Mobile History Scavenger Hunt Highlights Archives’ Civil War Holdings
The Foundation for the National Archives and mobile gaming company, SCVNGR, have partnered to build a game that takes willing participants on a small scavenger hunt and subsequent history lesson around Washington, DC.
SCVNGR is a location-based application available on iPhone and Android devices. Participants can download the app by searching for SCVNGR in the App store or Android Market. Once downloaded, users should search for the “Archives Trek” within the application.
Users will then be directed to complete challenges at different locations around the National Archives. Included in this trek is a challenge on the Downtown Heritage Trail at sign three of the Center Loop, titled, Clara Barton: Angel of the Battlefield. Users are asked to answer a question about Clara Barton, and the answer can be found on the Heritage Trail sign.
Challenges highlight various places and events that relate to the Civil War holdings in the National Archives. Completed challenges earn points and eventually earn prizes – like a discount to the museum store. The game will lead you to experience records in the very places where their creators lived and worked.
For more information on the application and how to play, visit www.scvngr.com/fna.
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This tour delivers the goods. Being raised just outside of washington d.c. (Bethesda), I've gone on innumerable DC sightseeing tours in my lifetime. Every time a family friend or relative visited from out of town meant another trip down to the Mall, another sightseeing tour. Monument tours, ghost tours, "Duck" tours, you name it I've done it. But out of all the DC tours I've been on this was one of the best. I went last weekend with my nieces and nephews on the Capitol Hill tour, which lasted a little over two hours. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable of the historic sites and presented the information in a fun and lively manner. His enthusiam for the subject was infectious. He had my nieces and nephews in rapt atttention from start to finish. Highly recommend.