Museum is the only one devoted to 'the study of play'
IAN STALKER
Those who are normally puzzled by a notoriously challenging puzzle might be able to hone their skills in solving it by viewing some of the visitors to the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, in action.
Shane Rhinewald, spokesman for the museum — which he says is the “only museum dedicated to the study of play” — recounts the museum having a Rubik’s Cube demonstration that attracted a youthful Rubik’s Cube whiz, who perfectly aligned the colours in a matter of seconds and then reported that it “was slow for her.”
The teen was happy to share insights with museum visitors on how to solve the puzzle, created by a Hungarian architecture professor in 1974.
Rhinewald notes that such demonstrations are only one side to the museum, which reports that it’s home to the “largest collection of toys, dolls, board games and videos,” enabling adult visitors to “be a kid again…
“Whether you grew up with superheroes, or guitar heroes, air hockey or pinball, sinking battleships or sinking quarters at the arcade, it’s all here. Come see the world’s largest collection of toys, dolls, board games and video games.”
The museum includes the National Toy Hall of Fame, where visitors are able to get to “know the greatest minds in play — from Milton Bradley to Walt Disney.”
Also awaiting guests is the World Video Game Hall of Fame.
The museum provides numerous intriguing insights into games, including hugely popular board game Monopoly, with visitors learning that it owes its existence to Charles Darrow, an unemployed Philadelphia plumber, who in 1933 conceived a game now found in more than 110 countries and available in 40 languages. Darrow’s originally circular game is featured in a display called America at Play.
Play Pals in turn has early reminders of both Barbie and G.I. Joe dolls. Among American Comic Books Heroes: The Battle of Good vs. Evil features s the original painting of Captain America.
Meanwhile, Rhinewald says those who visit his attraction won’t likely set a new record for aligning Rubik’s Cube colours perfectly (the fastest time to date is held by a Dutch person, who did it in a breathtakingly quick 5.5 seconds) but they may find they will be able to lower their times after a museum visit if they happen to see a young whiz kid — who are generally dubbed “cubers” — in action while at the attraction.
“If you want to get better, there’s certainly opportunity (at the museum),” he says. “Practice and you’ll never know what will happen.”
More information can be found at museumofplay.org.
Greg Marshall of Rochester, N.Y.-based Genesee Journeys and Shane Rhinewald of The Strong National Museum of Play were on hand at the recent Discover America Day event in Toronto.
