Museum Exhibits

Short-Term

Black Dolls

On View September 23 to January 7, 2024 Black Dolls, produced by the New-York Historical Society, presents a landmark exhibition that explores handmade Black dolls through the lens of race, gender, and history. Black Dolls immerses guests in the world of dolls, doll play, and doll making while examining the formation of racial stereotypes and confronting the persistence of racism in American history. The exhibition examines how these toys serve as expressions of resilience and creativity, perseverance and pride, and love [...]

Permanent

Hasbro Board Game Place

Before heading outside to the Hasbro Game Park, learn more about the history and cultural influence of board games in Hasbro Board Game Place. Challenge friends and family to a 15-foot-high version of Chutes and Ladders and discover the game’s roots in ancient India. Then view unique artifacts and learn about the creators of other iconic games: Hasbro Board Game Place is made possible by Alan and Vivien Hassenfeld and the Hassenfeld Family Foundation.

Short-Term

Re-Play: 50 Years of Hip-Hop Fun Exhibit

Celebrate the history of hip hop—born in New York City in the 1970s—and how it inspired joy, play, and fun while creating a new art form. The exhibit, opening August 11 on the museum’s second floor, explores the wide-ranging cultural influence of this creative art form. View related artifacts from The Strong’s collections—such as the dual Technic turntables that DJs used to spin the genre’s first beats in the 1970s to rapping Mickey Mouse dolls and DJ Barbie Mini Boomboxes [...]

Online

Women in Games Artifact Tour

For decades, women have created video games and shaped our play, but their contributions have often been overlooked or obscured. Explore the work of 12 female game industry innovators and trailblazers through artifacts in The Strong’s High Score exhibit.

Permanent

Play Happened Here

People have played on this spot for centuries. Through its outdoor exhibit Play Happened Here, The Strong celebrates the individuals who have lived here and the ways that play has enriched lives, built communities, and made life a whole lot more fun. The exhibit is in the Riedman Commons on Adventure Place. Guests can scan a QR code on each of five panels to explore in multiple languages and hear audio through the Bloomberg Connects app.

Permanent

Pixel Landing

Come face-to-face with icons from the video game world in the Pixel Landing, at the top of the staircase in The Strong’s new wing. View statues and artistic renderings of favorite gaming characters, such as Link (from the Zelda franchise), Sonic the Hedgehog, Lara Croft (from the Tomb Raider series), Crash Bandicoot, Master Chief (from the Halo series), and Chung Li (from Street Fighter). Then, grab the joystick of the world’s largest, playable Donkey Kong arcade machine—standing nearly 20-feet tall and [...]

Permanent

ESL Digital Worlds: High Score

Learn about the history and cultural importance of electronic games in ESL Digital Worlds: High Score and see how this medium has changed the way that people play and connect. At a new rotunda honoring The Strong’s World Video Game Hall of Fame, learn about some of the most influential games of all-time and play versions of them on massive, overhead screens. Explore thematic sections throughout the exhibit to learn about the art, business, play, society, story, and technology aspects [...]

Permanent

ESL Digital Worlds: Level Up

Ready, player! Become part of the game and immerse yourself in video game scenarios at ESL Digital Worlds: Level Up. Grab an RFID bracelet, create an avatar, and earn achievements from The Strong’s periodic table of video game elements. Enter five distinct zones based on the actions of games—Choose, Move, Create, Compete, and Solve—and play through dozens of physical and mental challenges that include:    Also, become your own curator and virtually choose gaming artifacts from “vending machines” throughout the exhibit [...]

Permanent

Age of Empires

Explore the game-changing series Age of Empires in the Suzanne & Tony Goodman Gallery. Celebrate the art, music, settings, and gameplay of Age of Empires, and learn how the creators reimagined the rise of civilizations as a compelling strategy game that allowed players to grow populations, gather resources, develop technologies, and conquer rivals. Age of Empires is on view in the Suzanne & Tony Goodman Gallery.