Welcome to the Creature Quest!

How to play

Find the Creatures - There are seven unique creatures hidden around town - some may be along your walking route, others a short bike ride or drive away.
Strike a Pose - Snap a pic with each creature! They love new friends.
Share Your Quest - Post your creature selfies on social media and tag
@melroseartsma
@meeshpottery
'@oddpegswoodworking

Once you’ve visited all seven creature, you’ve completed the quest!

Tips

Go at your own pace - this is a walk/bicycle/drive adventure designed to be fun for all ages and abilities.
Be kind to the creatures - please don’t climb or pull on them - and the neighborhoods where they live.

Map: Libroletta at Melrose Montessori, Malachite at Follow Your Art, Flame at Milano Center, Jacqueline Lapine at Buckalew's, Razor Hoof at Hannah's, Blucher at Lincoln Field off Pleasant St, and Humbert at Free Little Library on Pleasant St

Blucher the Mimic (they/them)

A yellow and blue shoe monster. The toe cap is its open mouth, exposing two fangs and a tongue. Two eye stalks protrude from the upper and they peer in different directions.

Back when the Boston Rubber Shoe Company was churning out up to 55,000 pairs of shoes daily, a clever monster hid among the racks. As a mimic, Blucher can take the form of any inanimate object, but they still prefer the shape of the quality footwear once produced on Washington Street. Don’t get too close – they may bite!

A golden-horned cartoon-like white unicorn with a mane and tail that look like flickering flames, and a flame motif on its belly.

Flame the Unicorn (they/them)

Flame is a luminous unicorn who knows that souls shine brightest when they’re true to themselves. With a golden horn that sparks creativity, Flame lights the way on dark days, offering warmth and inspiration to all. Legend whispers that one of Flame’s ancestors helped guide the decision to restore the Beebe estate’s old barn - now the lively Milano Senior Center!

A stout cartoon-like smiling turtle with a broad, rounded shell etched with layered ridges and adorned with a few small flowers. The turtle wears black rubber boots and a black top hat. Atop its shell are two simple houses.

Humbert the Turtle (he/him)

Humbert the Turtle is a dapper gent in shiny rubber boots, tipping his hat to Melrose Ward 5’s rich rubber-making past. The cozy houses on his shell tell the tale of Melrose’s transformation from farmland to bustling neighborhoods - thanks in no small part to the Boston Rubber Shoe Company, once the city’s biggest employer. Slow and steady, Humbert carries the history of a community on his back.

Jacqueline Lapine the Jackalope (she/her)

A light brown rabbit with large antlers and a white tail. It is sitting in a crouched position with its head cocked to the side.

You may have noticed the multitudes of rabbits scampering about Melrose, but have you seen Jacqueline Lapine? With her antlers, this jackalope is not easy to miss but she is very fast! Jacqueline hops about town but her favorite spot is on Main Street, in front of Buckalew’s General Store.

A cartoon-like regal songbird wearing a polka-dotted onesie and a yellow crown conveying a sense of melody and lightness. In one blue wing, she carries a book with the words "come fly with me."

Libroletta the Songbird (she/her)

Libroletta is a regal songbird with a book tucked under her wing that beckons, “Come fly with me.” She believes every voice deserves to be heard and spends her days inspiring her flock to sing their truths. When off duty, she can be found gliding over sunlit Ell Pond, pausing to smell the roses, or curling up at the library with a spellbinding fantasy tale.

Malachite the Dragon (they/them)

A small green dragon with orange wings, eyebrows, and belly. Its wings are extended as it is ready to fly and it has a bemused expression, as if it knows a good joke and wants to tell it to you.

Red dragons crave fire, gold dragons covet treasure, and blue dragons love water, but for green dragons, there is nothing better than nature itself. Malachite has flown across the globe in search of the perfect spot to nest and they found it at Follow Your Art Studios on Main Street. Come catch them sunning themselves amongst the flowers and plants.

Razor Hoof the Djinn (he/him)

A dark gray humanoid face with red eyes, purple eyebrows and a curved purple goatee. It has two giant yellow horns protruding from the side of its head and a single yellow horn on its forehead. Its mouth is open in a maniacal grin.

Adrift through the oceans of time, Razor Hoof the Djinn found himself in the City of Melrose. He chanced upon Hannah’s Brewery and found their beverages and choice of music to his liking. Despite the menacing name, he is a benevolent spirit, unless you get too rowdy or take glassware outside the bar.

About the artists

A woman in a lime-green tank top pointing to a little free library with a clay turtle attached to the support beam

Meesh Pottery is a small batch home garage pottery studio in Melrose, MA run by potter and teacher Michelle “Meesh” Ramadan. Meesh brings over 20 years of experience to her art, having trained in various academic settings and independently.

A man with long hair and a graying beard sitting with his legs crossed on a bench next to a wooden rabbit with horns

John Pegoraro, aka Odd Pegs Woodworking, is a Melrose-based woodworker specializing in unique sculptures. His Odd Pegs Oddities reflect a heavy diet of horror and fantasy. He has been known to build traditional furniture from time to time as well.