I gotta be brutally honest, dear readers: When I was a kid, the Strong Museum was freakin’ lame. There were walls upon walls of old toys and collectibles, and that was really all that I can remember. Everything beside that was so uninteresting it didn’t even leave an impression in my memory.
I am happy to say that things have changed significantly since my tender years.
I went back again in 2001 for a school field trip – we were there to attend college lectures, but we had some time to play. At that time there was already what I still consider one of the coolest additions to the museum: an exhibit on Sesame Street. Seriously, how can you not like Sesame Street? There’s even Big Bird sticking his head out a window, the 123 Sesame Street doors, an interactive video where you can sing with your favorite characters – honestly, if you don’t at the very least crack a smile at this exhibit, I think you must have undergone a fun-ectomy at a young age.
(Seriously, how is this not a happy time?)
Another thing that had been added by then (which I still have not really checked out) is a miniature Wegman’s, the grocery mecca with its origins here in Rochester. I think it’s cute, preparing little ones to enjoy their futures as cashiers and baggers in their adolescence. One of my current coworkers says he has a little one who thinks it’s pretty much the best thing ever. Another thing that had sprouted up (something I was woefully too big for) was what can best be described as a jungle gym. Sure, there were displays on old toys and this section now (maybe it did then too?) sports a Dance Dance Revolution machine, but it was pretty much a giant place to play around in.
The improvement I saw in these school years from the not-so-impressive experience I had in youth lays in the evolution of the museum: During the mid-90s, the museum shifted its focus to more family-oriented activities. In 2002 the Strong Museum acquired the National Toy Hall of Fame, a tribute to the many idols of childhood. Each year toys are elected and eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame, varying from the high tech Game Boy to the humble stick. In fact the 2009 inductees made the “news” in 2009 on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart as seen here:
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Windowless News Van for Kids - The Ball | ||||
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The focus on the museum, it seemed, had shifted from the history of leisure to, well, just celebrating said leisure.
As the years go by, the museum continues to get cooler. There is a Reading Adventureland, another play area for kids featuring favorite characters from books (including a large section on the Berenstein Bears). There is a new exhibit called American Comic Book Heroes that I hear – and hope – will be made permanent. At the front of the museum is Rainbow Reef, one of the largest living reefs in the northeast (apparently it houses a sting ray and an eel, though I sure couldn’t see either of them). In addition to the National Toy Hall of Fame, the museum also houses the National Center for the History of Electronic Games. Really! Not only this, but the majority of their collection is not available to the public (though some is) but rather “accessible to scholars for research.” This begs the question as to how they determine someone is an expert and exactly how the research is conducted. But I digress.
One of my favorite new additions (my most recent visit was in early 2010) is the Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden, a sort of greenhouse filled with a multitude of butterflies, moths, and other wildlife (koi, turtles, and my personal favorite, the flightless – and adorably named – button quail). If you ever get a chance to go through a butterfly garden like this, I can’t recommend it enough. The one in the Strong National Museum of Play is timed (20 minutes) and since only a certain number of people are allowed inside at a time (to protect the butterflies, I assume), you do have to let them know when you buy your tickets that you want tickets for the Dancing Wings exhibit too. Once inside it really is beautiful. I find these exhibits to excite in me the childlike glee at the seeming magic of conjuring so many of these delicate creatures all around me. One can enjoy the Dancing Wings (or “the butterfly exhibit,” as I call it) even before one enters the building: The wing is made out of glass and shaped like a giant butterfly. If you walk by this side of the museum, you can frequently spy the flutter of little wings inside. It never fails to make me smile.
The day I went to the Dancing Wings was a bitter cold winter day. Loverman took a picture of this little guy looking outside. I can't tell if he looks sad to not be outside or glad he's not out in the frigid weather.
And here are two little button quails. I want some to just toddle around my home.
This museum has come a long way from its humble – and boring – beginnings. Sure they still have the same rows upon rows of antique toys – but now they have toys you can actually play with, props to climb all over, characters from beloved books and TV shows, and a garden where you will be greeted with joyous flutterings. Make a day of it and you can even eat at the food court or the 50s style Skyliner Diner (I can’t speak as to how they do or do not address various dietary needs) – or one of the many nearby restaurants (my favorite being Golden Port Dim Sum, which shall receive its own entry soon enough). Didn’t get enough fun stuff to do inside? Right next to the line to purchase tickets is the Elaine Wilson Carousel for one last hurrah. Whether you’re a parent with little ones or just feel like getting in touch with your inner child, the Strong National Museum of Play is an awesome option for a place to spend a few hours full of fun.
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