About

The National Toy Hall of Fame^® at The Strong, established in 1998, recognizes toys that have inspired creative play and enjoyed popularity over a sustained period. Each year, the prestigious hall inducts new honorees and showcases both new and historic versions of classic toys beloved by generations.

Anyone can nominate a toy to the National Toy Hall of Fame. Final selections are made on the advice of historians, educators, and other individuals who exemplify learning, creativity, and discovery through their lives and careers.

Situated at The Strong

The Strong is a highly interactive, collections-based educational institution devoted to the study and exploration of play. Through the National Toy Hall of Fame and its other Play Partners—the National Museum of Play, the International Center for the History of Electronic Games, the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play, and the American Journal of Play—The Strong explores play and the ways in which it encourages learning, creativity, and discovery and illuminates cultural history.

The National Toy Hall of Fame collections

The classic toys of the National Toy Hall of Fame sit alongside, and complement, the collections of The Strong's National Museum of Play, which holds the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of dolls, toys, games, and other materials related to play.

To date, 49 toys have been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. The most recent honorees are Hot Wheels, dollhouse, and—the blanket! View examples of these and other inductees by browsing the Online Collections. Or read the biographies of all these classic icons of play as described by The Strong’s curators.