The National Center for the History of Electronic Games has opened in New York. Situated at Strong National Museum, the exhibition features over 15,000 videogame related items, including hardware, games, publications, merchandise and books. But it’s not all stuffy chin-stroking and nodding at instruction manuals, visitors to the exhibition can also play some of the games on display.

Also, from May. 30. until Nov. 1, the museum plays host to ‘Videotopia’, a traveling exhibit from the Electronics Conservancy. Boasting more than one hundred restored and new arcade videogames, visitors can get their hands on everything from the very earliest arcade machines to the very latest videogame technology.

And if that isn’t enough, the Center is also working on a long-term interactive exhibit called ‘The Revolutionary World of Electronic Play,’ opening in 2012. A traveling version of the exhibit is also envisioned.