Walking Milwaukee Releases Customizable Scavenger Hunt

Use it in any Milwaukee neighborhood, and even play it "punch bug" style.

By - May 21st, 2020 01:39 pm
The Milwaukee skyline from the lakefront. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

The Milwaukee skyline from the lakefront. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Have you been taking the same walk again and again through your neighborhood?

Anna Lardinois of Walking Milwaukee has crafted a way to make it more engaging. She’s created an adaptable scavenger hunt that works in any Milwaukee neighborhood.

“Beautiful weather means social distance walking. Many of us are sticking to routes near our homes and the views have gotten a little… predictable. To add a little extra MKE in your walks, let’s see what you can discover on your spring stroll,” says the printable guide.

It includes everything from the easy and obvious (spotting a house of worship or a park) to local icons (an “I Closed Wolski’s” bumper sticker). A fair amount of educational items are included as well, making the game a suitable learning experience for individuals young and old (a street named for a Milwaukee historical figure or a Polish flat).

The 18 items can be given point values so families can see who can spot the greatest number or it can be played “punch bug” style where the first one to spot an item gets the points (“punching optional” says the guide).

Lardinois even suggests a tie-breaker option – who can spot the greatest number of robins.

“I genuinely love our city and I am thrilled that I have the opportunity to show people some of the places that make this place special,” said Lardinois.

The scavenger hunt represents a pivot for Lardinois who normally leads walking tours through her Gothic Milwaukee business. Those tours are currently on hold, but you can still get a preview with her book Milwaukee Ghosts and Legends.

The two ideas are interconnected. “When I was researching to create my initial Gothic Milwaukee tour I came across all kinds of interesting facts and great tales that I could not work into the haunted history I was sharing, so I decided to create Walking Milwaukee as a way to share all of the neat things I was discovering,” she said. If you need an idea on where to walk, Walking Milwaukee has two walking guides – one for Milwaukee and another for Wauwatosa.

If you’re looking for a more complicated scavenger hunt, Rush Mor Records has produced one for Bay View that is sure to keep you busy for weeks.

If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits.

Leave a Reply

You must be an Urban Milwaukee member to leave a comment. Membership, which includes a host of perks, including an ad-free website, tickets to marquee events like Summerfest, the Wisconsin State Fair and the Florentine Opera, a better photo browser and access to members-only, behind-the-scenes tours, starts at $9/month. Learn more.

Join now and cancel anytime.

If you are an existing member, sign-in to leave a comment.

Have questions? Need to report an error? Contact Us