The Puzzle is open to natural persons, 18 years of age or older, who are legal residents of the 50 United States of America, and D.C., but excluding anyone who is a (i) resident of Guam, Puerto Rico, & all other U.S. territories and possessions and military installations overseas and/or (i) regent, officer, employee, fellow, intern, research associate, or volunteer of the Smithsonian Institution or a member of any of the foregoing's immediate family or household.
To start playing, visit page 39 of the October 2012 issue of Smithsonian magazine or smithsonian.com/puzzle. The Great American History Puzzle presents participants with eleven (11) history-based puzzles as follows: the first puzzle is provided in the magazine and its solution gives participants the password to access a webpage that presents a nine-puzzle grid. The puzzles will be released on this schedule: Puzzle 1 is available to in-home subscribers upon delivery and on the web on September 19, 2012; the remaining ten puzzles will be made available on the web each of the following days at approximately 2 p.m. ET:October 1, 3, 5, 9, 11, 15, 17, 19, and 22. As participants correctly solve the nine puzzles on that webpage, the nine-part grid will begin to take shape and the final puzzle will slowly be revealed; participants must solve all nine web-based puzzles to see the final puzzle. The clues will be of varying difficulty. The winner will be the first participant to solve the eleven puzzles and submit the correct solutions to all 11 puzzles via e-mail to the provided e-mail address. Participants will have until November 1, 2012, at 2 p.m. ET to solve the final puzzle. One e-mail entry per person will be accepted — multiple emails or e-mails from different addresses belonging to the same person will be disqualified and considered void.
The Smithsonian will award 1 (one) prize to one person. The prize is a Smithsonian Journey's "custom" trip for four people to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. (retail value not to exceed U.S. $10,000); winner may request a cash equivalent. (Such cash prize will be limited to the cost the Smithsonian would have paid for the Smithsonian Journeys travel prize.) Travel must be completed by December 31, 2013. If prize becomes unavailable for any reason, the Smithsonian reserves the right to substitute a prize of like or equal value.
The Smithsonian will select the winner based on its determination of the first eligible entry to correctly deliver the solution to all 11 puzzles. The Smithsonian is not responsible for e-mails that fail to be delivered. The Smithsonian will notify winner via the e-mail address provided at the time of entry. If winner does not respond to the notification within one day, another winner will be chosen. Failure to respond within one day means the winner forfeits the prize. In the case of a tie, as Smithsonian will create a tie-breaking puzzle that must be solved by those participants in the tie. Smithsonian will continue to add new tie-breaking puzzles, as needed, until one winner emerges. Decisions of the Smithsonian are final. The winner will be announced on November 5, 2012.
Entry materials must: be lawful, true, and accurate; contain only the participant's own original material or material for which participant has full authority and permission to grant the rights set forth in these rules; and not infringe on the rights of any third party. By entering, participants warrant that the entry materials they submit comply with these rules.
Participants give the Smithsonian permission to use the entry materials they submit and the their name, image, and likeness for all standard museum purposes if they are selected as winner and accept the prize.
All participants hold the Smithsonian, its regents, officers, employees, fellows, interns, research associates, and volunteers harmless from and against all claims of any nature arising in connection with their participation in the contest, acceptance or use of prize. The Smithsonian and its regents, officers, employees, fellows, interns, research associates, and volunteers are not liable for any costs, damages, injuries, or other claims incurred as a result of anyone's participation in the Great American History Puzzle or winner's acceptance and usage of the prize.
Winner, and those who will accompany winner on the prize, may be required to execute an affidavit of eligibility, publicity and liability release as a condition of receiving the prize.
The Smithsonian is not responsible for incomplete or misdirected entries, technical or network malfunctions or failures, or causes beyond its control. Participants are solely responsible for their entries. Participants may not submit materials that introduce any software viruses, worms or other programs designed to damage software, hardware or telecommunications equipment or are off-topic, partisan-political, contain advertising, personal attacks or expletives, or is otherwise abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, discriminatory, libelous, obscene, false, pornographic, or that infringes on the rights of any third party. The Smithsonian reserves the right to disqualify any participant whose entry or conduct appears in any way to: inhibit the enjoyment of others; tamper with the competition; violate these Rules; infringe on the rights of third parties; or act in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. The Smithsonian reserves the right to cancel the contest or modify these rules at any time for any reason at its discretion. In the event of a dispute regarding the winners, the Smithsonian reserves the right to award or not award the prizes in its sole discretion. By entering this contest, participants agree to be bound by these Rules and the decisions of the Smithsonian, which are final and binding in all respects. No purchase necessary to enter or win. Puzzle void where prohibited. Winner is responsible for all taxes on the prize, if any.
After November 5, 2012, you may obtain a list of winners by sending a self-addressed, stamped (first-class postage) envelope to Smithsonian magazine.
