The second clue for Brown Deer’s third annual medallion hunt has arrived.
Since 2024, the Village of Brown Deer has hosted a game every May, hiding a medallion within the village’s 4.5-square-mile limits and sending out clues every few days. In previous years, the hunt has drawn thousands of searchers in pursuit of the cash prize and complimentary meal, sponsored by Café Corazon, according to the village.
This year, Café Corazon has increased the pot by $500 for grand total of $2,500, per the village. The winner will also share a taco bar buffet with past winners at the Café Corazon location in Brown Deer, 4102 W. Bradley Road.
While the clue is hidden within the Village of Brown Deer, community members across the Milwaukee metropolitan area are able to participate, according to the village.
No property, vegetation or ground needs to be damaged to find the medallion, and it is also not hidden on a private for-profit commercial property, Village Manager Tyler Burkart said. If you find it, call Burkart at 414-371-3051.
The 2026 search for this year’s skull-shaped medallion started on Tuesday, May 12, when the first clue published on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s website (in this story) and the village’s website. Subsequent clues are being published every Tuesday and Friday until the medallion is found.
The Journal Sentinel is adding the new clues to this story as they become available.
Clue No. 2
A few days have passed and I’m still here.You need to step up and look harder for me to appear.Thanks to Café Corazon, you have a chance to win.Search locations where people love to take a bike for a spin.
If you are still confused, there’s a place you can go,Near where trees may block you from seeing your shadow.Take a little stroll south after you park in the lot.Do you think you know enough to find my hiding spot?
Clue No. 1
Hey Milwaukee! I’m back for year three.Get off the couch and go outside to find me.I liked my hiding spots at Village Park and the Oak Leaf Trail,But this year’s location will force you to fail.
Wow, look at all the redevelopment in this town.Retail is making a comeback here – I am so down.But you’ve got to know this one thing.Just look for a playground where kids can shout and sing.
What does the medallion look like?
This year, the medallion takes the shape of a skull in the cafe’s signature colors of blue, red, yellow and orange. It is roughly three inches in diameter.
For the third year in a row, the medallion was crafted by local Brown Deer artist Jean Wells. In previous years, the medallion has been in the shape of a heart and a rooster.
The medallion hunt is coordinated by the Brown Deer Community Foundation and the Village of Brown Deer, and it is sponsored by Café Corazon.
How long will this year’s search last?
The 2024 winner found the medallion near the Brown Deer Pond in Village Park after 14 days. The 2025 winners located it along the Oak Leaf Trail after 18 days.
Contact Claudia Levens at clevens@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X at @levensc13.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here’s Clue No. 2 for 2026 Brown Deer medallion hunt with $2,500 prize
Reporting by Claudia Levens, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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