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The NYC-themed trivia contest at the Queens Museum is back after a 4-year hiatus
By
Ryan Kailath
Published Apr 7, 2024
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Courtesy of the City Reliquary
By
Ryan Kailath
Published Apr 7, 2024
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A beloved New York City-themed trivia contest will return to the Queens Museum on April 12, after a four-year hiatus.
The 13th annual Panorama Challenge uses the Panorama of the City of New York – a warehouse-sized scale model of all five boroughs created for the 1964 World’s Fair – as a sort of trivia game board, with organizers highlighting different neighborhoods and location-based clues via laser pointer.
“We consider ourselves to be the world’s largest New York-themed trivia contest,” said quizmaster and licensed NYC tour guide Jonathan Turer, who has written questions for the contest's past 10 installments.
This year's trivia categories include “Awkwafina,” “Fame,” and “SNL & Staten Island,” as well as more general geography, history and pop culture-related queries.
Turer said that categories are to be interpreted loosely: “Awkwafina” could refer to the actress or the bottled water brand, for example.
The judges are a panel of NYC experts, including Kevin Walsh of the Forgotten New York blog and Michael Miscione, a former Manhattan borough historian. Organizers expect more than 200 participants this year.
Here's how it works: Contestants form teams of 10 or fewer, which spread out to the four corners of the glass-floored walkway above the panorama, to maximize their perspective on the game board.
Anyone is welcome to show up solo to play, and a team of matchmakers is present to coordinate groups.
Winners will have their name etched on the Panorama Challenge trophy, which stands at the museum.
There will be food and beverages, a halftime show from 2023 Miss Subways winner Harmony Hardcore, and DJs spinning classic 1964-fair era soul and doo-wop throughout the night.
Turer said the event isn’t just for trivia or New York City nerds.
“I have friends who come just because they think it’s a fun night out, and don’t need to do well on the trivia at all,” Turer said.
He cautions that fans of the panorama who want a good view of the gameboard should arrive a bit early.
The 9,335-square-foot model of the city became the centerpiece of the Queens Museum, which stands on the site of the fair’s pavilion in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
The model includes every building that stood in the city's five boroughs in 1992, when it underwent a yearslong renovation and update.
The Panorama Challenge takes place on Friday, April 12 at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door and are available here.
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new york city
queens
Ryan Kailath
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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