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 […]
Imagination Destination
Let your imagination soar! Be an astronaut, rescue pilot, construction worker, actor, and more in The Strong’s original, permanent Imagination Destination exhibit. Role-play in inspiring spaces bursting with physical challenges, such as a rescue helicopter, construction site, rocket ship, and theater.
Jump into the captain’s chair and take command of the bridge on the U.S.S. Strong—a futuristic spaceship replete with lights and sounds reminiscent of favorite science-fiction movies.
Climb into the cockpit of an emergency helicopter with working controls and set off […]
Game Time!
Your turn! Move like a piece on a giant game board through three centuries of American games, puzzles, and public amusements at Game Time! located on The Strong’s second floor. Feast your eyes on oversized toy props; see rare, historic treasures from The Strong’s game and puzzle collections; and jump right in for active hands-on family fun.
Conquer the maze in a jumbo Perplexus, designed especially for The Strong, and compare it to the 1889 original handheld ball maze Pigs in […]
Field of Play
In The Strong’s Field of Play exhibit senses are delighted by interactive and creative-play activities, and hundreds of fascinating artifacts that illustrate the six major elements of play: anticipation, surprise, pleasure, understanding, strength, and poise.
Start with a three-screen multimedia presentation about the importance of play in human learning and creativity, then go hands-on in this one-of-a-kind play laboratory.
Walk through a giant kaleidoscope and create and view your own kaleidoscope patterns.
Use pulleys to power a gigantic overhead ball machine.
“Drive” a drag […]
DanceLab
Dance to music through the decades and cast colorful, moving shadow patterns in DanceLab at The Strong museum. Move your feet to a variety of classic tunes and contemporary hits:
Jump and jive to energetic swing music.
Tap your toes and stomp your feet to popular pop hits.
Groove to classic disco beats.
Do the Twist and kick your feet to the Charleston.
Sing and move along with favorite Sesame Street songs.
DanceLab is produced by The Strong.
Aquariums at Rainbow Reef
Dive into The Strong’s Rainbow Reef exhibit and discover delightful activities inspired by the museum’s underwater residents.
Step up to a larger-than-life digital aquarium. Design and draw shapes on a fish coloring sheet. Then, scan your drawing onto a monitor and watch it come to life on a projected fish tank filled with coral reef.
Marvel at the fascinating behaviors of saltwater fish and coral in the 1,700-gallon coral reef aquarium featuring a large and low viewing surface that provides even the […]
American Comic Book Heroes
Grab a cape and leap into the world of superheroes with the American Comic Book Heroes: The Battle of Good vs. Evil exhibit at The Strong museum. Explore seven decades of amazing characters who have struggled mightily against evil in the comic book cosmos while inspiring kids’ imaginations and play.
Go hands-on at Super Powers School where everyone becomes a superhero.
Super Strength: Step into the laboratory and absorb “gamma rays” in order to pick up a massively heavy object.
Super Memory: Observe a series of flashing lights and […]
America at Play
Dive into the past and explore more than 300 years of play and pastimes in America at Play—a permanent exhibit at The Strong. Through a blend of rare artifacts and hands-on activities, learn how play influenced America’s cultural history:
Download The Strong’s Bloomberg Connects app for the America at Play audio tour with multilingual descriptions.