Credit: The City Reliquary
The World Series of New York City trivia returns to the Queens Museum for its 15th anniversary this Friday. Hosted by the City Reliquary, the Panorama Challenge uses the museum’s iconic Panorama of the City of New York, a huge scale model of the five boroughs created for the 1964-65 World’s Fair, to test participants’ knowledge of places and events tied to neighborhoods across the city. Taking place on April 17, this year’s competition will feature a new set of NYC-themed questions, including viral moments, Broadway, and other facets of the city’s cultural history and lore.
Teams of returning pros and new challengers will work to answer the questions, reinforcing the City Reliquary’s mission to highlight how every city block is rich with stories and meaning. The City Reliquary hosted the first Panorama Challenge in 2007 to engage the public in that mission, turning knowledge of the city into a participatory cultural experience.
The winning team will have its name etched onto the Panorama Challenge trophy alongside previous victors, becoming a part of the event’s history.
This year’s panel of judges includes Kevin Walsh of Forgotten New York, former Manhattan Borough Historian and sewer alligator expert Michael Miscione, tattoo artist and Daredevil Tattoo owner Michelle Myers, and other local figures. Quizmaster Jonathan Turer and emcee Gary Dennis return to run the game and have devised a set of challenging questions.
“Reaching the 15th installment of the City Reliquary’s Panorama Challenge feels really special to me,” Turer said. “Every year I look forward to crafting the questions. I love digging into the strange, wonderful details of New York history and turning them into puzzles that make people look a little closer at the city around them.”
“Seeing players connect the dots, argue over clues, and get excited when something clicks is incredibly rewarding. After all these years, it still feels like a celebration of curiosity, community, and the endless stories hidden throughout the five boroughs.”
The trivia utilizes the famed Panorama of NYC, currently on long-term view at the museum. Conceived by urban planner Robert Moses and created for the 1964–65 World’s Fair, the model was built by a team of more than 100 people at the acclaimed architectural model-making firm Raymond Lester & Associates over the course of three years.
Ticketing and team registration are still open. Admission is $25 in advance, $30 at the door, and $20 for City Reliquary members.
A free shuttle will run between the 111th Street 7 train station and the Queens Museum.
“The Panorama Challenge really captures what the City Reliquary is all about,” Dave Herman, founder of the City Reliquary, said. “It invites people to look more closely at the city around them. It turns curiosity into a game and brings together people who love the strange, overlooked, and fascinating details of New York life.”
He added, “Reaching the 15th edition of the Panorama Challenge is a huge milestone, and it’s exciting to see how much enthusiasm the community still brings to it every year. It’s a perfect example of how a small, quirky idea can grow into a beloved tradition.”
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