The Toy Industry Hall of Fame will finally have a new home now that it has combined forces with the National Toy Hall of Fame. It will be based at the Strong Museum in Rochester, New York.
The Asosciated Press confirms that the Strong museum will undergo a $4 million in renovations to add a new 5,000 square-foot gallery devoted to toys inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. The gallery should be open by fall 2015.
“With its unique emphasis on the power of play, the Strong is an ideal home for this homage to both the toys that have influenced generations of children and the innovative minds that brought them to life,” Carter Keithley, president of the Toy Industry Association, said during an event at the Strong Museum.
The Toy Industry Hall of Fame hasn’t had a home for eight years, since the International Toy Center in New York City closed. The group recognizes the men and women behind the toy industry, including Milton Bradley, Frederick August Otto Schwarz and Walt Disney.
The National Toy Hall of Fame recognizes the toys themselves. In November, it announced that the 2012 class includes Star Wars figures and dominoes. Coincidentally, Star Wars creator George Lucas is also a member of the Toy Industry Hall of Fame. It started in 1998 and anyone can submit a nominee for a panel of experts to pick from.