Where in the world will this adventure lead you?
One of Van Gogh’s famous paintings, Starry Night, has been stolen from the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. I need your help. Track down the painting and return it to the museum before the opening of the exhibit this weekend. Travel around the world, interviewing witness in each city to gather clues.
Good Luck Detective!
Docent:
“I overheard someone mention missing the ball drop this New Year’s Eve. “
Historian:
“A reliable source told me she took a picture with a costumed character.”
Patron:
“The person you are looking for was in my guided tour. She wanted to know where she could find larger than life billboards.”
Times Square is located in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. The center is brightly lit and adorned with billboards and advertisements. This is one of the busiest pedestrian areas, as well as the hub of the Broadway Theater District. Times Square is one of the world’s most visited tourist attractions, drawing an estimated 50 million visitors annually. Approximately 330,000 people pass through Times Square daily.
Tourist:
“A suspicious person was asking about Liberty Island’s boat schedule.”
Character in Costume:
“I heard she asked for directions to Battery Park.”
Police Officer:
“Sources tell me she was interested in visiting with Lady Liberty.”
The construction of the Eiffel Tower took two years, starting on January 28, 1887, with the completion taking place on March 31st 1889. The tower boasts 1,710 steps. When the project began, it was established that the tower’s construction would only last 20 years, followed by imminent destruction. However, during the Universal Exposition, 2 million people visited giving the building a symbol of French industrial power. Determined to avoid destruction of the tower, Gustave Eiffel went to great lengths to prove its scientific utility. In the end its use as a radio antenna tower would save it. Today approximately 7 million visitors climb the tower every year.
Cab Driver:
“A suspicious person asked for directions to a triumphal arch.”
Tourist:
“A suspicious person was asking directions to Place Charles de Gaulle”
Police Officer:
“A suspicious person talking about celebrating the military achievements of the French armies.”
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the people of France to the United States. It is recognized as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. Architect Richard Morris Hunt designed the granite pedestal, with the construction completed in April 1886. The statue was completed in France in July 1884 and arrived in New York Harbor on June 1885. In transit, the Statue was reduced to 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 crates. The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886. It became a national monument in 1924.
Security Officer:
“The person you are looking for was here and she asked where she could get the best view of the city.”
Maintenance Staff Member:
“I heard she headed up to 34th street.”
Sightseer:
“A reliable source told me she was looking for the world’s most famous building.”
Notre-Dame Cathedral is located at the eastern end of the Île de la Cité. The original central spire was replaced because of instability in the 19th century. The cathedral has an area of 427 feet by 157 feet, with the room measuring 115 feet tall. The cathedral is a work of art itself. On the western facade doors showcase fine early Gothic carvings and a row of figures of Old Testament kings. While on the east end, the apse has large clerestory windows and is supported by single-arch flying buttresses. The cathedral’s three great rose windows retain their glass from the 13th century.
Cab Driver:
“I overheard a woman talking about sprawling gardens she wanted to visit.”
Tourist:
“A suspicious woman was talking in great length about Marie-Antoinette.”
Docent:
“Sources tell me she was heading to the Hall of Mirrors.,”
Since 1837 Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of the UK’s sovereigns. Today it is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch. Although used for many official events, the State Rooms are open to visitors every summer. The Palace has a total of 775 rooms, 19 of which are State Rooms. The other rooms include 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. The building is 108 meters long, 120 meters dep, and 24 meters high. Each year more than 50,000 people visit Buckingham Palace to attend State banquets, lunches, dinners, receptions and Garden Parties.
Security Officer:
“The person you are looking for asked me about someone named Ben.”
Tourist:
“The women you are looking for kept asking about the time.”
Cyclist:
“A women asked me for directions to Westminster..”
The Arc de Triomphe is the most monumental of all triumphal arches. The arch was built between 1806 and 1836. The Arc de Triomphe stands at the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle. The arch is in honor of those who fought for France, in particular, those who fought during the Napoleonic Wars. Engraved on the inside and at the top of the arch are all of the names of the generals and wars fought. There are inscriptions in the ground underneath the vault of the arch which include the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War 1 where the Memorial Flame burns. The arch stands 162 ft tall, 150 ft wide, and 72 ft deep.
Tourist :
“I heard her ask about the most valuable painting in the world.”
Cab Driver:
“I just dropped a women off at the world’s largest museum.”
Police Officer:
“A woman matching your description was talking about a pyramid made 0f glass.”
Thanks to your help, we caught the thief. She had the “Starry Night” Van Gogh painting, which will be returned to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
The next time that a thief strikes, I hope I can count on you to help me again.
Historian:
“Sorry, I haven’t seen anybody like that around here. Try another city.”
F option 1
Très Bon! Thanks to your help, we caught the thief. She had the “Starry Night” Van Gogh painting, which will be returned to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The next time a thief strikes, I hope I can count on you to help me again.
Historian:
“Sorry, I haven’t seen anybody like that around here.
Try another city.”
Brilliant! Thanks to your help, we caught the thief. She had the “Starry Night” Van Gogh painting, which will be returned to the Museum of
Modern Art
in New York City.
G option 2
Tourist:
“Sorry, I haven’t seen anybody like that around here. Try another city.”
Big Ben
London, England
Très Bon! Thanks to your help, we caught the thief. She had the “Starry Night” Van Gogh painting, which will be returned to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
The next time that a thief strikes, I hope I can count on you to help me again.
F option 2
Guard:
“Sorry, I haven’t seen anybody like that around here.
Try another city.”
Louvre Museum
Paris, France