Uploaded August 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago

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Let's take a roadtrip up to Rochester, MY to visit The Strong National Museum of Play! After initially meeting with a curator at the Smithsonian of American History, I was referred to Jeremy Saucer, executive Vice President of The Strong. We coordinated a meeting for me to donate a box of arcade related materials I obtained from a foreclosed upon house in Laurel, Md. in the summer of 2022.

The Scoop Shoppe was an ice cream parlor and arcade owned by Robert Benson in the 1980's. He was a detailed oriented business owner and was unfamiliar with the arcade culture of the early 1980's but knew their was an opportunity to have success. Along with two Centipedes, one Qix, and a Ms. Pac Man I was also given a box of archived documents providing a detailed history into Mr. Benson as a business man and how he operated the Scoop Shoppe. Luckily, these documents are now in the hands of the museum where hopefully some pieces will be on display in the coming years!