There’s the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, the Baseball Hall

of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

But Rochester has its own hall for the many other games people play.

This week, WXXI is looking back at the events and people that made news in 2019. Today, Alex Crichton
has a look at another year for the National Toy Hall of Fame

(AUDIO OF APPLAUSE)

ANNOUNCER:

The first induction to the National Toy Hall of Fame is Chess… The final "in-duck-tee" into the Toy Hall of
Fame for 2013 is the rubber duck…”

(AUDIO OF APPLAUSE/MUSIC)

CRICHTON:

The rubber duck, the stick, the ball, the blanket, Hula-Hoop, Play-Doh … they’re all in the hall.

Seventy-one of them altogether.

The induction ceremony is a yearly celebration here in Rochester that dates back to 2002.

First, there’s the announcement of the nominees, then the inductees into the hall at the Strong Museum
of Play in Rochester.

It’s something that tends to get quite a lot of media exposure …

ANNOUNCER 1

At the Strong National Museum of play in Rochester, New York, it was time to reveal the latest inductees
into the Toy Hall of Fame …

ANNOUNCER 2

It’s an honor to be inducted alongside so many other iconic toys …

ANNOUNCER 3

It’s the Cooperstown of amusement, the Toy Hall of Fame …

ANNOUNCER 4

That’s right, we have a National Toy Hall of Fame. It’s in Rochester, so how soon can I get there? …
(AUDIO OF "JEOPARDY!" THEME MUSIC)

CRICHTON:

And sometimes it seems everyone is jumping on the Barbie, bubbles and Big Wheel bandwagon…

JEOPARDY! CONTESTANT:

In the National Toy Hall of Fame for 200, please.

JEOPARDY! HOST ALEX TREBEK:

2018 inductees included the card game UNO, and this type of machine with flashing lights, bumpers and
flippers … Jennifer?

JEOPARDY! CONTESTANT:

What is a pinball machine?

JEOPARDY! HOST ALEX TREBEK:

You got it.

CRICHTON:

We are here at the Toy Hall of Fame inside the Strong Museum in Rochester, talking with Chris Bensch,
who is vice president of collections at the museum. Chris, why a Toy Hall of Fame, anyway?

BENSCH:

We wanted to commemorate the classics of the world of toys. So just as the Baseball Hall of Fame or the
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame help people remember folks who aren’t necessarily the flavor of the month
right now, but ones that have earned enduring attention, have become classics. So that’s exactly the
same case for the Toy Hall of Fame.

CRICHTON:

Bensch says the Toy Hall of Fame got its start over 20 years ago in Salem, Oregon, but officials at the
Strong always wanted it to be located here…

BENSCH:

And we felt really cheated that this little museum in Salem, Oregon, had beat us to the punch on
founding it. AC Gilbert’s Discovery Village, they were called at the time. So they inducted toys for a few
years, and then in 2002, they kind of got worn out by the process and handed off -- with happiness on
both sides -- that the toy hall could come to Rochester and be at the home of the biggest toy, game,
doll, video game collection in the world.”
CRICHTON:

The winners are chosen on the advice of historians and educators following a process that begins with
nominations from the public. To make the Hall of Fame, toys must have inspired creative play across
generations.

The hall attracts a lot of visitors each year.

For young moms like Shannon Malley of Spencerport, these classic toys have been a big part of growing
up not only for her, but her children, too…

MALLEY:

They all deserve to be there, but my favorite is probably the crayons, and the Barbies were a childhood
favorite. And she’s just getting into Barbies … this is my daughter Charlotte. What’s your favorite toy?

CHARLOTTE:

Um, my favorite toy is my stuffed animals.

MALLEY:

You like all your My Little Pony stuffed animals. Who’s your favorite My Little Pony?

CHARLOTTE:

Rarity.

MALLEY:

Rarity, yeah…

CRICHTON:

Chris Bensch, vice president of collections at the museum, guess it was the 8 Ball that finally made the
list, it was nominated seven or eight times. Is there a current Susan Lucci of the Toy Hall of Fame?”

BENSCH:

Of the toys that were finalists in 2019, the one that’s been a finalist the most times is My Little Pony.

CRICHTON:

Ooh, sorry, kid.

Oh well, there’s always next year, and another class of classic toys making it into the National Toy Hall of
Fame …
Alex Crichton, WXXI News