November 14, 2007
For Immediate Release
Contact: Susan Trien, 585-410-6359, strien@museumofplay.org

Question: What has 24 rooms, 5 stories, 24 fireplaces, 34 working windows, nearly 100 electric lights, and took 16 years to build?

Answer: The Miller Manor Farm—one of the biggest dollhouses (7 feet long and 4 feet high) in the renowned toy collections held by Strong National Museum of Play®.

Strong invites guests to take a peek inside Miller Manor Farm, a one-of-a-kind, nineteenth-century-style dollhouse, which is lavishly decorated for the holidays and on display in the museum’s Caterpillar Atrium from November 19, 2007 through January 1, 2008.

A miniature Santa pauses on the Manor roof in his trusty sleigh, a twinkling Christmas tree graces the front porch, and each of the 34 windows is gaily festooned with its own teeny Christmas wreath. The many tiny rooms are decked out in their holiday best. Chandeliers, wall sconces, and table lamps powered by real electricity fill the house with the warmth of dazzling lights. Tiny fireplaces make the rooms cozy. And miniature figures of family and servants are busy inside, getting ready for the holidays.

Miller Manor Farm was created by hobbyists Tina and Bob Miller of Cooperstown, New York, who spent 16 years crafting the extravagant dollhouse. Bob, a former engineer, built and wired the house. Tina furnished and decorated it, using kits and scrap materials. They used the traditional scale in which one inch equals one foot, and everything—including flooring, clapboard siding, staircase, and double-hung working windows—is handmade.

Strong also presents two special holiday weekend events in December: Meet Dr. Seuss’s Grinch “in person” at The Grinch 50th Birthday Weekend on Saturday, December 8 and Sunday, December 9. And enjoy a special weekend of Holiday Cheer on Saturday, December 15 and Sunday, December 16. Both December weekends offer opportunities to meet The Jolly Good Fellow, Strong’s old-fashioned Santa; take part in a stage-re-enactment of a Ukrainian folk tale; write a note to Santa and mail it to the North Pole; and more.

All activities are included with general museum admission fees.

Strong National Museum of Play®, located in downtown Rochester, New York, is the only museum in the world devoted to the study of play as it illuminates American popular culture.

Regular Hours:
Monday–Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.;
Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Sunday, 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.
Admission Fees:
General Admission (does not include Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden®):
Adults $9.00; Seniors $8.00; Children (2–17) $7.00; Children younger than two free; Strong members free.
Admission to Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden®:
General Admission fee plus $3.00 per person for members and nonmembers; Children younger than two free.
Due to limited capacity, entry to Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden is by timed tickets only. Advance purchase is recommended. Please call 585-263-2700 to purchase timed tickets.
Parking:
Free parking is available at the museum for all guests on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that, on high visitation days, the museum lot may reach capacity early in the day. If space is not available on site at the time of your visit, you will be directed to additional parking at neighboring municipal garages (fees may apply).