Your Childhood is Now an Exhibit at Michigan's Henry Ford Museum

Discovering My Childhood Toys Are Now a Display at Michigan's Henry Ford Museum

What did I ever do to you, Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation? Huh? I've been touring your halls and exhibits gleefully since my first elementary school field trip dropped us off at the front door in the '80s. I've gone on those same bus rides with my kids, watched them explore your trains, and marvel at machinery. Yet, despite my dedication, you, the Henry Ford Museum, decided that items from my childhood, which WASN'T THAT LONG AGO, are now OLD ENOUGH to be an actual exhibit.

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It is featured in the Your Place in Time exhibit, which looks at what life was like in America from the Progressive Generation in 1890 through what the Henry Ford Museum refers to as the Next Generation (the early 1980s to the present). Lost in thought, I rounded a corner only to be smacked in the face with the reality that the toys of my youth are now behind a glass case in a Michigan museum.

Henry Ford Museum's 'Your Place in Time' Exhibit

Scott Clow

If you grew up in Michigan in the '80s, you can HEAR this picture. These brightly colored battery-powered electronics were cutting edge when we played with them at home or in the back of a classroom.

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I don't doubt the historical significance of these items, as I wasted several hours of my life trying to get the best of SIMON, but did they really need to be put behind glass and displayed like artifacts?

A Closer Look at Henry Ford Museum 'Gen X Innovations in Technology Exhibit'

Scott Clow

This is just one of the Your Place in Time exhibits focusing on Generation X, but it is the one that made me want to reach for Metamucil, call it a day at 3 PM, and head home to watch Matlock and the Price is Right.

Here's a closer look at the technology from your childhood that's now an exhibit at Michigan's Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.

Your Childhood is Now an Exhibit at Michigan's Henry Ford Museum

I'm sorry, Generation X. Your childhood is officially a museum exhibit. The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation's Your Place in Time displays showcases each generation's impact on the United States, from the Progressive Generation to today. While it's not surprising to see items from the 1890s or 1950s displayed for their historical significance, it's a bit jarring to round a corner and see your childhood toys under glass. Here's a look at one of those displays featuring Generation X's impact on electronic play and the first generation to require the phrase "batteries not included."

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow

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The old W.K. Kellogg mansion

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Source: Your Childhood is Now an Exhibit at Michigan’s Henry Ford Museum

Filed Under: michigan history, henry ford, greenfield village, Henry Ford Museum, Michigan Museums, The Henry Ford Museum, unique Michigan museums

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