Summer 2016 • Volume 6 • Issue 4 News and Events for Members, Donors, and Friends P L AY Time Blast off for adventure in... The Force at Play 3 Sci-Fi Summer 5 Playing with Politics Display 6 Sonic’s 25th Anniversary 6 Now Open! Page 2 NEW E XHIBIT A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far advertising for Star Wars toys. Check View videos of children incorporating XHIBIT E away, the world was introduced to out an intricate diorama of Star Wars Star Wars into their adventures and the revolutionary Star Wars movie characters and vehicles depicting a see a range of branded costumes, franchise. Learn about the impact battle between the Rebel Alliance lightsabers, and other toys used to of the legendary films on play and and evil Empire. See how Star Wars bring the movies to life through play. playthings at The Force at Play—a inspired other playthings, including Beware the large-scale X-Wing and companion exhibit to Rockets, a variety of LEGO toys, and play TIE Fighter models overhead! Robots, and Ray Guns. with Mr. Potato Head’s evil counterpart—Darth Tater! The Force at Play is on view through Explore the evolution of the September 5, 2016. beloved franchise and view dozens Take on the Dark Side and immerse NEW of artifacts from The Strong’s yourself in the fantastic video game Playable machines in the exhibit collections, including the first 12 realms that Star Wars inspired require purchased tokens. Money Kenner Star Wars action figures, through the decades. Play arcade collected from the sale of tokens an original movie poster, and early classics, such as Star Wars and helps maintain these original artifacts. The Empire Strikes Back, and modern Produced by The Strong’s Open through September 5! games like Star Wars Battlefront. International Center for the Jump in the cockpit and try to take The imaginative universes of science-fiction classics beckon at Rockets, Robots, and Ray Guns—an History of Electronic Games. down the original Death Star or original exhibit that explores the ways that science-fiction books, toys, movies, and video games have save the ice planet Hoth in the new, captured people’s imaginations and shaped the way they play. Travel to distant futures and faraway interactive Star Wars Battle Pod. galaxies to explore key sci-fi themes in zones that couple artifacts from The Strong’s collections with dynamic, hands-on activities: Aliens and Monsters New Frontiers a variety of materials and play Space Heroes robot-centric arcade games such Experience the realms of Travel at the speed of light and learn Explore the men and women as Robotron: 2084, Berzerk, and other-worldly creatures and play a about humankind’s fascination with of space—from real astronauts to Xybots. Check out a first edition variety of games based on monsters exploring and colonizing space. fictional heroes—through dozens of of Isaac Asimov’s book I, Robot, and alien life forms, such as Galaxian, View colony play sets, and seek out related toys and games, including which introduced the Three Laws Galaga, and Primal Rage. Zap the new galaxies on rare arcade games costumes and action figures of space Rockets, Robots, and Ray Guns is on of Robotics. attackers from outer-space and try such as Two-Player Computer Space opera legend Buck Rogers. Solve a view through September 5, 2016. See to save Earth in a giant version of and a cockpit version of Sega’s Rockets sliding puzzle to reveal a hero. Battle page 5 for details on The Strong’s Sci-Fi the classic arcade game Space classic vector game Star Trek. Learn about trajectory and velocity enemy starships on the 3-D space Summer activities. Invaders. Create your own two- by creating and launching an shooter arcade game StarBlade Ray Guns Playable machines in the exhibit require dimensional alien or monster on air-powered paper rocket. Solve a and fight back alien creatures as Ray guns, blasters, phasers, heat purchased tokens. Money collected from light tablets. Listen to an original giant, 3-D puzzle depicting a rocket Ellen Ripley in Konami’s Aliens rays, and other futuristic energy the sale of tokens helps maintain these radio broadcast of the iconic book launch, and view rocket toys from arcade game. weapons have been a key part original artifacts. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. the Cold War era. Test your space of space lore for decades. See a Time Travel piloting skills on classic arcade Future Perfect sampling of toy versions and check Step into a time machine and go Produced by The Strong’s games such as Asteroids and Lunar Utopia or dystopia? Explore what out the oldest toy ray gun ever back in time or propel into the future. International Center for the Lander. Also explore famous sci-fi the future might hold and learn created! Zap the bad guys in arcade View clips from well-known time History of Electronic Games spaceships such as the earliest about humankind’s fascination with game shooters such as Alien travel movies, such as Back to the in partnership with model of the Star Trek Enterprise apocalyptic events by playing the Extermination and Terminator II. Future and answer the question, “If Rochester Institute ever made. N122 classic Cold War arcade game you could go back in time to change of Technology. Missile Command and viewing Robots one thing, what would you change?” artifacts such as the Nuclear War Marvel at a wide-range of toy robots, game, the Apple II game Wasteland, including Big Loo (a talking, a Katniss Everdeen figure from the mechanical robot developed by popular series The Hunger Games, Louis Marx and Company for and a copy of George Orwell’s Christmas season 1963), and learn ground-breaking novel 1984. about the influence of Japanese toys on the development of real robots. Make your own robot from 2 P L AY Time • Summer 2016 www.museumofplay.org 3 UPCOMI Join Us for a Sci-Fi Summer XHIBIT Embark on a sci-fi adventure! Starships and UFOs Cosmic Creations N E Saturday, September 24, 2016–January 8, 2017 All summer long, be delighted by Saturday & Sunday, July 30 & 31 Saturday & Sunday, August 20 & 21 Travel back to the end of the Cretaceous period when dinosaurs roamed special guests and enjoy themed Meet David Ramsay, who appeared See out-of-this-world creations by the land and get up close with touchable dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes— activities inspired by the new, G in the 1997 alien battle film Starship local artists, such as Gil Merritt’s including a Tyrannosaurus Rex and Triceratops. Journey though three rugged original Rockets, Robots, and Troopers. See his costume and learn pipe cleaner characters and Dave landscapes to learn about dinosaur habitats and investigate the clues that exhibit. Ray Guns about his experience working on the Pollot’s creature paintings. Visit the these mysterious creatures left behind. P Rochester Ghostbusters film. Snap a selfie with the TARDIS craft station and use circuit boards from Doctor Who. Create a UFO and metallic crayons to design an Enter the Land of Fire—the Montana of 70-million years ago—and crawl Saturday & Sunday, July 9 & 10 & ROGRAMS through a smoldering volcano, climb into a squishy bog, and take a closer using tin foil and paper plates. imaginary device to take home. Meet the Rochester Ghostbusters, NEW look at realistic dinosaurs. Then trek north to the lands of present-day Alaska a fan group of the famous film. Rebels and Imperials Space Cadets to meet cold-weather dinosaurs, such as the Edmontosaurus (a four-legged Visit the space lab and battle action Saturday & Sunday Saturday & Sunday, August 27 & 28 herbivore); slide into an icy cave; and learn about the dinosaur food chain. figures in galaxy slime. Saturday August 6 & 7 At the Field Research Station, grab some tools to dig up dinosaur fossils and Journey to outer space at only, meet members of the put together an over-sized dino puzzle with the help of family and friends. Take pictures astronaut training camp. Rochester Sci-Fi/Role Playing Geek with Strap on a pretend Meet Up Group and learn about Opening weekend only, Saturday and Sunday, September 24 and 25, meet characters jetpack and blast their interactive events and activities. Danny’s Dinosaur, beloved character from the Syd Hoff Danny and the from the through a variety of Dinosaur series. Compare your height to that of dinosaurs, see how big Galactic Warriors 501st physical challenges, they would be if they were standing in the museum galleries, and leave Saturday & Sunday, July 16 & 17 Legion including leaping over dinosaur footprints behind at the sand play table. and the space rocks. View a Stop by a “Jedi” training camp Rebel glowing cosmos and Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice™ was created by Minnesota Children’s Museum. presented by the Rochester Legion. a variety of light-up Fencing Club. Join in interactive Check toys in the ultraviolet demonstrations of fencing etiquette, out the room. Greet a basic footwork, and blade work. R2-D2 traveling astronaut Create a foam lightsaber to Builder’s that space walks take home. Club, a through the museum. group of E Alien Encounters builders who And all summer Saturday & Sunday, July 23 & 24 long, view make versions of VE Pose for a photo with a friendly the famous Star Wars sci-fi toothpick alien and give a high five to a character. Create your own set of creations by mischievous Martian. Dress up as a Star Trek, Star Wars, and Doctor Guinness Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Exhibit Opens creepy alien in the cosmic costume Who popsicle stick puppets.