I’m on my way in WAWA to the Winnebago Factory Customer Service Center in Forest City, Iowa to have some warranty work done and to have a recall service performed. On my way west, about 1,200 miles, I’m staying at Harvest Host locations. My first stop is at the Kruger Street Toy and Train Museum in Wheeling.
The museum is located in an old, repurposed school building. The main floor has a series of rooms, each dedicated to a single category of toy including dolls, puzzles, figurines, Legos, K’nex, Mickey Mouse, etc. The basement room houses Snoopy and friends. Finally, the second floor is entirely about trains ranging from tin plate through O, S and HO gauges, each housed in a dedicated room with locomotives, cars and layouts on display. The place is great and well worth the $15 admission!
Louis Marx and Company was an American toy manufacturer in business from 1919 to 1980. They made many types of toys including tin toys, toy soldiers, toy guns, action figures, dolls, toy cars and model trains. Since their largest manufacturing plant was in nearby Glen Dale, West Virginia, they are well represented in the various collections of toys on display. At its peak, the plant employed 1,500 workers.
Following are a series of photos taken inside the museum, arranged by room.
Lobby:
Toy Car Room:
Dolls:
Puzzles:
Mickey Mouse:
K’nex:
Trains:
Snoppy: