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Why Is The Strong Museum a Must-Visit?

The brainchild of Margaret Woodbury Strong, much of the museum’s collection came from Strong’s personal artifacts. It strikes a balance between an interactive kiddie haven with exhibits like a pint-sized Wegmans for kids to stock and shop, and a history-rich depot of collections and historical toys dating from a 17th-century puzzle up to present-day classics like the Nerf gun, Barbies, and even a three-story tall, playable Donkey Kong arcade console—the largest in the world.

Can’t-Miss Exhibits at The Strong National Museum of Play

With two floors of sprawling galleries, plus the whimsical outdoor Hasbro Game Park, an indoor butterfly vivarium, preschooler-friendly romping spots, and tons of playable games, pinball machines, and interactive exhibits, it’s nearly impossible to conquer The Strong in one day. Its most popular admission ticket for out-of-towners is a two-day ticket.

How you choose to spend your time at The Strong likely depends on your kids and their interests—or your own—but here are the coolest things we saw during our visit to The Strong National Museum of Play, broken down by age.

Sit on the iconic Sesame Street stoop during a visit to The Strong National Museum of Play. 

Best Strong Museum Exhibits for Little Kids

Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street

Whether you want to sit on the iconic brownstone stoop made famous by the PBS preschool show or step into Elmo's World and say hi to Dorothy, sit in Big Bird's nest, or yuck it up with Bert and Ernie, seeing the Sesame Street characters in this enclave of the museum is fun for the young and the young at heart.

Wegmans Super Kids Market

Rochester is so proud of its homegrown supermarket chain, The Strong has dedicated a sprawling exhibit to a miniature re-creation of the store with a cult following. Kids can opt to be shoppers, stockers, or even harvest healthy eats in the on-site imaginative organic garden.

Reading Adventureland

If you’ve ever wanted to step into the pages of your favorite storybook, Reading Adventureland is the place to do it. Whether your muse is a knight in shining armor, a pretty, pretty princess, or a mystery-solving maven, the structures here inspire stories to spring to life and kids to get creative imagining their own script for play.

Carousel and Train

The largest artifact in The Strong Museum’s collection is the Elaine Wilson Carousel located just inside the entrance. Manufactured in 1918, it’s still spinning to the delight of little visitors. Nearby, find The Strong Train Express, which takes visitors on a round-and-round trip that mimics the American rails with jumbo postcards to peek at as you chug along.

Imagination Destination

Think of this as a traditional museum play space. There are jungle gyms to climb, slide to whoosh down, and even a puppet theater to stage a show. No matter your kid's interest, they'll find inspiration for imaginative play and active romping in this corner of The Strong Museum.

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Say hello to Superman, Spiderman, and all their super friends in The Strong's American Comic Book Heroes exhibition. 

Best Strong Museums Exhibits for Elementary-Age Kids

ESL Digital Worlds: Level Up

A brand new addition to The Strong Museum with its expansion, this interactive video game exhibition is a gamer's paradise. Snag a wristband at the entrance and create your avatar, then take it on an adventure as you tackle puzzle-solving games ranging from circus-inspired experiences, to spy games, and even supersized Sims. With each game you play, you'll build your Periodic Table of Video Game Elements. See how many badges you can collect!

American Comic Book Heroes

You'll feel like you've stepped into the pages of your favorite classic comic book when you enter this exhibit. Everywhere you look there's an iconic superhero to behold. Spiderman seems poised to leap from a building, while The Hulk casts an imposing shadow. Teens and adults can learn the history of the genre, while younger kids can enjoy a run through Super Powers School and try their best to perfect skills fit for a comic book character.

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Study the history of video games and play some old-school consoles at the World Video Game Hall of Fame, located within The Strong Museum. 

World Video Game Hall of Fame

Budding gamers get a kick out of exploring this exhibit dedicated to the history of the digital art form. There are tons of consoles to play, from Pong to Pac-Man, plus a timeline of video game history to school youngsters on how far video game design has come—and how fast. One thing we loved about this exhibit: All the games are set to free play, so no need to dig out your quarters! If that's not enough gaming fun, check out the brand-new Infinity Arcade exhibit, which includes games from penny arcades to mobile apps and everything in between.

Best Strong Museum Exhibits for Teens and Adults

Pinball Playfields

Trace the history of pinball through hands-on play of 30 pinball machines. The trademark clinks, dings, and pops of these machines create an audible soundtrack to this nostalgic experience, which includes games dating back more than 80 years up to the present day. Put your skills to the test and prove to kids you really are a pinball wizard.

America at Play

This part of The Strong National Museum of Play is perhaps most closely modeled after the museum's original mission. You'll find many of Margaret Woodbury Strong's collections here, including an intricate display of classic dollhouses, plus plenty of other artifacts like the original prototype for Monopoly—which checks in as a circular game board that's been hand-lettered—and the world's largest Erector Set. There are board games and baby dolls, cars and trucks, and a giant wall of Barbies, too. All in all, it's a walk down memory lane.

National Toy Hall of Fame

From the humble stick to building blocks and Atari consoles, consider this exhibit the definitive history of hands-on play at The Strong Museum. Each year, a new crop of inductees is selected by a panel of judges that includes historians, educators, and toy experts. Currently, 84 toys have been inducted into the hall of fame, and 12 more nominees await their fate. Wander through the National Toy Hall of Fame to see who has made the cut and learn about the toymakers behind products that have made it big. There are some fun hands-on elements here, like an interactive digital screen you can draw on, a super-sized Magic Eight Ball, and an Etch-a-Sketch that will draw your portrait, so kids can keep busy while parents delve into some toy history.

GameTime!

Puzzles and games are the highlight here and, after a walk down memory lane gazing at the gallery cases, you can challenge your crew to a giant game of Connect Four, sit down to see who can cast a sinking blow in Battleship, or try your hand at a huge, interactive Perplexus model.

Console Central

It wasn't easy—but it was fun—playing a classic Nintendo Entertainment System, complete with a giant controller in this exhibit that takes up no more space than a hallway, but includes a ton of classic gaming consoles and many offer fun opportunities for free play.

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See brilliant butterflies at The Strong Museum's indoor butterfly vivarium. 

Great Strong Museum Exhibits to Play with the Whole Family

Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden

The only year-round indoor butterfly garden in Upstate New York, the Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden at The Strong Museum is a tropical oasis—especially during the long winter months! Colorful butterflies flit about and beautiful plants are a sight to behold. There are also birds and reptiles who call this vibrant exhibit home.

Hasbro Game Park

If you've ever wanted to transport yourself into the middle of a gameboard, this outdoor exhibit is as close as you'll get. Pose for a photo in the Monopoly jail, climb a collection of fallen Jenga blocks, see if you can spell P-L-A-Y with larger-than-life Scrabble tiles, and go for a spin in the Game of Life. The Hasbro Game Park spans 17,000 square feet and makes a great place to romp on a warm-weather day.

Ralph Wilson Skyline Climb

This pair of ropes courses—one for visitors over 48 inches, and one for visitors under 48 inches—provide a mental and physical challenge for guests. There are obstacles to conquer and a zipline to soar across all in the middle of the museum's atrium.

Food and Bathrooms at The Strong Museum

There are a trio of restaurants at The Strong National Museum of Play, and all are located on the first floor. The centrally located food court has pizza, wraps, salad, and pasta bowls plus sharable sides and a dedicated kids menu.

Located directly under the Skyline Climb, find the old-school Billy Gray's Skyliner Diner, with smash burgers, fries, hot dogs, sodas, and shakes.

Near the entrance to the Hasbro Game Park, find Puppy's Game Cafe, which sells a selection of coffee for adults, plus salads, wraps, sandwiches, and even breakfast options.

Bathrooms are plentiful on both floors and equipped with changing tables and low sinks and stepstools to accommodate young visitors. They were all well-maintained and tidy, too!

Know Before You Go to The Strong Museum

• Admission prices start at $24 when purchased online in advance. Entrance to the Butterfly Garden and Skyline Climb requires an additional fee. The most popular option, however, is the two-day ticket, which grants visitors admission on back-to-back days.
• A variety of membership offers is available.
• Save some cash for carousel, train rides, and select playable arcade games, which require tokens.
• Strollers and wagons are allowed in the museum.
• Snacks and brown bag lunches can be brought into the museum.
• Same-day re-entry is allowed; just be sure to have your hand stamped before you leave!
• The Strong National Museum of Play offers its own app to help you navigate your trip, plus a Bloomberg Connects app that provides audio tours and multi-lingual translations.

Where to Stay While Visiting The Strong Museum

For easy access to the museum, consider booking a room at the brand-new Hampton Inn and Suites Rochester Downtown, which is located adjacent to the museum. Its rooms are spacious and the included-with-your-stay breakfast buffet is a boon for families. We also love that it has an indoor pool to unwind after your Strong Museum visit.

All photos by author.

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