10 More Boston Location-Based Riddles!!

August 13, 2022 8:46 AM

I'm still in a competitive scavenger hunt that takes me across Boston, to be the first to find a small token. They are placed in the last few days and just released. It's fun, but I'm in a competition where we are supposed to "use all of our resources". Askmi is a resource, right?

Last time, people seemed to really enjoy helping me solve these clues! Even if you aren't familiar with Boston, often the right keywords into Google can certainly help!

I need to go to the location, and then actually find the token. Then - I redeem the token for around $500!! If you would like to join and hunt yourselves, you are definitely welcome too - it's called the golden goose scavenger hunt, which you can google.

I've been told that the clues can be referencing businesses, statues, murals, streets, anything around Boston. Usually the first half of the riddle leads to the general spot, and then the second half leads to the specific spot. But, sometimes it doesn't follow those regulations.

Rules: They are usually outdoors. They aren't in cemeteries. You don't have to pay to enter. No treasures are hidden anywhere near train tracks or in train stations.

Previously

Here are the 10 riddles. I've numbered them for easy reference later:

91
The silversmith was thoroughly aghast
When notified that he’d be bronzely cast,
Causing the sculptor to get out of joint—
But maybe he just doesn’t see the point…

92
The little birds all chirped and made a fuss
When they saw their noble friend Andronicus
Had kindly and munificently come
To bring them a sweet, pink chrysanthemum.

93
The basement’s got a vast and teeming stash
Of bridges, rivets, hinges, and nose pads,
And other tools to help the students see
Their way to an invaluable degree.

94
Some palaces in Accra, and some flats
In London are for sale. And yet, for half
Of what you’d pay for those, you can afford
A prime and pristine residence in Lourdes.

95
The tiny house in between Mathison
And Kingsley’s got the preparations done,
By getting itself stocked up for the winter,
Collecting twigs and little sprigs as tinder.

96
To pause and spend a little time apart
From others can become a healing art.
And you will feel more calm inside by far
When you let your heart become a sea of stars.

97
The woman in her long and flowing shawl
Looks deep into the vague, translucent ball
To find, for those who patiently await,
The details for the up and coming dates.

98
The barrel hangs, a sword of Damocles,
Over the people nibbling on their cheese,
Who know the fun could end at any time
With them all covered in gallons of wine.

99
I walked the winding path over to see
The traces of a little factory.
The cable that it processed and supplied
Was cast out by a straight and simple die.

100
The symbol that is looking up at me
Persuades the setting of longevity,
But tiny, greenish bubbles disagree
As they fly fleetingly up from the deep.

posted by bbqturtle to Grab Bag (16 answers total)

Best answer: 93 sounds like an optometry school to me.
posted by snoboy at 8:56 AM on August 13, 2022 [3 favorites]

Best answer: 1 is a statue of Paul Revere someplace.
posted by LizardBreath at 9:02 AM on August 13, 2022 [3 favorites]

Best answer: The obvious one would be the Equestrian Statue of PR in the North End. Maybe it’s pointing towards something?
posted by GenjiandProust at 9:16 AM on August 13, 2022 [2 favorites]

Best answer: #99: There was a Simplex Wire and Cable Company at 201 Devonshire St., near the Freedom Trail
posted by sriracha at 9:20 AM on August 13, 2022 [2 favorites]

#94: There's a place called the Lourdes Center at 698 Beacon St., but I can't make any sense of the rest of the clue...
posted by sriracha at 9:41 AM on August 13, 2022

Response by poster: The equestrian statue was correct and found!
posted by bbqturtle at 9:42 AM on August 13, 2022 [1 favorite]

Best answer: #94: New England College of Optometry is at 424 Beacon St, or BU Eye Care is at 660 Beacon...
posted by sriracha at 10:03 AM on August 13, 2022 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: The new England college of optometry was correct!! Picked up by someone else :(
posted by bbqturtle at 10:15 AM on August 13, 2022 [1 favorite]

92. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is known for their pink chrysanthemums, and there's no Andronicus reference but there IS a painting of Antiochus and Stratonica.

98. City Winery on Beverly Street has a wall of barrels?

97. Enchanted Boston Psychic Room on Canal Street?
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 10:41 AM on August 13, 2022 [1 favorite]

If 92 is the ISG museum, Andronicus might be meant to be read as “Titus”. There’s a book on display, “The Nature Of Things by Titus Lucretius Carus: https://www.gardnermuseum.org/experience/collection/20900#object-details . Could be worth a look.
posted by LizardBreath at 11:17 AM on August 13, 2022 [1 favorite]

I'm also doing the hunt, and it's worth noting that the first person to solve and find a riddle gets about $450 PER CLUE! It's open to the public, so if you'd like to join the fun, search for the Golden Goose Crypto Scavenger Hunt. I'm also happy to get any started. Just let me know!
posted by 1fish3fish at 11:19 AM on August 13, 2022 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: End of day one update!

91- found at Paul Revere statue
92 - found at Titus sparrow park
93- found at new England optometry school
98 - found at Fromage wine and cheese on Charles
99 - found at Traces Public Art in University Park Common, Cambridge
posted by bbqturtle at 7:16 PM on August 13, 2022

95: "Tiny house" made me think of the spite house in the North End, but I can't make the rest of the clue fit at all.

For a different approach, there's a Kingsley Montessori School at the corner of Exeter and Newbury, in the historic Exeter Street Theater building, which used to be a movie house. Again, I'm not sure about the second half of the clue though. Right in that same area are Newbury Comics, Stephanie's, and JP Licks, which all seem like places you could hide a token, but I couldn't make any of them fit either.
posted by timestep at 8:08 PM on August 13, 2022

100: The first two lines make me think of a historical marker or mosaic of some sort set in the sidewalk. Maybe something on the Freedom Trail, perhaps the Boston Massacre marker? I don't know what the tiny green bubbles could refer to though.
posted by timestep at 8:50 PM on August 13, 2022

I saw this clue remains unsolved and I’ll wager it refers to the former nightclub The Channel, on Necco Street, and the entrance to the Harborwalk is right in that area. The Channel had a black, white and grey logo and was a big rock club.

Clue #023

The heroes in their black and white and grey
Proclaim from their namesake upon the Bay
That those who carry doubts that Boston rocks
Should try to walk a day in Boston socks.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 4:15 AM on August 14, 2022

Response by poster: yes I said yes I will Yes, that clue for 23 sounds perfect, but at the end of the day I need to find the token itself. I went to where the channel used to be and there's no plaques or murals or anything. I'll let you know if that leads to a solve!
posted by bbqturtle at 8:22 AM on August 14, 2022