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Pioneer Press Treasure Hunt

In 1952, the Saint Paul Pioneer Press and Dispatch newspapers (at the time one produced the morning edition and the other produced the afternoon edition) devised a contest to go along with the annual Saint Paul Winter Carnival: a treasure hunt. For the first few years, An actual treasure chest was hidden on public property and clues appeared in each edition of the newspaper until the treasure was found. The finders of those chests were allowed to keep them.

For 30 years of hunts, 1958-1987, the treasure was a medallion, a coin per se. In later years, technology came to the aid of hunters, through tools such as metal detectors (and of course there were hunters throwing metal slugs out in parks to try and thwart the metal detectors). In 1988, the Pioneer Press threw a monkeywrench into the works, by making the medallion out of "Laser Beams and 3M Magic", a round chunk of plastic. Metal detectors did no good.

As the hunt has progressed, so has the dollar value of the prize, from a potential $1100 prize in 1952, to $10,000 today, if the finder has a registered winter carnival button and clippings of the clues.

General Location Pinpointed Location Concealer
2024 Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary Up a small hill from the closest trail to the railroad tracks in line with Cherry Street A sawdust covered acrylic cube
2023 Phalen Park On the Hill Between the Park Entrance and the Beach House A Can of Corn
2022 Silverwood Park In the overflow parking lot/field Frozen in ice inside a COVID at-home test kit box
2021 West Park, White Bear Lake About 40 feet north of the park sign, 6 feet in from the street A mini face mask
2020 Highland Park Near the Edgcumbe Road Bridge over the ravine A pile of sticks
2019 Long Lake regional Park 10 paces off the path between the beach and boat launch west of Devine Frozen in leaves
2018 Harriet Island Regional Park In west parking lot in a snowbank Inside a football fashioned from a cup koozie
2017 Crosslake Historical Society Near the cart and milk cans
2017 Keller Park In the woods between Keller Parkway and Spoon Lake A chunk of ice, stepped on by a boot
2016 Bald Eagle Lake Park In the woods near the boat ramp on Bald Eagle Lake Cigar leaves and a wet nap, wrapped in a plastic bag
2015 Saint Paul Union Depot On the Doghouse Days of Summer Statue at Gate B A red envelope marked "TC"
2015 Snail Lake Park Next to a tree near sledding hill above volleyball court Wrapped in cloth frozen in a block of ice
2014 Como Park To the aft of the USS Swordfish memorial, near Lexington and Estabrook Inside a pocket from a pair of jeans.
2013 Cherokee Park Near Annapolis Street, by a tree that had grown into a chain link fence. Ice
2012 Tony Schmidt Park Near a stand of pine trees just off the Elmer Andersen Trail underneath the overhead power lines A diamond brand nut bag wrapped up in a blue hair binder
2011 Battle Creek Park Near the remnants of the former ski jump site Clear Newspaper Wrapping
2010 Lilydale Park Tucked in a footprint in the snow near an uprooted tree, across the river from grain silos and a circular piling in the river. Plastic bag, with a depiction of the Pioneer Press's two Pulitzer Prizes.
2009 Swede Hollow Park Near a tree at the end of the spring whose water crosses the eastern walking path. The Pioneer Press Hunt logo with red lipstick on the bulldog was affixed to the medallion
2008 Indian Mounds Park Underneath a fallen tree Plastic-covered packaging from 3M Highland brand invisible tape
2007 Central Park - Roseville Near the base of a tree, close to a footbridge to the playground Nothing
2007 Hidden Falls Park Along a line straight South of Cleveland Avenue Encased in ice, with the UAW Local 879 and Ford Logos under some logs
2006 Battle Creek Park Amidst some tall grass near a stand of pine trees on the sledding hill behind the recreation center Inside a Nut Goodie Wrapper, wrapped in a red and black garter and frozen in ice
2005 Indian Mounds Park Under a tree in the Eastern end of the park
2005 Crosby Farm Park Under a fallen tree branch Attached to the bark of a tree
2004 Phalen Park In a wooded area, in the area between Phalen and Round Lakes, not unlike the 2003 location Loose in the snow in a green-iced donut
2003 Como Park In a wooded area north of the old fireplace Frozen in ice
2002 Merriam Park On the ground in the middle of a baseball diamond Stuck to a tortilla chip can liner
2001 Como Park Downhill from the park's West Picnic Grounds. Inside an "Iron Man" sock, stuffed into a "Dove" soap box
2000 Newell Park Between the bench swing and baseball diamond Inside a box of Ace brand playing cards
1999 Conway Rec. Center Across the street from 459 Ruth St. in the Northwest corner of the park Inside a crocheted pouch
