This downtown York business was part of new Smithsonian entertainment exhibit opening
York County was recently represented in a new exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.
The "Entertainment Nation" exhibit, which opened Dec. 9, features some of America's most famous pop culture objects, such as Dorothy's ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz," Jim Henson's original Kermit the Frog, Mr. Rogers' sweater and Prince's guitar.
And featured next to those, in a section called the “Pause & Replay” space, were vintage arcade games from Timeline Arcade, located in Downtown York. Some of the games included Pac Man, Frogger, Space Invaders and Street Fighter. This installation allowed museum visitors the chance to play these retro video games.
According to a release from the Smithsonian, the Entertainment Nation exhibit is meant to show how "entertainment has the power to captivate, inspire and transform us. It brings us together. We share it when we spontaneously recite lines from a favorite movie, dance to the same groove or recreate a national sports moment on a neighborhood street. It can also spur critical conversations, expose divides, and foster important historical change."
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The exhibit will feature an extensive collection of American theater, music, sports, movie and television objects that will explore how "entertainment has provided a forum for important national conversations about who we are, and who we want to be."
Brandon Spencer, owner of Timeline Arcade, said he was approached over a year ago about being a part of the exhibit by a curator at the Smithsonian, who happens to be a regular arcade-goer. Timeline's operations coordinator, Majela Burg, worked tirelessly on the paperwork for the exhibit, Spencer said, and Coin Op Amusements, based in Hagerstown, Maryland helped them to secure some rare games to restore for the display.
Spencer then brought the games to be an interactive piece of the exhibit that showcases video game history. Those eight arcade games are already back in York, but it was an experience Spencer said will never forget.
"It was an awe-striking experience. It was an honor just to be a part of the National Museum of American History," he said.
The Entertainment Nation exhibit opened Dec. 9. Other notable objects include a piece of the original Woodstock stage, Selena's leather jacket and Bill Nye's lab coat.
The exhibit is free and a full calendar of events is planned through Dec. 18.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: York business was featured in a new exhibit at the Smithsonian
