Tri-County News

Relive favorite toys in new Stearns History Museum exhibit


Toy menagerie invokes childhood memories, family discussions

Recall old childhood memories by touring the Stearns -History Museum’s new exhibit, Just for Fun: Toys We Loved.

Matchbox cars. Board games. Barbie dolls. Toys ignite the imagination, assist children with self-discovery, and prepare them with necessary life skills. Mass-produced toys, such as the Slinky and erectors sets, exploded at the turn of the 20th Century when working-class families could afford to buy them.

The Museum’s exhibit includes dolls that date back to the mid-1800s, a Snurfer, a precursor to today’s snowboard, and a collection of early-manufactured Tonka trucks. It also features a working Lionel electric train on loan to the Museum by retired dentist Jeff Poehler. This set includes a transformer from 1949 and train cars from 1952. Staff periodically will be switching out the cars, so check in often.

Museum admission is $7 for adults, $3 for children, with a -family cap at $17. Membership packages also are available for purchase. Please check our website, stearns-museum.org, for updated hours and events.

For more information, contact the Stearns History Museum at (320) 253-8424 or check out the website at stearns-museum.org.

About Stearns History Museum

Founded in 1936, the Stearns History Museum works to connect people to the power of history and culture by collecting, preserving, and interpreting our historical and cultural resources. It is nationally accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

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