The Strong National Museum of Play facts for kids
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The outside of The Strong, showing four popular children's toys.
From front to back: dominoes, interlocking bricks like LEGO, crayons, and toy blocks with the first five letters of the English alphabet |
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| Established | 1969 |
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| Location | Rochester, NY, USA |
| Type | Children's museum |
| Collections | Toys, video games |
| Owner | The Strong |
The Strong National Museum of Play is a special museum in Rochester, New York, United States. It is often called just The Strong Museum or the Strong. It started in 1969 with the personal collection of Margaret Woodbury Strong, who was from Rochester. The museum first opened its doors to visitors in 1982.
For many years, the museum focused on showing the history of everyday Americans. It used Mrs. Strong's amazing collections of dolls, toys, and other items. In the 1990s, the museum decided to change its main goal. It wanted to collect, save, and share the history of play. Since then, it has grown a lot. It has expanded three times: in 1997, 2006, and 2023.
Today, The Strong National Museum of Play is one of six "Play Partners" that are part of The Strong organization. It is also home to the famous National Toy Hall of Fame. You can also find the International Center for the History of Electronic Games and the World Video Game Hall of Fame here. The museum also has a big library about play and publishes a magazine called American Journal of Play.
About The Strong Museum
The museum was first known as the "Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum." Later, it was simply "Strong Museum." In 2006, it became the "Strong National Museum of Play." This happened after big renovations and an expansion that almost doubled its size. It grew to 282,000 square feet (26,200 m2).
The Strong National Museum of Play is the only museum of its kind. It is completely focused on studying play and has huge collections related to it. Even though it is a history museum, it feels like a children's museum. This is because it has many hands-on exhibits. It is the second largest children's museum in the United States.
The museum has many exciting exhibits. They help visitors explore the world of play. You can find areas based on Sesame Street and The Berenstain Bears. There is also a Reading Adventureland and the amazing Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden.
Explore the Exhibits
The museum's exhibits are designed to make you feel like you are part of the fun. They are themed around video games, storybooks, and TV shows. You can also learn about education, nature, history, and comic books. There are even carousel and train rides!
- eGameRevolution: This is the first permanent video game exhibit in the United States. It includes the World Video Game Hall of Fame. Here, you can learn about the most important video games ever made.
- National Toy Hall of Fame: This special hall is also at the museum. It celebrates classic toys that have been loved by generations.
- Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden: This is the biggest indoor butterfly garden in New York. It has thousands of beautiful butterflies flying around you.
- The Berenstain Bears: Down a Sunny Dirt Road: This is a unique exhibit made with the Berenstain family. It lets you step into the world of the Berenstain Bears.
Recent Expansions
In 2019, The Strong Museum received money to create a new interactive exhibit. This exhibit would show how video games have influenced culture. It was planned to open in 2022. After some delays, the new areas opened in July 2023.
These new additions included the ESL Digital Worlds exhibit. This is a new space for the World Video Game Hall of Fame. There is also the Hasbro Game Park, which is a large outdoor area themed around board games. These new parts added 90,000 square feet (8,400 m2) of space to the museum.
See also
