Taking Playtime To A Whole New Level
So as a gift for the holidays this year my family gave me plane tickets back to upstate NY. Yes, in January I left 50+ degree weather in the southwest and choose to fly into Buffalo. (and you thought I was only claiming to be crazy) While seeing family is good my 5 year old nephew, the recipient of many big boxes of already reviewed toys, had a very special place to show me. A place I have been to several times but not since it had reinvented itself to become The Margaret Woodbury Strong National Museum of Play.
Margaret Woodbury Strong was the only child of one of the wealthier families in upstate New York. Born in 1897 she had a deep fascination with books, toys, dolls and more. As she grew up she held on to most of her playthings and, using her family fortune, amassed a large collection of these items, concentrating on pop culture of her own time rather than colonial era items that were the rage of most collectors of the time. Having spent her entire life looking at how mass production has changed even the way a small child plays and interacts with the world she created a foundation in 1968 to study the effects of currant world affaires (what we now call pop culture) on children. She also created the Margaret Woodbury Strong Doll hospital where children could bring in baby dolls and stuffed animals that would be mended and restored. While most were charged she insisted that no child be turned away. Upon her death in 1969 she left the vast bulk of her money to fund and maintain the foundation.
The foundation found itself in possession of over half a million toys including stuffed animals, dolls, trains, riding toys, tin toys, building sets, and so much more. They started to catalog the collection and placed some items on public display. In 1982 the Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum was given an official charter my New York state. With market studies, acquisition of other collections and the purchase of the National Toy Hall Of Fame in 2002, the foundation changed it's focus developed an interactive museum with a focus on Play and Children. At over 300,000 square feet it is the second largest children's museum in the United States and one of the largest history museums in North America.
When you walk inside the entrance you are faced with a classic Merry-Go-Round and a 1950's Dinner along with a gift shop. This sets a tone that, like a child's imagination, anything is possible here. Past this atrium is the checkin center. Each child must check in and announce the guests (adults) they are brining in with them. All adults must where identification as to what child they are with and while it took a bit if work I did finally find the CCTV. The staff are very serious about protecting children and keeping the museum a safe play environment.
The main floor is several huge rooms housing play environments. The first room you entire has much of the set of Sesame Street where kids can visit Oscar's trash can, Big Bird's ally nest, the 123 stoop, and even the Bodega. There is a place where they can interact with what-nots and help to sort, count, and build dozens of things. From there you move into a supermarket environment, an airport with a rescue helicopter, a post office, a modern shipping freighter with a lighthouse and a square masted schooner. There is also a theatre with a backstage, on-stage, and even a technician control center where kids manage the lights, sound, and even a TV camera that records their productions. The theatre also offers a place for parents to sit in the 'audience' and catch their breath. There is a narrow gauge railroad to ride and a room to play house that includes colonial, victorian, prairie, and industrial (1890s-1920s) houses scaled for kids.
The next main room is Adventure Land with a story book setting to each environment. Everything from Dragons to Beanstalks, from Pumpkin Carriages to Knightly Castles, from Giants that speak in the child voice to Troll Caves and a 'marooned' tree house and rope bridge. There is a little bit of everything but each environment only gives the child the props to use their imagination. There is nothing to force or guide the child and the staff, monitoring each area, are more interested in what the child sees in any item rather than what the item is. At the far end of this hall is the mystery room, a victorian parlor and library with 'secret' passages that come out behind bookcases, fireplaces, and even pictures with missing eyes.
At this point we decided to stop for some lunch. The cafeteria, and it is set up much like a school cafeteria, offers fare from 5 local fast food chains including one set up in that dinner in the atrium.
After lunch my nephew was willing to try out some of the things we had already done while I spent an hour on the second floor which house the Toy Hall of Fame and the History Museum. The displays are amazing and 1 hour was no where near enough time to truly absorb the richness of over 100 years of children's items. With displays that simply show 80 years of china dolls to displays of a single decade of modern toys there is something for almost any kind of collector. My biggest disappointment was that far to little money is being spent on the Museum displays (items are just placed on glass shelves in white cases) and that I could not give these displays the time they deserved with a 5 year old in tow.
The National Toy Hall Of Fame is also upstairs with a display for each entry and why it was chosen. There is also a place to add your own choices for the next years nominations.
Back down stairs we found the tour rooms. The first was the Berenstain Bears environment. From Papas workshop to Mamas kitchen. There is a farm, a treehouse, a sweet shop and more all based on places seen in the books by Stan and Jan Berenstain. The second tour room was closed off but the door was open for kids to peak in and see that Mr Potato Head's Galactic Adventures would be open to public just 2 days after we were there. The last room we visited was the scientific discovery room. From displays showing how forced perspective work to kinetic sculptures that allow the child to explore gravity and action-reaction. There is even a kaleidoscope that the child can stand inside while watching how it works. My nephew and I had fun trying out the wave cannon that allows you to aim the air wave of a drum at a target across the room and then see if you 'hit' the sequined target.
Throughout EVERY display and play area are bookshelves. no matter what environment the child is in the parent can find books on the same subject that might also be of interest. there are also plaques describing some of the leaning possibilities found at each area or the history behind the environment and what inspired it.
The Margaret Woodbury Strong National Museum of Play has grown to become an amazing place. Designed for the child, it will be entertaining and educational for the adults as well, showing that play is far more important, and universal, then our current society might want to admit. If you are EVER in the area of Rochester NY then I strongly suggest spending time at Museum of Play, a collector will find new purpose in their own collection and the family will have more memories than most week long vacations.
Location:Strong National Museum of Play |
Cost:Adults: $10.00 |
More photos on page 2
More photos of the Toy Hall of Fame & Museum
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