Roadtripping to National Museums-- Part 5

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF PLAY, ROCHESTER, NEW YORK--

Release you inner child at the home of the National Toy Hall of Fame and take a ride on a 1918 carousel and hopscotch down Sesame Street..  Opened in 1982 and featuring the personal collection of Margaret Woodbury Strong, the museum has hundreds of thousands of toys, dolls, board games, electronic games, books, photographs and historical material dealing with playing.

Be sure to see Thomas Edison's 1890s singing doll, an 1843 Mansion of Happiness board game and a 1933 Monopoly game handmade by Charles Darrow, who first marketed the game. 

Maybe you'll even find that toy your mon threw out.


NATIONAL MUSIC MUSEUM, VERMILLION, SOUTH DAKOTA--

A complete workshop with tools templates, molds, ledgers used by guitar craftsmen John D'Angelico and James D-Aquisto is featured at the museum's "Great American Guitars" exhibit, featuring instruments by top American guitar makers like E.F. Martin, Orville Gibson and Fender.

The museum has a 15,000-instrument collection (besides guitars).  There are ornate reed organs and 500 horns and other band instruments made by G.C. Conn Company in Elkhart, Indiana  There is even a combination crutch and electric lap steel guitar made for country singer barbara Mandrell after a leg injury and a heart-shaped trumpet from the 1978 movie "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

Two More to Go.  --RoadDog