Open 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Fri. 10 a.m.–8 p.m.As an extremely active collecting museum, The Strong National Museum of Play is home to the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of historical materials related to play. While it’s our mission to collect and preserve artifacts, sometimes the items we collect have the potential to cause harm, whether that’s from the inherent materials that were used during production, materials that were added to the artifact later, or artifacts that pose risks from handling. While some obvious collection items that […]
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Japanese Games at The Strong, Part II
I previously blogged about some Japanese Super Nintendo video games I had cataloged during my first few months as Curator of Electronic Games. Reflecting on my own memories of playing Super Nintendo and other systems of that generation and seeing the Japanese games I was cataloging, I recognized that many genres popular overseas often did not make it stateside.
The Sega Saturn was immensely popular in Japan, its library totaling more than one thousand games. By contrast, the American Saturn library […]
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A Donkey Kong Game Show? Starcade Provided Video Gaming Star Power
By Adam Nedeff, researcher for the National Archives of Game Show History
The Strong’s latest expansion—opening June 30, 2023—includes the world’s largest, playable Donkey Kong arcade game. Using a motherboard from an original Donkey Kong cabinet, this monolithic version stands nearly 20 feet tall. In honor of this new addition to The Strong, the National Archives of Game Show History is flashing back 40 years to a short-lived but much-loved game show that starred Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, the Mario Brothers, and […]
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Just Call Me Ash Ketchum
One of the joys of working in a museum collection is seeing the variety of objects that come into the museum. In 2022, my weekly round of photography brought me in contact with a mix of Pokémon plush figures. But photographing some classic Pokémon wasn’t my only interaction with the franchise. I spent February 2022 exploring the open world of Pokémon Legends: Arceus. In December, I completed my Pokédex in Pokémon Scarlet. I continued to procrastinate on several planned Pokémon […]
Pride Month Celebration
Celebrate Pride at The Strong with inclusive story readings, performances, and activities. Watch Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience, a fun filled show about Wilbur the naked mole rat as he finds the courage to be himself and prove that there’s no need to be like everyone else. At 11:15 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:15 p.m., sit and listen to story readings about the celebration of the love we feel for our families and all the different […]
Artist at Play Workshop: LEGO Printmaking with Raashad Parker
Join local artist Raashad Parker* for a hands-on workshop to learn the basics of printmaking using LEGO bricks. In this 90 minute workshop, participants will use LEGO bricks to create original works of art. This unique process provides a playful introduction to relief printmaking. Create imagery, experiment with ink, and print on a printing press! Two sessions are available: June 10 & June 11 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $10 for members and $29 for members. (Non-member ticket […]
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Artist at Play Workshop: LEGO Printmaking with Raashad Parker
Join local artist Raashad Parker* for a hands-on workshop to learn the basics of printmaking using LEGO bricks. In this 90 minute workshop, participants will use LEGO bricks to create original works of art. This unique process provides a playful introduction to relief printmaking. Create imagery, experiment with ink, and print on a printing press! Two sessions are available: June 10 & June 11 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $10 for members and $29 for members. (Non-member ticket […]
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Why Barbie Fashion Designer is a GREAT Selection for the World Video Game Hall of Fame
Most years when we pick the finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame—and then when our International Selection Advisory Committee and fans help determine the inductees—there is controversy over one of the picks. Our very first year in 2015, for example, we named Angry Birds as a finalist along with eventual inductees Doom, Pac-Man, Pong, Super Mario Bros., Tetris, and World of Warcraft. Hardcore gamers were outraged, even after it wasn’t selected— “Angry Birds does not deserve to […]
“Play Like a Man!”: How Atari Gave Adults Permission to Play
“Hey, you! Greenhorn. Come on out and play like a man!” challenged the dozen cowboys staring me down from an ad in an issue of Electronic Games magazine. This rhetoric surprised me in 2023, but I imagine it would have been even more jarring for readers in 1981 when the ad for Activision’s Stampede first appeared. “Play like a man!” seemed unusual, because playfulness is so rarely connected to conventional forms of American masculinity as a key trait. Yet here […]
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