National Toy Hall of Fame in NY Announces 2024 Nominees

Did you Know The National Toy Hall of Fame was in New York State?

New York State is home to some really great museums including The Strong National Museum of Play.

According to The Strong's website, it is one of the "largest history museums in the United States" and it's one of the top museums serving families with "highly interactive exhibits and programs." It's located in the center of Rochester, New York.

Within the walls of The Strong National Museum of Play is the National Toy Hall of Fame. Am I the only one who didn't realize the National Toy Hall of Fame was in New York?!

With that being said, the National Toy Hall of Fame has made a big announcement.

2024 National Toy Hall of Fame Nominees

Every year the National Toy Hall of Fame will announce the names of the nominees for the new toys in the running to make it to the Hall of Fame.

The 12 toy nominees for 2024 are as follows:

Apples to Apples
Balloons
Choose Your Own Adventure Game Books
Hess Toy Trucks
My Little Pony
Pokemon Trading Card Game
Remote-Controlled (R/C) Vehicles
Sequence
Stick Horse (Hobbyhorse)
Trampoline
Transformers

Can you believe Hess Truck is just making the list now in 2024?! Voting for the National Toy Hall of Fame Class of 2024 will begin next week at MuseumofPlay.org.

Which toy would you vote into the Hall of Fame? Last year's inductees include Baseball Cards, Nerf products, Fisher Price Pop Corner, and Cabbage Patch Dolls.

What are Some of Your Favorite New York Museums?

As we mentioned earlier, New York State is home to many amazing museums. Do you have a favorite?

For me it's the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Take a look at some of the more unique museums in our neck of the woods:

Sneak Peek at Highly Anticipated Hudson Valley Museum

A New Museum Will Open In The Catskills Featuring Hollywood's Biggest Stars

The Borscht Belt Museum will open in Ulster County,NY. This allows for the history of the Borscht Belt to carry on in the Hudson Valley.

While celebrities in the past visited the Borscht Belt region, there will be more involved in the community when this museum opens in 2025.

Fran Drescher And Fellow Celebrities Will Sit On A Hudson Valley Museum Board

Fran Drescher is a celebrity that almost everyone likes. Known for her role as Fran Fine in The Nanny, the world couldn't help but laugh at her jokes, statements, and relatable interactions with other members of the show.

According to Yahoo News,

Fran Drescher isn't the only celebrity who will be in the Catskills.

"The museum’s list of advisory board members includes Fran Drescher, Harvey Fierstein, Judd Hirsch, Robert Klein and Richard Lewis — a fitting cast for a place where some of the nation’s top comedians got their start."

Have You Ever Heard Of The Borscht Belt?

According to Borscht Belt Museum.org,

"For generations of Jews in the New York metropolitan area, there was no doubt about the location of those “mountains.” Less than 100 miles from the cramped, sweltering tenements of Manhattan’s Lower East Side was a lush patchwork of forests, farms and bustling rural towns that hosted a summertime population of nearly a million urban strivers hungry for the clean air, fresh food and familiar camaraderie that even a garment worker or cab driver could afford."

Spending the summer in the Catskills sounds ideal.

"From the turn of the 20th century to the 1970s, more than 1,000 hotels, bungalow colonies, summer camps and boarding houses dotted the Catskill Mountains of southern New York. At first they came by train, and later, by bus and car along The Quickway, now known as Route 17."

Some may know this area or region to be called Solomon County, Jewish Alps or The Mountains. The Borscht Belt was also another term that most people remember the most.

How Can You Visit The Borscht Belt Museum In Ellenville, NY?

I took a day trip to the Borscht Belt Museum in Ellenville, NY. Upon arrival, I was greeted by a humorous sign stating "Come in and schmooze, free admission".

When I entered the museum, I was greeted by a volunteer. I was able to walk around and see memorabilia from the different resorts of the Borscht Belt region and community.

I was also told that this museum is a pop up for now, they will continue to change the set up as well. 2025 marks the year that the Borscht Belt Museum will officially open.

Gallery Credit: Allison Kay

Look Inside The 'It's A Wonderful Life' Museum In Seneca Falls, New York

Upstate New York's Seneca Falls is believed to have inspired Bedford Falls from the movie 'It's A Wonderful Life’ and even has its own 'It's a Wonderful Life' museum. This is what it looks like inside.

Gallery Credit: Traci Taylor

8 of TripAdvisor’s Top 20 Museums in New York State Are In Upstate

Upstate contributes 40% of TripAdvisor's list. New York City takes two in the top three. The National 9/11 Memorial and Museum, which is truly one of the most emotional and moving memorials in the world, is number one with a 4.5 out of a staggering 95,990 reviews. Number three is The Metropolitan Museum of Art in Central Park.

Western New York has the number two spot with The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester. While Upstate doesn’t crack the top three, the region takes the majority of the rest of the list. How many of these must-visit places have you been to?

Gallery Credit: Cameron Coats

Categories: Around the Hudson Valley, Articles, Wakin' Up with CJ and Jess