Open 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Fri. 10 a.m.–8 p.m.Celebrate the legacy of Madame Beatrice Alexander, who founded the Madame Alexander Doll Company in 1923, at a new display on the museum’s first floor. Learn how Alexander changed the toy and doll industries and grew her company into a leading doll manufacturer.
Follow the evolution of the brand from the Great Depression to today and see more than 30 dolls from across the decades, including a cloth Alice in Wonderland doll, a Jacqueline Kennedy doll, pioneering fashion doll Cissy, classic […]
Raceway Arcade
Play your way through the history of electronic driving games and experience America’s long fascination with the need for speed at the original Raceway Arcade.
Start your engine and zip through the evolution of driving games in this highly interactive and artifact-rich exhibit designed for racing enthusiasts of all ages.
Produced by The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games.
Playable machines in Raceway Arcade require purchased tokens. Money collected from the sale of tokens helps maintain these original artifacts.
Presented in the Fidelis Care Gallery.
Skyline Climb
Are you ready for the challenge?
Jump into the realm of adventure play at The Strong’s all-new high ropes course—Skyline Climb. Suspended above the museum’s carousel atrium, adults and kids alike can traverse beams and balance obstacles, maneuver ropes and wobbly bridges, and leap off a zipline platform.
Built by RCI Adventure Products, Skyline Climb consists of two courses geared towards different sizes and skill levels—the Low-Rise Course Powered by M&T Bank for guests below 48 inches in height and the High-Rise for guests 48 […]
Toy Halls of Fame
Experience the cutting-edge Toy Halls of Fame exhibit and go hands-on with iconic toys beloved by generations—and the people who changed how we play. Displays featuring The Strong’s National Toy Hall of Fame inductees pair with displays highlighting toy industry luminaries recognized by the Toy Association’s Toy Industry Hall of Fame.
National Toy Hall of Fame
Climb the dramatic exhibit staircase and view a gallery of 21 portraits of classic toys, some that move and interact with guests in humorous ways.
Marvel at a […]
Material Girl
Inside the Closet of America’s Favorite Doll
Examples from the 1960s, such as Twist ‘n Turn Barbie, Sophisticated Lady, and Little Bow Pink, that showcase Barbie’s early style and elegance
Versions from the 1970s, from Silver Blues to Roller Skating Barbie, that reflect the loosening of the dress code and the counterculture movement
Dolls with the bold styles and bright colors of the 1980s, such as Lilac and Lovely, and that speak to historical moments from the decade, such as Astronaut Barbie
Examples that […]
Millennial Madness: The Toys that Shaped a Generation
Travel back to the 1990s—the era of grunge and the rising Internet— to explore the toys, dolls, and video games that shaped a generation at Millennial Madness, a new display featured in The Strong’s America at Play exhibit on the second floor. From Beanie Babies and Tickle Me Elmo to the Sega Genesis and Nintendo 64, learn about how these iconic playthings entertained and influenced more than 80 million kids:
Discover how changing technologies and widespread access to the Internet spurred […]
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Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden
A visit to The Strong museum is not complete without a stop in Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden, the only year-round indoor butterfly garden in upstate New York.
Enter the lush rain forest environment and walk among hundreds of brilliantly colored, free-flying tropical and native butterflies that flutter about—and may even land on you! Be sure to visit the chrysalis case and see emerging butterflies.
A paved path leads guests through tropical foliage, a turtle pond, and a cascading waterfall. Take a peek […]
Pinball Playfields
Immerse yourself in the pops, thumps, and dings of pinball and play your way through more than 80 years of pinball history at the original Pinball Playfields exhibit at The Strong museum. Trace the evolution of the playfield—the surface where the ball ricochets through a maze of lights and obstacles to rack up points—from countertop games of the 1930s to sophisticated, electronic versions that remain popular today.
Produced by The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games.
Playable machines in […]
Peanuts and Play Display
Marvel at artifacts featuring author and illustrator Charles M. Schulz’s iconic characters near the entrance to The Strong’s Field of Play exhibit.
Snap a photo of a six-foot-tall statue of Snoopy and his best friend, Woodstock.
Explore the impact of the Peanuts characters on play and pop culture.
Check out other comic strips that drew inspiration from Schulz’s stories.
Discover the history of other popular comic strip characters, such as Buster Brown and Little Orphan Annie.
View toys that were popular during the Baby Boom […]