Press Releases

Throughout the month of February, celebrate Black History Month at The Strong. Take part in The Strong’s Black History Quest, explore artifacts of Black history in the museum’s exhibits, and check out books about Black history from the Gelser Library.
From February 5 to 11, pose with Black history heroes! Local artist Shawn Dunwoody’s Legion of Legends will be on display at the museum, featuring important figures in Black history envisioned as comic book heroes.
On February 6, from noon to 2 […]

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January 25, 2022

The Strong is pleased to announce that Tyana Velazquez-Smith has been named assistant vice president for education. In this role, Velazquez-Smith oversees The Strong’s education team, and is responsible for the overall development and implementation of school, family, early-childhood, youth, adult, and other public education programs and activities at the museum, including the museum’s onsite Woodbury School.
Prior to joining The Strong, Velazquez-Smith served as director of the collegiate science technology entry program at St. John Fisher College. She also has […]

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January 19, 2022

ROCHESTER, NY— Hello, neighbor! Jump into the imaginative world of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, the award-winning PBS KIDS television series, when Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: A Grr-ific Exhibit visits The Strong National Museum of Play beginning January 29. The new exhibit brings to life the themes presented in the beloved series created by Fred Rogers Productions that follows the adventures of 4-year-old Daniel Tiger and his friends.
In “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: A Grr-ific Exhibit” children enter the world of Daniel Tiger and friends […]

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January 10, 2022

ROCHESTER, NY—The Black American play experience has been creative, resistive, empowering, and joyful in the face of systemic oppression, structural discrimination, and exclusion. In a new special double issue on Blackness and play, the American Journal of Play the field of play studies by offering new insights and important perspectives on play. The issue features six interviews, including ones about the trailblazing Black-owned businesses Shindana Toys and Olmec Toys, and seven articles on a range of topics from the disruption […]

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January 10, 2022

Commemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with activities focused on Dr. King’s vision of becoming a “beloved community, grounded in love and peace” during a Day of Compassion at The Strong museum from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, January 17.
Meet local author Nykki Matthews and enjoy live story readings of her book The Truth About Me, a story celebrating individuality at noon and 1 p.m. Gather round local edutainer Miss Sweet Potato Pie and […]

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January 10, 2022

The Strong is pleased to announce family programming for the month of December:
Royal HolidayDecember 11 & 12, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Join some favorite princesses as they celebrate winter and holiday traditions from around the world. Make a craft inspired by Scandinavian straw ornaments and build an ice block castle with the Ice Queen and Princess. Design a winter craft with Rapunzel. Help the Frog Princess set the symbols of Kwanzaa and cook for the Karamu Ya Imani. Sit […]

Continue Reading about December Family Programming Announced Published on:
December 6, 2021

It’s back! Rochester’s most playful adults-only evening returns to The Strong on December 2 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Gather your friends for a night of fun and play at the first Happiest Hour in nearly two years. The night includes:

Ugliest sweater contest
Ornament craft area
Cash bar and food trucks
Music from DJ Naps of BreakThrough Entertainment
Access to two floors of exhibits

Guests must be 21+ and show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Tickets are limited. Tickets are $16 per person when purchased […]

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November 22, 2021

The Strong is pleased to announce that Peter M. Briggs, COO and Co-Founder of Fifty/Fifty Gear, has been elected to its board of trustees. Prior to becoming head of Fifty/Fifty Gear, which manufactures diaper bags for the modern dad, Briggs served as vice president of strategy with HBO Max for Warner Media. He’s also held leadership positions with Microsoft and IBM Global Services.
Briggs holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Emory University and an MBA from the University of Virginia. […]

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November 16, 2021

ROCHESTER, NY—Calling all gamers! Join The Strong and Rochester Institute of Technology for Gaming for All: a WIG Celebration of Diversity in Gaming from 6 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, November 11. This special evening of big-kid fun celebrates the untold contributions of diverse game-makers and includes access to the full museum. Tickets for the event are $15 and attendees will be asked to show proof of vaccination (card of Excelsior pass) or a negative PCR-type test taken no more […]

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November 8, 2021

*DOWNLOADABLE IMAGES AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS RELEASE*
November 4, 2021
For Immediate Release
ROCHESTER, New York—It’s official! The educational American Girl Dolls, game-changing board game Risk, and universal plaything sand have been inducted today into the National Toy Hall of Fame. The honorees, unveiled during a special ceremony at The Strong National Museum of Play, were chosen from a field of 12 finalists that also included Battleship, billiards, Cabbage Patch Kids, Fisher-Price Corn Popper, Mahjong, Masters of the Universe, piñata, the Settlers […]

Continue Reading about 2021 National Toy Hall of Fame Inductees Announced Published on:
November 4, 2021