ROCHESTER, New York — A new $4 million exhibit at the Strong Museum combines the National Toy Hall of Fame and the Toy Industry Hall of Fame into one site honoring both toys and the people who create them.
The 5,000-square-foot Toys Hall of Fame includes a digital Jack-in-the-Box that displays toy characters, a 20-foot bubble tower that creates virtual bubbles, an oversized Etch a Sketch and a Crayon piano.
Two 10-foot kiosks with touch screen monitors provide background information about the members of each hall.
Officials said that combining the two halls gives each a more dynamic and visible exhibition space.
The Toy Hall of Fame was founded in 1998. The most recent inductees among its 56 members are the Rubik’s Cube, little green Army men and bubbles.
The Toy Industry Hall of Fame, founded in 1985 by the Toy Industry Association, has 71 members. Its 2014 honorees included the founders of Wham-O, the company behind Frisbee, Silly String and the Slip n’ Slide.
The Toy Hall of Fame has been housed at the Strong Museum, which is devoted to the history and exploration of play, while the Toy Industry Hall of fame has not had a dedicated space for several years.
