Guest blogger Brianne Manz of Stroller in the City visited the American Girl store in New York City in preparation for an exciting holiday season. Read about the fun she had with her daughters, Siella and Gemma, exploring the new Doll Hospital and Julie’s Groovy World.
The American Girl store at Rockefeller Center is one of the most iconic stores in the country. It is just amazing. With so many dolls and fantastic displays, the company has made a store worthy of the address. I can still remember vividly Siella’s first visit when she turned four years old, and she picked out her very first American Girl. She wound up choosing a Bitty Baby and named it Heart Star, and I think it still may be her favorite one today. Then Gemma followed in her same footsteps when she turned four years old, picking out a baby for herself and naming it Chloe. It’s nice to see the girls still playing with their first dolls!
Last week, with the girls off from school, we made a day of going to the American Girl store at Rock Center to see their new interactive areas, and I have to tell you, American Girl has outdone themselves with these amazing installations.
American Girl has outdone themselves with these amazing installations.
The first installation we made a point of seeing was the new American Girl Doll Hospital. At this station, children can bring their dolls in for routine wellness checkups as well as eye exams, skin cleaning, hearing aid replacements, ear piercings, doll X-rays, and more. As if all of that weren’t fun enough, kids can actually schedule appointments for their dolls all by themselves using the counter where a Doll Doctor (the staff in this section even wear white doctors’ coats!) awaits to offer wellness advice and help the kids fill out a doll diagnostic questionnaire, in addition to making appointments.
The girls played with each station, giving their dolls a full body exam. There’s even an eye exam station that looks as if you are actually in the ophthalmologist’s office! Gemma was so intrigued that American Girl actually offers an arm and leg cast along with crutches for her doll, she insisted on getting this set so she can play doctor with her dolls!
Up next was Julie’s Groovy World. This space was such a blast from the past! Julie’s Groovy World celebrates Julie Albright™, one of American Girl’s most popular historical dolls. This '70s era interactive space features a '70s-inspired bedroom, as well as an arcade-style basketball game, Julie’s favorite. Kids can also take a selfie next to Julie’s famous full-size VW Bug and play with a doll-sized cable car featuring the sights of San Francisco in the background. And finally, the thing I love most about this space is that girls can make a pretend speech at the Student Government Podium just like Julie. I LOVE that the American Girl store is encouraging girls to stand up for change.
The American Girl store at Rockefeller Center has far exceeded my expectations, and I didn’t think that was possible. This particular American Girl store has long been my favorite, and I’ve always loved how well it’s been thought out and implemented. The addition of the American Girl Doll Hospital and Julie’s Groovy World interactive areas have propelled the store to a new level. If you live in or nearby New York City or are visiting, I highly encourage you to take your American Girl fan to see these new displays. They’re amazing!
Thanks to Brianne Manz for creating this guest post! Learn more about what American Girl stores have to offer here.
©2024 American Girl. American Girl and associated trademarks are owned by American Girl, LLC.
.jpg)
.jpg)
