The Strong National Museum of Play has entered a naming partnering with ESL Federal Credit Union to give their museum a major expansion. Their contribution gives them naming rights to a 24,000 square-foot gallery in a planned 90,000 square-foot wing about the history of video games.
As reported by WHEC TV, the Strong National Museum of Play is one of the biggest attractions in the Rochester, NY area. Its highly-interactive nature allows visitors of all ages to become engaged in hundreds of exhibits and activities. However, like many museums and other public attractions, it's had a rough patch due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But as the world starts approaching the hopeful end of this national crisis, the museum is getting an expansion underway. And they've turned to ESL Federal Credit Union to help foot the bill.
Organizers at the Strong National Museum of Play say that their partnership with the ESL Federal Credit Union involves a commitment of $1.5 million and ESL will have naming rights for 25 years. The full-service financial institution is getting to name the 24,000 square-foot ESL Federal Credit Union Digital World gallery, which will be part of the Museum's "Neighborhood of Play" project.
The Digital World gallery will host two exhibits, "High Score" and "Level Up," which will offer an interactive look at the history of video games and be the centerpiece of the wing. The new wing will also feature the World Video Game Hall of Fame, featuring classics like Colossal Cave Adventure, Super Mario Kart, and Mortal Kombat. Speaking about the new wing, Steve Dubnik, the President and CEO of the Strong National Museum of Play, says that this new wing "focuses on the importance of video games in terms of play today." "It's gonna be a very unique experience… something that's not done to our knowledge anywhere else in the world."
The newest wing of the Strong National Museum of Play is expected to open by summer 2023.
