Invent, construct, and create in The Strong’s 800-square-foot Play Lab on the museum’s first floor (near the Field of Play exhibit). Unlock the educational power of play and enter a playful maker space with daily programming based around monthly themes.
Every month be introduced to a new topic of inquiry such as printmaking, sound, and circuitry. Gain scaffolding assistance from museum staff and guest creators. Experiment with related tools and equipment such as looms, saws, and Oculus. Take time to create, […]
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 […]
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 […]
Wegmans Super Kids Market
At The Strong’s Wegmans Super Kids Market exhibit, kids run the store! Cruise the aisles and fill a grocery cart with colorful products that look amazingly real. Visit the toddler organic farm, Market Café, and a variety of other highly interactive store environments that offer dramatic role-playing opportunities and encourage healthy eating habits.
Explore the Market Café replete with prepared meals, a sushi bar, and a coffee bar—just like the real grown-up Wegmans!
Shop for organic and gluten-free products at Nature’s Marketplace.
Discover […]
Reading Adventureland
The magic of literature comes to life in Reading Adventureland at The Strong museum. The artifact-rich, life-size pop-up book invites guests to laugh, play, learn, and read!
Follow the Yellow Brick Road into five literary landscapes inspired by children’s books.
Become a sleuth and solve riddles in the Mystery Mansion.
Play with silly words and rhymes in the Upside-Down Nonsense House.
Explore a shipwreck and caves in Adventure Island.
Come face to face with famous fairy tale characters and settings in Fairy Tale Forest.
Delve into […]
Play Pals
Play house, heal a teddy bear, and save the world. Play Pals traces the evolution of dolls, action figures, toy soldiers, and plush animals through three centuries of American history. Encounter rare treasures from The Strong’s collections and role-play, test your reflexes, and create imaginary worlds among hands-on, interactive stations:
Step into a life-size dollhouse complete with kitchen, nursery, garden, and family car (with working ignition, pedals, GPS, and headlights).
Measure, weigh, and test the vital signs of your favorite stuffed animals […]
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 […]