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New York’s Strong National Museum of Play has reopened following a US$75m transformation, described as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to create a unique destination centred around play
Lauren Heath-Jones | Planet Attractions | 17 Jul 2023
The expansion included a new outdoor exhibit inspired by classic Hasbro board games Credit: The Strong National Museum of Play
New York’s Strong National Museum of Play has undergone a US$75m (€67m, £57m) redevelopment, which the institution’s CEO has described as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”.
The museum, located in Rochester, New York, US, reopened at the end of June following the major expansion, which formed the final phase of a major package of improvement works.
The redeveloped museum features a 90,000sq ft (8,3t1 sq m) expansion that includes more than 24,000sq ft (2,229sq m) of exhibition space dedicated to electronic games.
Exhibits include the world’s largest playable Donkey Kong arcade machine, as well as an immersive gaming exhibit, called ESL Digital Worlds, which features two video game areas; Level Up and High Score, where guests can create personalised avatars, take part in puzzle-solving challenges and learn about the history of videogames.
Another exciting addition is the outdoor Hasbro Game Park. Inspired by classic board games, the outdoor exhibit features a giant chrome Scottie dog from Monopoly, oversized Scrabble tiles and an 18ft (5.5m) firebreathing dragon from Dungeons & Dragons.
Other additions include an OLED butterfly canopy, a new welcome area, retail space, a “whimsical” parking structure and the Portal of Play, a building that connects the car park to the new spaces.
It’s hoped that the expansion will boost the number of visitors to the museum, which is the world’s only collection-based museum dedicated to the exploration and history of play, from 600,000 visitors per year by 400,000 to one million a year by 2026.
The project was funded by ‘Powered by Play: A Campaign for The Strong’ and received support from Empire State Development, the US Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation and ESL Federal Credit Union among others.
“This marks the start of a new chapter at The Strong National Museum of Play, one of the region’s biggest tourist attractions and the engine behind our continued efforts to further revitalise downtown Rochester,” said New York governor Kathy Hochul.
“For more than half a century, The Strong has drawn visitors from around the globe with its fascinating exhibits and dazzling displays, and thanks to state support, it will continue to do so for many years to come.”
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