The Great Gotham Challenge

"Walking in a Winter Wonderland."❄️

DYK: Prior to the now-iconic Macy's Thanksgiving day parade was the Raggamuffin Parade, a "peculiar tradition of children painting their faces and donning tattered clothes to masquerade as 'ragamuffins' who asked 'Anything for Thanksgiving?' as they went door-to-door asking for pennies, apples and pieces of candy." Read more about the "Raggamuffin Paraders" and the origins of Macy's parade here: https://buff.ly/3FIOl0V

Can you guess this spooky location of a recent CTRL/ALT/DECODE clue?

Your opportune moment is neigh; seize your chance to play Compass 2021 via a new exclusive puzzle. Details here: https://bit.ly/3jXQIVn.

Can’t wait to share the latest at !

It's back! Hugely popular at RECON last year, The Great Gotham Challenge returns to to host Ctrl/Alt/Decode: MMXXI as a Play Pass Prime game. This all new virtual race tests knowledge, wit, intuition, and mettle. Available to Play Pass Holders: https://recon21.realityescapecon.com/

Times Square // 1960

The rumors are true: the death knell has sounded for the iconic Club 21 🏇, a restaurant that grew out of one of the most notable speakeasies to open during the Prohibition era. Raise a glass with us as we bid adieu to this iconic NYC landmark. 🥂

Who remembers this clue & how it worked? // As seen in the 'GGC x Industry City'

Catch you in the Yard // Seward Park, NYC 1912 // Credit: Frances Loeb Library

ICYMI: IRL challenges are BACK! Join us this season by reaching out to [email protected] today to book your private challenge. // Cluemaster Seale, 2019 Public Challenge: The Village

📸: Chase Anderson #2019

The Great Gotham Challenge is proud to announce that we've joined forces with Good Shepherd Services to co-produce one of the most epic, invigorating, and mind-melting late-night puzzle adventures in NYC: COMPASS 2021

More on how YOU can play here! 👉 https://bit.ly/3fNsZny

Great news: we're once again booking IRL Private challenges for your team or company on the streets of NYC! Ask your Team Lead or HR to contact [email protected] to learn more!

#2021

The Bronx // 1970

CTRL // ALT // Decode: Battle Scars // A portrait of one of our Cluemaster extraordinaires: Seraphina Mallon-Breiman, who regularly runs our private and Bespoke challenges.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, on March 25, 1911, was the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of the city, and one of the deadliest in U.S. history. The fire caused the deaths of 146 garment workers – 123 women and girls and 23 men– who died from the fire, smoke inhalation, or falling/jumping to their deaths. Most of the victims were recent Italian and Jewish immigrant women and girls aged 14 to 23.

The factory was located on the 8th, 9th, and 10th floors of the Asch Building, at 23–29 Washington Place, near Washington Square Park. The 1901 building still stands today and is now known as the Brown Building. It is part of and owned by New York University.

Because the doors to the stairwells and exits were locked (a then-common practice to prevent workers from taking unauthorized breaks and to reduce theft), many of the workers could not escape from the burning building and jumped from the high windows. The fire led to legislation requiring improved factory safety standards and helped spur the growth of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU), which fought for better working conditions for sweatshop workers. - wiki

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World Day for Safety and Health at Work
ICYMI: this building is now an NYU building that thousands of students go to class in every week!

Why should weekends have all the fun? Treat yourself to memories you won't soon forget -- book a private experience for your company or team today!

Headed out of COVID restrictions like...

📸 Chase Anderson

This is what the South Street Seaport used to look like! // Banana Docks 1906

Box One is 🤯 We love that much (if not all) of the delight comes from unexpected directions and turns. Opening the box you may well think "What's the fuss? Is that IT?!" only to be proven delightfully wrong as the game unfolds. Very few experiences are beautifully designed for just one person to play, so while you can play with others, we encourage flying solo the first time around. Have you played yet?!

NYC cops dumping confiscated alcohol during Prohibition in 1922 // Oh how things have changed in NYC... 🍸

Last season we debuted a new premium experience for private teams....Crates! Head to our story for a behind-the-scenes look at production of the first shipment.

Pandemic fashion on point // London, Spanish Flu - 1906

"I think this would be a good time for a beer." - F.D.R. // 88 years ago FDR signed off on the Cullen–Harrison Act, thus (informally) ending Prohibition early by allowing the sale of beer -- at the time considered to contain too little alcohol to lead to intoxication. Can you name this staple NYC location where many of our private, in-person challengers have finished with this celebrated beverage?

How many recognize this groundbreaking performer? As the first black woman offered a leading role in a major motion picture, she became an international dancing and comedic sensation.

Times Square through the ages - 1911,1937, 1947, 1952, 1970, 2018 😉

The dreary weather has us hunting through the archives for fond memories of summertime Great Gotham Challenges. What's your favorite GGC memory? 📸:: Chase Anderson

Teaming up with exciting new partners in 2021 to bring you an event for the history books. More info coming soon.