The Strong National Museum of Play facts for kids
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The exterior of The Strong, featuring a piece of public art, showcasing four popular children's toys.
From front to back: dominoes, interlocking bricks akin to those manufactured by 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 all about the history of play, toys, and video games. The museum started in 1969 with a collection from Margaret Woodbury Strong. It first opened its doors to the public in 1982.
For many years, the museum focused on the history of everyday American life. But in the 1990s, the museum decided to change its main goal. It became dedicated to collecting, saving, and sharing the story of play. Since then, it has grown a lot and added hundreds of thousands of items to its collections. The museum has also expanded its building three times.
Today, The Strong National Museum of Play is part of a larger group called The Strong. This group also includes the famous National Toy Hall of Fame and the World Video Game Hall of Fame. It is also home to the International Center for the History of Electronic Games.
About the Museum
The museum was first known as the "Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum." Later, it was simply called the "Strong Museum." In 2006, it became the "Strong National Museum of Play." This happened after big renovations that almost doubled its size.
The Strong National Museum of Play is the only museum of its kind. It focuses completely on the study of play. Even though it is a history museum, it feels like a children's museum because it has so many interactive exhibits. It is the second largest children's museum in the United States.
The museum has exhibits that help visitors understand what play means. You can also explore worlds based on popular shows like Sesame Street and The Berenstain Bears. There is also a Reading Adventureland and the Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden.
Exciting 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, TV shows, and nature. You can also learn about history, comic books, and children's lives. There are even carousel and train rides!
The eGameRevolution is the first permanent video game exhibit in the US. It includes the World Video Game Hall of Fame. The National Toy Hall of Fame is also located at the museum. Here, you can see famous toys that have been honored.
The Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden is a beautiful place with thousands of butterflies. It is the biggest indoor butterfly garden in New York. Another special exhibit is "The Berenstain Bears: Down a Sunny Dirt Road." This exhibit was created with the Berenstain family.
In 2019, The Strong Museum received a large grant to create a new interactive exhibit. This exhibit shows how video games have influenced culture. It opened in July 2023. The new additions included the ESL Digital Worlds exhibit and a new home for the World Video Game Hall of Fame. There is also the Hasbro Game Park, which is a big outdoor area themed around board games. These new parts added a lot more space to the museum.
War Toys: Ukraine Exhibit
From November 10, 2023, to March 16, 2024, The Strong Museum hosted a special exhibit called "War Toys: Ukraine." This exhibit showed how war affects children. It was part of a tour around museums in North America.
Steve Dubnik, the president and CEO of The Strong, said that the museum was proud to host this exhibit. He mentioned that it helps people understand the lasting impact of war on children. It also reminds everyone to support these children.
See also
