A Place Where Everyone Is Transported To A World Where Having Fun Is The Top Priority And The Only Thing On Everyone's Mind
There are not too many places that can make just about anybody smile, that can both bring back memories and create them. That can inspire people of all ages to use their imagination. The Strong: National Museum Of Play is one of those rare places where everyone is transported to a world where having fun is the top priority and the only thing on everyone's mind.
What started off as eccentric collector Margaret Woodbury Strong's extensive and varied toy collection has become one of the largest history museums in the country. Sprawled across 13.5 acres of land, the 282,000 square foot museum may be seriously big, but it's anything but serious. Right as guests arrive they will see large colorful blocks on the side of the building, a whimsical design that lets people know they are in for a colorful and vibrant experience.
“The museum's mission is the importance of play,” said Senior Director of PR Shane Rhinewald. “The concept of play is so important to our lives. It's important to child development, but also something that's extremely important to adults as well. It alleviates stress. It's something we don't often think about. This museum focuses on what is play, why it's important and what does it show us about who we are. There are so many unique stories that can be told about our cultural past through toys. You can look at our country's history through the lens of play and see how society has shaped the way we play and vice versa.”
Can a toy really tell that much about a time in history?
One such toy is the first hand-made Monopoly set, created in 1933. Not only is seeing the first ever Monopoly set – a game that is still widely popular today – a breathtaking experience, but guests find out more about the country's history and society from its story.
“There's something very American about Monopoly in general,” discussed Rhinewald. “The pre-curser of Monopoly was actually very different, highlighting the ill-will of landlords and money grubbers. But, coming out of the Great Depression, that wasn't the type of game Americans wanted to play. They wanted to feel powerful and important. They wanted to have all of the money, even if it meant putting all of their friends out. It just speaks to people in that way.”
The Strong is separated by exhibits that explore a variety of topics. Some are geared towards a more younger set, like the Sesame Street exhibit, while others are more geared towards adults, like the World Video Game Hall Of Fame (“Kids actually have to pull their parents out of those exhibits!” joked Rhinewald.). There's a giant pop-up story book exhibit called the Reading Adventure Land, which allows children and adults to walk through storybooks, exploring fairytales they heard as a child (or just last night from their own parents).
The idea that The Strong is for all ages is one thing that Rhinewald enjoys about working at the museum. He explained: “Whether you are a grandparent, a parent, or a child... There's something here for you. It's educational and joyful, the experience. It's also very nastalgic. I love hearing 'I had that when I was your age' or 'My parents would never get me that one! But someone down the street had it!' I always love to see families of varying ages just sharing those experiences with each other. You can come and just have fun and treat it as an entertainment destination, but you can also explore history and culture.”
One of the historically significant items in the museum is the Thomas Edison Talking Doll, created in 1890. While Edison is known for all of his patents and inventions, it's often overlooked that he created the first doll with a voice. Despite being on the cutting edge of that technology, the doll flopped.
“I would say it frightened some people,” pondered Rhinewald, on why only a few thousand dolls were made. “This screechy voice coming out of this doll, staring at you with blank eyes. It wasn't a big seller...”
The doll repeated nursery rhymes that were recited by little girls in an orphanage. To Rhinewald it seems like something right out of a horror movie, nothing like Chatty Kathy, the first commercially successful talking doll, released in 1954. It appeared that Edison was over 60 years before his time.
It's stories like these that make all of the items in the museum exciting and interesting to behold. They not only bring back guests' own memories, but take them back in time, telling a story about an entire group, a whole state, the whole country... With such a large collection to choose from, it came as a huge surprise when Rhinewald was able to name his favorite museum piece right away: A stick.
The stick is on display in the museum's National Toy Hall Of Fame. Every year a toy is added to the exhibit, which features the “best toys of all time.” These are either the first of their kind – like the first puzzle ever made in the late 1700s – or some of the most influential.
“I remember having quite a few G.I. Joe's back in the day,” said Rhinewald, who has been at the museum for a little over eight years. “But I like the toys of the imagination. I remember when the neighbors would get a new fridge I would put a claim on the box it came in. I needed the giant cardboard box to build a castle, a rocket ship.”
Telling stories about play is what makes working for The Strong a very positive experience. “What's better than that?” Rhinewald gushed. And not many people can argue that: Families come from all over to experience The Strong together, to not only discover new toys and new stories, but remember their own stories as well. Taking time away from the real world to walk through a storybook or play an old arcade game is not only fun, but more important than people realize.
Olivia Richman
A graduate of East Connecticut State University in Journalism, Olivia has written for Stonebridge Press & Antiques Marketplace among others. She enjoys writing, running and video games.
Make Sure To Stay At:
Canandaigua/ Rochester KOA, surrounded by rustic cabins and shade trees. The reflecting pond is stocked and right at the center of things just like this KOA! A stay here puts guests in the heart of Finger Lakes country with rolling hills, glacial lakes and vineyards.