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Have you ever sat on a park bench thinking, I wonder who’s been here before? Neither have we.

But, when you actually sit down to think about it, a bench has a lot of history—and every one is unique. There are wooden benches, metal benches, and plastic benches. Blue benches, red benches, green benches. Benches with planks and benches with holes. Benches that are comfortable and some that aren’t.

Not only that, but many benches have played a significant roles in people’s lives. They’ve been a part of engagements and break-ups. They’ve heard conversations no one else has. And they’ve provided a landing place for hundreds, even thousands, of bottoms of every size and shape.

But this week, the benches around Des Moines are providing a landing place for something far more special—a genie bottle. We traveled the greater Des Moines area searching for benches we could mark with the Veritas seal of approval: a photo of the bench with the bottle on it.

But that’s not all: We’ve left the bottle at one of the benches with a spectacular prize inside. Click through the photos and use the Google map links to locate the various benches. Then go there to see if you’ve found the winning one. When you find it, don’t forget to rub the bottle and wait for your prize to be revealed!

Photo by Matt Crummy