Museum Exhibits

Short-Term

Hello Cutie: Our Favorite Kitty 

Explore the cultural importance of the beloved Hello Kitty character at Hello Cutie: Our Favorite Kitty, a new exhibit open on the museum’s second floor. Learn about Hello Kitty’s origins in 1970s Japan and discover how this darling of kawaii (loosely meaning cute in Japan) became a global sensation. Through artifacts from The Strong’s collection, learn about Hello Kitty’s triumphs and widespread appeal, along with some controversies and continuing debate: Hello Cutie: Our Favorite Kitty is produced as an educational exhibit by The Strong and has [...]

Online

A Brief History of Black Doll Designers Since the 1950s

This online exhibit celebrates the role of Black designers in diversifying dolls to help children build pride and encourage conversation. 

Permanent

Infinity Arcade

Grab the joystick and dive into the ultimate arcade experience! Play some of the most iconic arcade games of all time at the original Infinity Arcade exhibit—and explore the history of the arcade in America, from the penny arcades in the early 1900s, to the classic arcades of the 1970s and 80s, to today’s latest iterations. Infinity Arcade is produced by The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games. See current Arcade machines. * While many of the games throughout the [...]

Short-Term

Playful Putters: The History of Miniature Golf

Opens May 24

Grab a putter and scorecard from the Putt Shack and (putt) put your skills to the test on a nine-hole, indoor minigolf course. Along the way, explore the history of the popular pastime and learn about the ways it has evolved in the United States.

Short-Term

Black Doll Designers

Learn about the pivotal role that Black designers have played in diversifying toy aisles in Black Doll Designers, open on the museum’s first floor (near The Strong Express Train). Explore the history of toy companies founded to promote representation—such as B. Wright Toy Company, Olmec Toys, and Shindana Toys—and view key doll examples, such as:

Short-Term

Capturing Play

From the Collection of Photojournalist Martha Cooper See a selection of toy cameras and figures collected by documentary photographer Martha Cooper in a new display just outside the Field of Play exhibit on the museum’s first floor. Learn about Cooper’s life and career in photography, which has included snapping pictures of urban play for more than 50 years. Then view a sampling of the more than 450 items The Strong acquired from Cooper, including a:

Online

Re-Play: The First Fifty Years of Hip-Hop Fun

The Strong—in partnership with Google Arts & Culture—explores hip-hop as a site of play and examines its cultural impact on playthings.

Permanent

Console Central

Dive into the stories of the most important video game systems in history—from the Magnavox Odyssey (1972) to the Sony Playstation 5 (2020)—in Console Central, now open just outside eGameRevolution on the museum’s second floor.

Online

Japanese Home Video Games Before Nintendo’s Famicom

Expertise in electronics helped Japanese toy manufacturers create many digital games in the years before the Nintendo’s Famicom (1983). This exhibit showcases these playthings.

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.

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. Learn about SNAP and other museum admission discounts.

Permanent

Hasbro Game Park

Jump into the game at the 17,000-square-foot, outdoor Hasbro Game Park! Before heading outside, learn more about the history and cultural influence of board games in Hasbro Board Game Place. Play a 15-foot-high version of Chutes and Ladders, and view unique artifacts from Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, Jenga, Scrabble, the Game of Life, and Simon. Once outside, stroll along a colorful path amid towering Candy Land candy canes, giant Scrabble tiles spelling “PLAY,” and a 14-foot-long Scottie dog from Monopoly. [...]

Online

Troubles, Triumphs, and Trivia: 13 Games about Black History

Discover these 13 games that taught Black history through play.

Online

“We Are You”: How Yla Eason’s Olmec Toys Reshaped the Multicultural Toy Market

Explore how Yla Eason, a Black mother and Harvard-trained businesswoman, built a company that challenged the toy industry’s standards for multicultural representation.

Short-Term

Raceway Arcade

Opens March 23, 2024 Play your way through the history of electronic driving games and learn about America’s long fascination with the need for speed in 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. (Note: Arcade games [...]

Online

That’s Just How We Roll: A History of the International Gay Bowling Organization

Gay and lesbian bowlers seeking fellowship and fun formed the International Gay Bowling Organization in 1980. Decades later, it is the largest LGBTQ+ sports association anywhere.

Online

Jerry Lawson: The Black Engineer and Entrepreneur Who Changed Video Games

Gerald “Jerry” Lawson changed the way we play by leading the creation of the video game cartridge and founding game developer company Video Soft.

Permanent

Play Lab

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, [...]

Online

Is that a Jumeau?

A century before Mattel’s Barbie graced miniature runways, the dollmaker Jumeau provided girls with stylish play companions that showcased French couture and innovation.

Permanent

Ralph Wilson Skyline Climb

Are you ready for the challenge? Jump into the realm of adventure play at The Strong’s high ropes course—Ralph Wilson 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, Ralph Wilson 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 [...]

Online

Video Game History Timeline

Explore the history of video games, understand how the industry began and evolved, and discover the impact that electronic games have had on how people play, learn, and connect with each other. See the video game timeline.

Permanent

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 [...]

Online

Ten Sports Video Games that Changed the Digital Playing Field

Sports video games empower us to play as our favorite athletes, compete against our friends, and defeat our opponents with gravity-defying dunks, 90-yard touchdown sprints, and other fantastic feats most of us can only dream of.

Online

Five Board Games that Changed Play

Over the last 200 years, board games have brought us together with delightful new forms of play that entertain, educate, and (occasionally) exasperate us.

Online

Beyond the Oregon Trail: Six PC Franchises that Helped Us Learn

Whether blasting through math equations or enabling a hunt for crooks across the globe, these six game franchises combined education and entertainment to make learning subjects like algebra and geography fun.

