National Museum of Play

The home of the National Toy Hall of Fame blends history with the happy buzz of a children’s museum as visitors whirl on a restored 1918 carousel and hopscotch down Sesame Street. Opened in 1982 with the personal collection of Margaret Woodbury Strong, the museum boasts hundreds of thousands of toys, dolls, board and electronic games, books, photographs and historical material related to play. Treasures include an 1890s singing doll made by Thomas Edison, an 1843 Mansion of Happiness board game, and a 1933 Monopoly game handmade by Charles Darrow, who first marketed the game.