The Strong National Museum of Play on Thursday unveiled its
new Toys Hall of Fame permanent exhibit. The $4 million state-of-the-art
addition to the museum brings together The Strong’s National Toy Hall of Fame —
which for years has showcased beloved, classic toys — and the Toy Industry
Association’s Toy Industry Hall of Fame. The TIA Hall of Fame recognizes the creative
people and companies — such as Walt Disney, George Lucas, Jim Henson, Hasbro,
LEGO, Mattel, Radio Flyer, and Toys ‘R’ Us — who design, make, and sell them.
The unveiling doubles as a celebration of TIA’s 100th
anniversary and more than two years of a partnership between TIA and The
Strong.
The high-tech exhibit includes five themed, educational, and
hands-on subsections: imagine, create, build, move, and compete. A dramatic
staircase leads visitors past a gallery of animated portraits of classic toys,
into a more than 5,000-square foot space that includes interactive elements such
as a 20-foot virtual bubble machine, a 24-foot virtual playroom using Kinect
technology, a 20-foot mobile featuring toy images, and a giant kinetic
sculpture made of building blocks, balls, a toy car race track, and other toys.
Touch-screen kiosks in the space allow guests to learn about the toys and
luminaries showcased in the hall.
A public weekend celebration will be held on Saturday,
September 19, and Sunday, September 20. Museum hours are Monday through
Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and
Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission costs $13.50, and free to members and visitors
under age 2. For more information, visit museumofplay.org.
This article appears in Sep 16-22, 2015.
