If you find yourself passing through the Rochester, NY area with kids you may wonder if the Strong Museum of Play is worth the visit. Spoiler alert: the answer is definitely, yes. Let’s talk about why.
Founded in 1968 and located at 1 Manhattan Square, Rochester, New York, the Strong Museum has been through substantial remodeling and growth over the years. Its current iteration is massive, calling itself the world’s largest collection of exhibits related to play. We spent an entire afternoon here, from 12:30-5, and still could not get to everything.
Overview and Quick Tips
-Tickets start at $25 with additional add-ons available. There are some discounts and half price days you can find on their website.
-Butterfly garden, ropes course, arcade games, and carousel are not included with admission.
–No outside food, juice, or snacks. You can bring in a water bottle (we love this Contigo for our 3-year-old. Keeps things cold, contained, and is easy to clean). Snacks and sandwiches can be purchased inside.
-They do have a parking garage, but expect an additional fee.
–Strollers are allowed, and they also rent strollers if needed.
–Noise cancelling headphones can be rented from the desk.
Things to Do
Yea, so, basically the answer is ALL OF THE THINGS. It’s almost overwhelming. There is a variety of exhibits, some of which are meant for play and interaction, while others are based in the history of toys/play for the bigger kids or grownups. We’ll go in to more detail about those below. Let’s talk about the add-ons first. These are not included with admission, but can be fun extra experiences. I assure you there’s plenty to do without paying additional, but they were fun bonuses.
Ropes Course
They have 2 separate ropes courses set up, one for big kids (over 48″ tall) and a mini version for little kids (under 48″). Little kids do need an adult to walk through it with them, but it’s low to the ground–you’re just walking next to them to make sure they follow the rules and don’t get stuck. Our adolescents are not in to heights so they skipped this, but the 3-year-old wanted to give it a go (Spiderman vibes, of course). He had fun, but it was a pretty quick trip for him.
Butterfly Garden
The butterfly garden is another add-on option that we loved. We hung out in there for quite some time. Besides the butterflies you’ll find quails, turtles, and fish in the garden too–plenty for little guy to look at while his sisters marveled at the butterflies. This was definitely worth the extra fee for us, but make sure your kiddos are okay following directions for not running, stomping, or touching butterflies before you go in.
Extra Add-Ons
Smaller additions to the experience are the carousel and arcade games. The carousel was a couple of dollars per person, and my guy loves rides so there was no way we were dodging this one. For arcade games there are driving games and pinball machines on the main floor, with some additional games upstairs. There’s a machine to pay for some reasonably priced tokens, then off you go! Pro-tip: Don’t use all the tokens downstairs before discovering the upstairs games.
Play Exhibits
The bulk of the exhibits are interactive and encourage play, as you’d hope at The Museum of Play. All of the kids had the best time running around, hanging out in different themed areas including:
- Superhero area
- Sesame Street
- Giant toy Wegmans grocery store (little guy’s favorite of the day)
- Berenstain Bears town
- Storybook Land
- Indoor playground-style spaces
- The upstairs toy area with a small play home, Barbie house, and trucks
There’s structured areas with some rules, like the grocery store, and complete free-for-alls, like the towns.
Quiet Spaces
If your kids are getting a bit overstimulated (mine definitely did) Storybook Land on the first floor has several quiet nooks for reading, resting, and relative quiet. It’s a great way to take a break without having to actually leave. Some quiet, a quick snack from the cafe area, and we were back in action. There’s also some craft areas and a pretty mellow space near aquariums for additional sensory-friendly options. Remember, the museum does lend noise-cancelling headphones from the desk areas, which is a fabulous option.
Paychex Theater
We saw a theater space with scheduled shows, but our visit didn’t align with the show times. Just something to note while planning your visit!
Historical Exhibits
In case the play stuff isn’t quite enough, there are also historic exhibits strategically sprinkled throughout the museum. These range from interesting facts and anecdotes to glass cases of old toys. Downstairs held a rotating exhibit (amazing dollhouses when we were there) and placards where relevant, such as in the superhero area or about the pinball machines.
The bulk of the exhibits were upstairs on the walls surrounding all of the playable toys, including a really cool section that walks you through toys from the early 19th-century through the 2000s. This was a great area for the grownups to check out while the kids were playing, but the older kids enjoyed looking through the exhibits too. The display of Barbies through the years was particularly popular with our girls!
Final Thoughts
If you live in Upstate New York but haven’t been yet–go! The kids will have an absolute ball. If you’re passing through the area on a road trip, then this is a perfect kid-friendly stop. You could easily spend days here, but can fast-track it to a few hours if you prioritize a few sections.
Whether you tack on all of the add-ons you can, focus on playing, are curious about the history, or do a little bit of everything, it’s pretty close to a guaranteed wonderful time. Not all adventures have to be outdoors, and giving kids the space to play is always important, inside or out!
What’s your family’s favorite children’s museum? We have a few new ones on our list for the upcoming year, but are always open to suggestions!
Happy storybook trails 🥾💚