Free, Tut-Themed Game Connects 12 Popular Philadelphia Sites

Philadelphia has launched the King Tut Treasure Tour, a geocaching trail and scavenger hunt connecting 12 Egyptian-themed sites in the city. The free game is just one component of the city's king-sized celebration in honor of the boy king.

Created by the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), the activity runs from May 12 through Sept. 30, the last day of the Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibition, presented by Mellon Financial Corporation, at The Franklin Institute Science Museum. Full details are available at http://www.gophila.com/geocaching.

Tour Details:

The King Tut Treasure Tour is two games simultaneously. The easy version is played with a brochure and players don't need a Global Positioning System (GPS) locator. The brochure is available at http://www.gophila.com/geocaching or at The Franklin Institute, the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and the Independence Visitor Center. The harder version, hosted at http://www.geocaching.com/ (search for GC10PZ9), goes to the same sites, but the clues are slightly harder and rely on the use of GPS coordinates.

At every stop, players will find a hidden box (cache) containing a stamper for stamping their game brochure or geocaching passport. There will also be a log book, since it's customary for geocachers to sign in when they find a cache. At the final stop, players will present their fully stamped brochure to receive a small prize.

Geocachers are encouraged to take their time and visit the sites along the route. Of the 12 locations, six are museums/attractions, three are public indoor spaces and three are public outdoor spaces. No admission fees are required to reach the caches.

What is Geocaching?:

Geocaching is a high-tech scavenger hunt, which involves hiding and finding objects using a Global Positioning System (GPS) locator. The hobby began in 2000, when the public was first allowed to receive accurate GPS satellite readings. Associated more with the woods and open landscape, geocaching is actually active in urban settings, as well.

Of the 391,592 active geocaches listed on http://www.geocaching.com/, 50 are in New York's 10021 zip code and 47 are in Center City, Philadelphia. More than 2 million people in the U.S. geocache. The hobby appeals to puzzle- loving, tech-savvy families and individuals. Well on its way to becoming the first entirely wireless city in the U.S., Philadelphia offers geocachers several Wi-Fi hotspots along the route.

The 12 Stops:

The game route moves roughly west to east. All stops can be reached by walking or taking the Tut Trolley, The Phalsh, the Historic Philadelphia Trolley Loop or the RiverLink Ferry to Camden, New Jersey. The game begins at The Franklin Institute and moves onto the Free Library of Philadelphia, Masonic Temple, Reading Terminal Market, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Jewelers' Row, Independence Visitor Center, Adventure Aquarium and more. The most dramatic stop will be a massive, all-weather, walk-through sand sculpture of an Egyptian city, built at Franklin Square. The clue will be embedded into the design.

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) builds the region's economy and image through destination marketing to increase the number of visitors, the number of nights they stay and the number of things they do in the five-county region. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit http://www.gophila.com/ or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.

Source: Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation

Web site:
http://www.gophila.com/
http://www.gophila.com/geocaching
http://www.geocaching.com/