June 9, 2006
For More Information and Advance Media Tours of Strong
Contact: Susan Trien, 585-410-6359, strien@strongmuseum.org

Strong National Museum of Play®
$37 Million Expansion Opens July 14, 2006

ROCHESTER, New York—Beginning July 14, 2006, experience the bigger, even better Strong National Museum of Play® in Rochester. An astonishing $37 million expansion doubles the museum’s size, further bolstering Strong’s stature as the second largest children’s museum in the nation, the only museum in the world specifically devoted to the study of play, and home of the National Toy Hall of Fame®. Play, learn, and discover for hours on end in two multi-layered, imaginative new exhibits, and experience the first indoor butterfly garden in Upstate New York.

Guests approaching the museum will be immediately struck by the whimsical design by award-winning architectural firm Chaintreuil Jensen Stark. The building’s vivid, primary colors and dramatic shapes are a perfect reflection of the museum’s playful personality. A gigantic, undulating caterpillar-like structure (3 stories high and 200 feet long) serves as an atrium connecting a new 40,000-square-foot wing to the existing building. Capped by a 70-foot-high circular glass wall, the Caterpillar is the first space frame in the world with this amorphous shape. Two other highly-stylized structures complement the main addition. A glass-enclosed, butterfly-shaped building houses Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden™. A second structure, looking from the outside like a pile of primary-colored children’s building blocks, houses Field of Play, an original exhibit on the importance of play in human development and creativity. Highlights of the Strong expansion include:

• Reading Adventureland: This 12,000-square-foot exhibit looks like a giant pop-up book and invites guests to follow the Yellow Brick Road into five literary landscapes inspired by children’s literature. Visit Adventure Island, the Upside-Down Nonsense House, Mystery Mansion, Fairy Tale Forest, and the Wizard’s Workshop.

• Field of Play: See why play is so essential to learning and creativity at a multimedia presentation about play, and explore your playful side at several dynamic, interactive “play” stations including a giant walk-through kaleidoscope, a Jellyfish Jungle, a topsy-turvy house, and a kid-powered kinetic sculpture.

• Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden™: The first and only indoor butterfly garden in Upstate New York, this glass-enclosed structure is filled with lush tropical foliage, a cascading waterfall, and brightly-colored, free-flying tropical and native butterflies.

• National Toy Hall of Fame®: Newly revamped and expanded, the prestigious hall annually inducts and showcases classic toys beloved by generations.

• Expanded Food Court and Retail Space: A new food court with increased seating features Pizza Hut® Express, Taco Bell® Express, Subway™, and Louie’s Sweet Shoppe (an old-fashioned ice-cream fountain), while Bill Gray’s Restaurant remains in the vintage Skyliner Diner. The museum has also expanded its museum store and added a new butterfly shop.

Guests will continue to step onto Sesame Street, travel through TimeLab, board a giant helicopter, run a kid-sized supermarket, and more in popular permanent exhibits that have placed Strong among the top children’s museums in the nation by Child magazine and the top family-friendly museums in the Northeast by Family Fun magazine. Strong is also home to a breathtaking array of play-related collections including the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of toys and dolls. And no visit is complete without a spin on the 1918 Allan Herschell carousel or a ride on the Strong Express Train.

Please Note: The museum is closed through July 13 to complete the final phase of construction in preparation for the grand opening of the bigger, even better Strong National Museum of Play®. A public Grand Opening Celebration is scheduled for July 14, 15, and16. For more information call 585-263-2700 or visit www.museumofplay.org.

Strong National Museum of Play® Grand Opening Summer sponsors include Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., and Harris Beach, PLLC.

Grand Opening Celebration Weekend Hours (July 14, 15, and 16):
Friday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Grand Opening Summer Hours (July 17 through Labor Day):
Monday–Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.;
Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.;
Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.;
Sunday, 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m.

Admission Fees as of July 14, 2006

General Admission (does not include admission to Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden™):
Adults $9.00; Seniors $8.00; Children (2–17) $7.00; Children younger than two free; Strong members free.

Admission to Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden™:
General Admission fee plus $3.00 per person for members and nonmembers; Children younger than two free. Due to limited capacity, entry to Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden™ is by timed ticket only. Advance purchase is recommended. To assure your admission into the butterfly garden during your visit, please call 585-263-2700 to purchase timed tickets.