Advanced · opening soon
The Lost Journal of the Autumn Star
A captain’s lost journal, six lanterns and a ship stuck in the mist. Crack each page on your phone.
Ages 9+ with a grown-up60–90 min
The Salem Hold · Opening soon
Salem’s lantern-lit scavenger hunt
A family scavenger hunt through 1800s maritime Salem, Massachusetts, with a twist: every clue is a puzzle that opens on your phone when you arrive, not a plaque to hunt for. The code wheels are in the app. Kid-friendly, and not spooky.
- 6 stops
- 2 km flat loop
- ~75 min
How a Hold works
Walk. Unlock. Solve.
A Hold is a scavenger hunt set in a real town. No guide and no booth: you walk it with your own phone, at your own pace.
1WalkFollow the lanterns to each stop.
2UnlockArrive, and the stop’s page opens.
3SolveEverything you need is on your phone.
Nothing to find on a plaque or a statue: every puzzle is on the page, so a busy sidewalk or a crowd around a landmark never stops you.
Two quests
One for puzzlers, one for little ones (ages 6–9)
Beginner · opening soon
Barnacle’s Lantern Walk
A shorter walk of picture puzzles with Barnacle, a friendly black ghost cat with a tiny lantern. Under a kilometre, ending on Salem Common.
Ages 6–9~30 min
One Salem Hold Pass, $9.99, plays both trails on one phone. Your crew can share it, or each phone gets its own. Players 13 and up can make their own account; for a younger child, a parent or guardian makes it.
Opening soon
How to start
- 1Get the pass. One Salem Hold Pass per phone. A grown-up makes a free account to hold it.
- 2Head downtown. The trail starts in downtown Salem. Open the map on your phone: it shows the way to the first stop.
- 3Walk and solve. Each stop’s page opens when you arrive. Stop for a snack: your progress keeps.
Be first on the trail
Leave a grown-up’s email and we’ll write when the trail opens.
Visiting Salem with kids: good to know
- Play in daylight. The trail is made for daytime, and October evenings downtown get very busy.
- Best played in the morning, when Salem is calmest. Weekdays are quietest of all.
- October weekends are Haunted Happenings: downtown streets close to cars from mid-morning. Arrive early, or come by train.
- Halloween (Sat Oct 31) closes most of downtown and brings the biggest crowds of the year. Pick another day if you can.
- Charge your phone before you set out.
- Every stop is on a public sidewalk or in a park. The route avoids memorials and burial grounds.
Want a Hold in your town? For venues and towns
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