Online

Ten Iconic Balls that Made Play Shake, Bounce, and Roll

Imagine play without the ball. It’s impossible.

Online

Making Monopoly: A History of the Origins of America’s Favorite Board Game

Everyone knows the goal of Monopoly. Dominate industry, control property, maximize profit, and drive competitors to bankruptcy. But few realize that Monopoly evolved from an earlier ANTI-capitalist game.

Online

A Brief History of Women in Gaming: The 1980s

From the assembly line to the marketing department, women have shaped the game industry through hard work, creative coding, artistic imagination, and business savvy.

Online

Margaret Woodbury Strong and the Making of The Strong National Museum of Play

Margaret’s passions for collecting and play laid the groundwork for what would become the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of historical materials related to play.

Online

World of War Games: A History of Wargaming

Beginning in the late 1990s, the Cyprus-based Wargaming Group Limited established itself as a developer of military strategy games.

Online

Composing Classics: A History of Video Game Music

Music sets the tone for video games.

Online

Early Home Video Game History: Making Television Play

Video games first entered the home in the early 1970s as inventors, programmers, and designers developed new ways to play with a television.

Online

A History of Shindana Toys: Dolls and Games with a Difference

The history of Shindana—Swahili for “compete”—is a story of empowerment, civil rights, and community uplift.

Online

Aliens and Monsters: Playing with Creatures from the Deep

Imagination transports us to fabulous realms where aliens and monsters live to guide us or threaten us.

Online

Playing with Politics

Satirists, toymakers, game designers—propagandists of all stripes—reveled in playing with politics and with politicians’ images.

Online

American Board and Card Game History

This exhibit represents some of the most popular games and historically significant moments in American game history.

Online

The Oregon Trail, MECC, and the Rise of Computer Learning

Starting in the 1970s, the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium (MECC) led the world in giving computer access to large numbers of schoolchildren.

Online

How We Ride: A History of Play on Two Wheels

Drawing from artifacts in the collections of The Strong, this exhibit tours bicycling history.

Online

The Heart of the Matter: A History of Valentine Cards

This exhibit explores how these greetings playfully mixed flirtation and romance with humor that has ranged from whimsical to biting.

Online

Pinball in America

This timeline explores key moments in pinball history.

Short-Term

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 [...]

Permanent

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 [...]

Permanent

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. Wegmans Super Kids Market is produced by The Strong. Sponsored by Support from

Permanent

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. Each area is a complete and fully-engaging environment in its own right and includes related books that can be read on site or checked out at the museum’s Grada Hopeman Gelser Library self-checkout kiosk, a mini-branch of the Rochester Public Library System. And [...]

Permanent

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 [...]

Permanent

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 [...]

Permanent

One History Place

In the One History Place exhibit at The Strong museum, children and families can step into the past and experience a glimpse of life as it was a century ago. Amid artifacts and reproductions, guests explore mini-environments and go hands-on with activities reminiscent of an era of days gone by. Role-play as a teacher or student in a 19th-century, one-room schoolhouse. Delight in a game of “dress up” with turn-of-the-century clothes in the attic. Pump water, churn butter, and invite guests to a tea [...]

Permanent

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 [...]

Permanent

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 [...]

Permanent

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 [...]

Permanent

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.

Permanent

Carousel and Train

Elaine Wilson Carousel Take a spin on the lovingly restored Elaine Wilson Carousel featuring leaping horses, ponies, a chariot, and whirling tub. Manufactured in 1918 by the Allan Herschell Company in nearby North Tonawanda, New York, the carousel is an exceptional example of a country fair-style machine, built to last—a necessity when traveling from town to town. Rides cost $1 per person per ride. The carousel is named in honor of the late Elaine P. Wilson in recognition of the Elaine [...]

Permanent

Can You Tell Me How To Get To Sesame Street?

Step into the world’s most famous neighborhood at The Strong museum. Travel through five delightful decades of the iconic Sesame Street children’s television series. Dozens of interactive components invite families to explore concepts about letters, words, numbers, inclusion, and diversity. Say hello to Big Bird and sit on the famous 123 Sesame Street stoop. Visit with Elmo, Dorothy, and Mr. Noodle in the crayon-colored Elmo’s World and make your television debut with Abby Cadabby. Cook a meal in the Cookie Monster Foodie Truck. Use the payphone to call your favorite character. Read a [...]

Permanent

Build, Drive, Go

Put imagination into motion and zoom, sail, or fly into the Build, Drive, Go exhibit to explore the history of vehicles of all sorts—from trucks and trains to planes and boats—through three centuries of American history. Stop for a picture at an oversized traffic light. Climb into a dump truck to manipulate the levers and controls. Create skyscrapers and other towering structures with oversized blocks in the Big Build area. Make your own creations from materials at the Build Table, including favorites such as magnetic [...]

Permanent

The Berenstain Bears: Down a Sunny Dirt Road

Spend the day in Bear Country at The Strong museum. Start your journey by giving big bear hugs to life-size sculptures of Mama, Papa, Brother, and Sister Bear (don’t forget your camera!). Then, walk down Bear Country Main Street where a honey-pot of exciting activities awaits at the stores and businesses inspired by the books: Serve up some lunch at the Bear Family Restaurant. Visit a barn, barnyard, and fruit and vegetable stand filled with learning activities at Farmer Ben’s Farm. Make new friends at [...]

Permanent

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 [...]

Permanent

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 [...]

Permanent

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.

Permanent

Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences

Learn about luminaries in the video game industry and their award-winning creations at The Strong® museum in an exhibit that recognizes outstanding achievements within interactive entertainment and showcases recipients of both the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Awards and its Special Awards: Scroll through a touch-screen timeline to learn about D.I.C.E. award recipients across multiple categories, including Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, Family Game of the Year, and others. Game of [...]