"A Strong Figure for Children's History": The Strong Museum of Play w/ Chris Bensch

Established in 1968 as the “Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum of Fascination,” the first iteration of what would become the home of both the National Toy Hall of Fame and National Video Game Hall of Fame was based on the many collections that the museum’s namesake had assembled throughout her life. But times change and so does the curiosity of museum goers. What served the interests of one generation might be dull or stagnant for the next.

I was happy to be joined by the museum’s Vice president for Collections, and Chief Curator, Chris Bensch, to discuss the evolution of the Strong Museum of Play. The magic and fun that visitors experience is the product of deep research and disciplined curation, one of the many aspects of museum work that has developed over the last 55 years.