We are excited to introduce a set of three printed mansion treasure hunts for families with children ages three and up to use while exploring the mansion. Volunteers will distribute the new treasure hunts from the visitor center tour desk, so families can head out from the visitor center with ways to discover Hillwood. Additional copies will also be available in the mansion coat closet, as needed.

Over the years, the number of families with young children visiting Hillwood has increased, and estimates are that about 2,000 family groups (made up of adults with children) visit for a general visit each year. These treasure hunts will engage those groups. The interpretation department has been exploring additional ways to serve these groups, and we were delighted to have heard from volunteers that you too were interested in having materials to give to families to guide their exploration of Hillwood.

We encourage you to talk with families to help them choose which treasure hunt(s) they would like to use:

• Families can use 1, 2, or all 3 treasure hunts during their visit. For families with young children, or who are short on time, just one hunt per visit is best.
• Find out if families are interested in learning more about a particular subject (Russia, France, or Marjorie Merriweather Post) and give them the appropriate treasure hunt.
• Families who are repeat visitors can try out different treasure hunts on different visits.

Some highlights of the treasure hunts include:

• Three treasures hunts, each on a different theme: Russian art, French art, and Marjorie Merriweather Post.
• Each treasure hunt is a single page (front and back) featuring nine objects
• Wayfinding features include:
  • Mansion floorplan on the front.
  • Object locations noted on floorplan by shaded rooms and letters.
  • Room names listed under close-up images of objects.
• Lots of large, engaging images, attracting attention and encouraging looking closely at details on the art.
• Searching for art, using close-up details, turns exploring the mansion into a game to keep kids actively involved.
• Provides brief, kid-friendly information about each featured object.
• Content and design was tested with the public and developed and revised with feedback volunteers.
• Treasure hunts are printable in-house so they are easy to keep in stock and available for families.

We invite you to try out these treasure hunts to familiarize yourself with the objects and their locations. We hope you have fun exploring and engaging visitors with this new tool. Please share your feedback with us as you begin using the new treasure hunts with families.