Kids, Pirate Gold, & Adventure
The 2nd Annual Fishers Island Treasure Hunt for Captain Kidd’s riches kicked off with a capital “Aaaarrrr, Matey!’’ on Sunday, July 14, coming to its gold-and-jewel laden conclusion at an awards ceremony on the back deck of the Henry L. Ferguson Museum last Sunday, July 21, with many of the pirate horde in attendance.
The Henry L. Ferguson Museum joined the Fishers Island Treasure Hunt as a partner, underwriting and helping plan, plot, and place the clues, skeletons, and treasure chests across the island. The Museum also designed and made custom trophies, with the silhouette of Fishers Island stippled across the face of each cup by silversmith and Museum Board member Wendy Krag O’Neil, who engraved the plaques and drove the swords through the sides of the much sought-after Kidd’s Cup. The Kidd’s Cup is awarded to the Overall Winner across all age groups.
The Fishers Island Treasure Hunt is the brainchild of Rob Hunt, who, with his wife Phoebe, daughter Violet, and son Teddy, were looking for something fun to contribute to the IPP Craft Fair last year. Hunt, who grew up exploring Fishers Island’s beaches, forts, forests, and coves during the summers, had an idea. “I really wanted to do something that encouraged Island kids to get off their devices and go out there and explore. And after we did the Treasure Hunt last summer, I knew we could make it even bigger and attract more kids.”
The first Fishers Island Treasure Hunt was a runaway success, with many island kids participating. This caught the attention of Museum board member Mike McNamara, who also happens to be an experienced Treasure Hunt administrator. “The Museum is always looking for ways to get kids engaged in Fishers Island history and experiencing the natural beauty of the island firsthand, especially its network of Land Trust trails,” says McNamara, “so teaming up with someone just as passionate and committed to that cause made complete sense—and it was a phenomenally successful and seamless partnership—one we hope will continue for a long time.”
This year’s Treasure Hunt had adventures tailored for three age groups: Six & Under, Seven-to-Tens, and Eleven-to-Fourteens. The Six & Under group had the Town Challenge, a one-day, fully walkable treasure hunt centered around town between the Museum and Dock Beach.
The Seven-to-Tens age group ranged further afield, and their West End Challenge saw clues and chests hidden across the West End, from the Fort area to Three Sisters to South Beach. Theirs was a 6-day treasure hunt, with a wittily worded clue leading to a hidden chest holding the clue for the next day.
The Eleven-to-Fourteens age group had a more complex and expansive geographic adventure ahead of them: The All-Island Challenge. They had to unravel two clues a day: the first would get them to an entry point, like a Museum Land Trust trailhead or beach entrance, and the second would bring them deeper to find a natural or historical landmark. Their travels took them through town, down the bike path, onto the beach, and combing the Museum’s 370+ acres of managed nature trails and sanctuaries (roughly 13% of the Island’s land area).
Writing the perfect clue is a delicate balancing act between story and information, and Hunt and McNamara spent a great deal of time getting it just right. “Whenever possible, the clues referenced pirates that were part of local history: not just Captain Kidd, but his contemporaries like Captains Thomas Tew and Henry Avery,” said Hunt, “We also worked in historical references, such as the wreck of the Thelma Phoebe and Munnatawket Hotel. We also made sure we worked Pierce [Rafferty] in, of course.”
This year 50 young pirates joined the hunt for pirate booty, raising a significant amount of money for the Museum in the process. In addition to the trophies, all podium finishers received prizes and gift certificates donated by Island Outfitters, the F.I. Village Market, Fishers Island Yacht Club, the Food Arts Café, Hay Harbor Club, and Toppers.
The competition was fierce across the board, but when the cannon smoke cleared, we had our winners:
Kidd’s Cup (Overall Winner)
- Lydia* Siener & Molly McNamara
*This is Lydia’s SECOND Kidd’s Cup victory, as she and Cleo Allan won the 1st Fishers Island Treasure Hunt in 2023!
Six & Under:
- Winner – Brooks Pierce and Hunter Pierce
- Second Place – Olivia Fox and Olive Beardsley
- Third Place – Emma Brown and Harry Murphy
Seven-to-Ten:
- Winner – Liam Douthwait and Oliver Douthwait
- Second Place (Tie) – Maggie Enright, Celeste Farrar, Lilka McBride, Gunnison Beardsley
- Second Place (Tie) – Maya Farrar, Zander Pierce, and Thomas Enright
- Third Place – Elenor Murphy, Gray Murphy, Walker Brown, and Lucy Brown
*Special Recognition: Alexander Toldo
Eleven-to-Fourteen:
- Winner: Lydia Siener, Molly McNamara, Teagan Ahlgren, and Lily Ahlgren
- Second Place: Ben Arsenault, Owen Arsenault, and Izzy Pollack
Planning for next year’s Treasure Hunt is already underway. It will add online registration, a digital notice board on FergusonMuseum.org, a daily publication of the clues—and a Treasure Hunt for adults is under serious consideration.
Do you have feedback or suggestions for the Treasure Hunt organizers? Fill out a digital suggestion card here.
NOTE: If you have photos or videos of the Treasure Hunt you’d like to share that can be posted on the Museum’s social media or website, please send them to Mike McNamara at mmcnamara@fergusonmuseum.org. Please include the names of the people in the photo and to whom photo credit should be given.
