College night at the Strong National Museum of Play
Photo courtesy of Misc/Wikimedia Commons
The Strong National Museum of Play invites people of all ages to embrace their inner child in the spirit of play.
On Friday, Nov. 7, the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester hosted their college night, offering a discounted entry for any college students starting at 8:30 p.m.
A ticket to the Museum of Play typically costs around 25 dollars, coming down to 15 dollars if ordered ahead online for college night. There are multiple packages to choose from, including bundles with the ropes course, the butterfly garden, or both. Each package adds on to the ticket charge. The museum also extended its hours for the occasion, staying open until 11 p.m. instead of the usual 8 p.m. closing time.
The museum contains a variety of exhibits ranging in focus from informative history to interactive gameplay. Before even reaching the actual exhibits, though, the building’s exterior demonstrates its colorful charm. Huge Scrabble letters, a life-sized game board, and the massive, colorful windows give a taste of what is to come.
The Strong Museum can hardly be fully experienced and traversed in one trip. Right away, visitors can explore Sesame Street, full of interactive experiences and characters like Big Bird and Bert and Ernie. Across the way is a Wegmans that, despite its smaller size, still has all the chaos of the real store through the shopping experience replicated with tiny, plastic versions of every item.
Further down, the building opens up even more with entryways to areas like Reading Adventureland and American Comic Book Heroes. Most notable, though, is the National Toy Hall of Fame. Established in 1998, the exhibit highlights toys of all kinds through the decades. New toys are inducted every year, so even a yearly visit will offer new sights.
The museum contains other, more conventional forms of play too. The Infinity Arcade has all sorts of games to play, ranging from the physical games like Skeeball and air hockey, to classics like Pac-Man and Galaga, to newer, fancier arcade games such as Guitar Hero and Mario Kart. There is also some history sprinkled in, keeping in line with the museum side of things.
Food options show up near the entrance, offering a food court and a Bill Gray’s fashioned like an old diner. Above the Bill Gray’s is the first of one of the add-on ticket options, the Ralph Wilson Skyline Climb. This suspended ropes course includes a plethora of obstacles, including beams, swings, rope bridges, and even a zipline!
Another add-on ticket option is the Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden. This area is a year-round experience indoors, full of flora and butterflies, and makes a great option for anyone feeling a bit down due to the recent change in weather. The room is fully open, meaning butterflies may even land on you if you welcome them.
A core facet of the Museum’s experience is the insight into the history of “play.” Even without making the trip or paying the fee, online articles and exhibits on the official site display the organization’s message. As per the site CUBEforTeachers, “through its online exhibits, The Strong’s historians, curators, librarians, and archivists investigate the history, evolution, and cultural effects of play and playthings.” Some of the online exhibits detail the history of pinball, the history of women in the game industry, and the making of Monopoly.