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 […]
SCOOBY-DOO!™ Mansion Mayhem
“Ruh-Roh” SCOOBY-DOO!™ and the gang invite families to solve a gem of a mystery when the SCOOBY-DOO!™ Mansion Mayhem exhibit opens Saturday, January 18, 2025 at The Strong National Museum of Play. This immersive experience, in partnership with Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment, allows families to join the members of Mystery Inc. to analyze clues and put their problem-solving skills to the test. Families and young detectives will work through the rooms of the mansion meeting different characters from the iconic […]
Playful Putters: The History of Miniature Golf
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.
Playful Putters is included with general admission. The exhibit remains on view through September 1, 2025.
Learn about SNAP and other museum admission discounts.
Hole sponsors include:
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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.
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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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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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 […]
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 […]
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