1998 Cherokee Park Near the woods at the south end of the park Inside an "Old Navy" brand sock
1997 Como Park Across Estabrook Drive from the frog pond, in a stand of 27 trees Wrapped in a bandana stuffed in a Curad bandage box
1996 Harriet Island Park Near the picnic shelter Inside a Skoal Tobacco Container
1995 Battle Creek Park Near the picnic shelter on Winthrop St. Wrapped in a knit yarn pouch
1994 Highland Park Near the Police Station Inside a wooden box
1993 Hidden Falls Park Between the bike path and the entrance road downhill from the North entrance Concealed in a baby diaper
1992 Cherokee Park Near the bend in Cherokee Ave. as it makes its way towards Smith Ave. Hidden in a White Mitten
1991 Langford Park Near the intersection of Knapp Pl. and Knapp St. Inside a Hostess Sno-Ball
1990 Como Park Pointed at by the torpedo monument In a clump of clay and grass
1989 State Capitol Mall Between the hedges south of Constitution Ave. In a pair of earmuffs
1988 Tony Schmidt Park Between the parking lot and domed shelter across the street from Lake Johanna Embedded in a chunk of almond bark
1987 Indian Mounds Park In the block bordered by Mounds Blvd., Mounds St., and Clemont St. Hidden in a clump of clay and grass
1986 Highland Park Near the old Highland Park swimming pool Inside a pipe cap
1985 Kellogg Park Underneath a boulder near the Robert. St. end of the park Tucked inside a White Castle box
1984 Newell Park Near the southeast corner of the park Attached to a piece of a broken Elvis Presley 45rpm record
1983 Phalen Park Near the picnic pavilion In a bag of Oreo's; it replaced the filling in one of the cookies
1982 Wakefield Park Near the sledding hill on Prosperity Ave. Wrapped in a newspaper
1981 Acorn Park Across the walking path from the skating rink Stuck between a pair of leaves
1980 Como Park Near the Schiller Statue Covered in plaster, made to look like a stone
1979 Marthaler Park Near the tennis courts. Attached to a piece of tree bark
1978 Harriet Island Park Midway between the road and the pavilion building Frozen in a ball of milk and ice
1977 Irvine Park On the ground amid eight trees Inside a cigar box
1976 Keller Park Underneath the roots of the first tree south of the bridge to the island In a "Y" shaped tree branch
1975 Mears Park Near the intersection of Sibley and 5th Sts. In a Bull Durham tobacco sack wedged in a picnic bench
1974 Cherokee Park Between a large oak tree, and a grove of pine trees and large rock directly in line with Winona St. Inside a Coca Cola can concealed within a White paper bag
1973 Phalen Park Near Light Pole # 13 on the Pavilion Parking Lot Cemented into a closet rod bracket
1972 Marydale Park South of the westernmost manhole cover Attached to a gold-painted gooseneck water trap
1971 Wakefield Park Near the Southwest edge of the lake A baby buggy wheel
1970 Battle Creek Park On the 50-yard line of the football field on Upper Afton Rd. A cast iron vise
1969 Interstate 35E at Victoria Street On the bridge of the then-future highway intersection Frozen rocks
1968 Highland Park Near three oak trees up the hill from the intersection of Lexington Pkwy, Montreal Ave., and W. 7th St. A piece of plasterboard
1967 Minnesota State Fairgrounds Between the Judging Arena and the KTCA booth A horseshoe
1966 Harriet Island Park Between the baseball diamonds An old-fashioned clothes iron
1965 Como Park 100 paces east of the Larry Ho plaque A block of printer's lead
1964 Beaver Lake Park Near the intersection of Edgewater Blvd. and Geranium Avenue A gold colored brick
1963 Bounded by Farrington and Louis Sts. and Rondo and Carroll Aves. On the ground near a hollow stump Loosely tossed in the snow
1962 Mississippi Street Freeway Near a survey marker for the soon-to-be Interstate 35E, near the intersection of Mississippi St. and Lawson Avenue Hard-packed snow
1961 Highland Park Near the ballfields at Montreal and Edgecumbe in the fire pit A clump of grass and weeds
1960 Harriet Island Park In the woods in the west end of the park In the heel of a rubber boot
1959 Warner Road Near the railroad signal structures Between leaves in a tree
1958 Keller Park Under the Highway 61 bridge between Phalen and Keller Parks In a gallon of milk frozen around the medallion
1957 Battle Creek Park Near the county workhouse farm Above ground in a clump of roots
1956 Como Park Near the Old Stone Fireplace Inside a Hollow Log
1955 Downtown Saint Paul Underneath a mailbox at 7th and Robert Streets Magnetized under the mailbox
1954 Hidden Falls Park Inside the park entrance by the Ford Plant Inside the base of a dead, hollow tree
1953 Minnesota State Fairgrounds Near the Poultry Building Near the base of a tree
1953 Cherokee Park Near the tennis courts at Delaware St. and Cherokee Ave. Snow and dried leaves
1952 Highland Park Leland & W. 7th Street Treasure Chest in a clump of weeds