Sam Loyd Puzzles

Samuel Loyd (January 31, 1841 - April 10, 1911), perhaps Americas greatest ever puzzle maker, invented and refined thousands of puzzles in his lifetime. Word puzzles, rebuses, tangrams and math puzzles. Here we have collected some of his best math puzzles from his Cyclopedia of Puzzles for your enjoyment.

A Question of Time
The hour and minute hands are at equal distance from the 6 hour, what time will it be exactly? Try Puzzle >>
Covent Garden Problem
Here is a puzzle known as the Covent Garden Problem, which appeared in London half a century... Try Puzzle >>
Great Picnic Puzzle
When they started off on the great annual picnic every wagon in town was pressed into service,... Try Puzzle >>
Guess the Boy's Age
It appears that an ingenious or eccentric teacher being desirous of bringing together a number... Try Puzzle >>
Marther's Vineyard
What are the maximum number of grape vines that can be planted, not closer than nine feet apart,... Try Puzzle >>
Merry Go Round Puzzle
While enjoying a giddy ride at the carousel Sammy propounded a puzzle which reflects much credit... Try Puzzle >>
Our Columbus Problem
Here is a famous prize problem that Sam Loyd issued in 1882, offering $1000 as a prize for... Try Puzzle >>
Outwitting the Weighing Machine
The five school children in couples weigh 129 pounds, 125 pounds, 124 pounds, 123 pounds, 122... Try Puzzle >>
Puzzling Prattle
Two school children, who were all tangled up in their reckoning of the days of the week, paused... Try Puzzle >>
Riding Against the Wind
A bicycle rider went a mile in three minutes with the wind, and returned in four minutes against... Try Puzzle >>
Sam Loyd's Archery Puzzle
Here is an odd little puzzle which occurred the other day at an archery meeting.

The... Try Puzzle >>
Sam Loyd's Banana Puzzle
How it is that when I buy yellow bananas at three shillings a bunch and the same number of... Try Puzzle >>
Sam Loyd's Battle of Hastings Puzzle
In the Battle of Hastings that occurred on October 14, 1066 Harold's forces formed 13... Try Puzzle >>
Sam Loyd's Boxer's Puzzle
Here is an odd little puzzle-game from the East:

One of the Chinese girls writes sixteen... Try Puzzle >>
Sam Loyd's Carrying Puzzle
Aesop tells how a father and son failing to ride their donkey in a way to please the public,... Try Puzzle >>
Sam Loyd's Engineer's Puzzle
Big Jim, engineer of the Oval Express says: "We blew off a cylinder head an hour after leaving... Try Puzzle >>
Sam Loyd's Jack and Jill Puzzle
Here is a pretty puzzle from Mother Goose's story of Jack and Jill's race for a pail... Try Puzzle >>
Sam Loyd's Juggler Puzzle
The clown after juggling with the five triangular pieces of cardboard to attract attention... Try Puzzle >>
Sam Loyd's Keys Puzzle
Bluebeard explains that his bunch of keys was strung upon an endless key ring and divided into... Try Puzzle >>
Sam Loyd's Palmistry Puzzle
A gypsy queen who ekes out a precarious existence by gathering quarters from gullible victims... Try Puzzle >>
Sam Loyd's Trolley Puzzle
Charley Smalleash treats his best girl to a trolley ride, but on account of his limited resources... Try Puzzle >>
Sam Loyds Laundry Puzzle
Charlie and Freddie, having sent their lingerie consisting of thirty pieces to the wash, Freddie... Try Puzzle >>
Sam Loyds Monkeys Puzzle
Here is the original story of the Seignor and the monkey house as told by an eye witness. You... Try Puzzle >>
Sam Loyds Puzzling Scales
Try to solve Sam Loyds Puzzle as shown here.

• the first illustration shows a... Try Puzzle >>
Santos-Dumont: Flying Balloon
A balloon propelled by some mechanical device travels five miles in ten minutes with the wind,... Try Puzzle >>
The Cashier's Problem
An old man goes to a bank with a check of $200 and asks the cashier "Give me some one-dollar... Try Puzzle >>
The Cat and Dog Race
Many years ago, when Barnum's Circus was of a truth "the greatest show on earth" the famous... Try Puzzle >>
The Four Elopements
The story of four elopements says that four men eloped with their sweethearts, but in carrying... Try Puzzle >>
The Herd of Camels
An Arab Sheik, finding himself about to die, called his sons about him and said: "Divide my... Try Puzzle >>
The Mathematical Milkman of Puzzleland
The school children were returning to their homes when they met the mathematical milkman, who... Try Puzzle >>
The Price of Eggs
This odd little problem in domestic arithmetic was sprung by the cook upon Mrs. Smith when... Try Puzzle >>
Weighing the Baby
How much does the baby weigh if the mother weighs 100 pounds more than the combined weight... Try Puzzle >>