The Strong National Museum of Play is an educational institution in Rochester, New York, dedicated to preserving and interpreting the cultural importance of play. Founded in 1982, it operates as the world's largest and most comprehensive museum devoted to the history and exploration of play, featuring over 100,000 square feet of exhibit space and housing what is considered the largest collection of its kind in the world, encompassing toys, dolls, games, and video games.
The museum's work extends across several specialized areas. It administers the National Toy Hall of Fame, which recognizes toys that have inspired creative play and enjoyed sustained popularity, and the World Video Game Hall of Fame. Other key components include the International Center for the History of Electronic Games (ICHEG), the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play, the National Archives of Game Show History, and the American Journal of Play, an interdisciplinary scholarly publication. The institution also operates the Woodbury School.
As an organization, The Strong focuses on play as an essential component of human development, linking it to mental and physical health, relationship skills, and self-confidence. The museum provides educational and intergenerational programming across its exhibits, collections, and school.
