ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Strong Museum of Play celebrated a 100,000 square foot expansion project with a ground breaking ceremony Thursday.

The $60 million project will begin with a new parking garage. 

Museum officials say growth of the museum will allow for more collection storage, new exhibits and classrooms.

That includes a new home to the World Video Game Hall of Fame and its Women in Games Initiative. 

According to Strong, the museum attracts 400,000 more people to Rochester each year.

“The Strong community is such an important part of the Rochester community that I got involved in it and seen the impact that play and our messaging has on people's lives and people around us," said Steve Dubnik, Strong's president. "Just makes me very passionate about it and I just want to continue to create more of that impact. To impact more people to bring more people in to people who can afford it and people who can`t afford it so that`s a keep component for our overall project”

Planning for the 100,000 square foot project started in 2013 and construction is expected to be completed by 2020. 


See the project renderings: