March 29, 2024 – Kruger Street Toy and Train Museum, Wheeling, WV

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:

Lego Train Layout in the Museum Lobby

Lego Train Layout in the Museum Lobby

Even the Trains are made from Legos

Even the Trains are made from Legos

Toy Car Room:

Some of the Toy Cars and Trucks Displayed

Some of the Toy Cars and Trucks Displayed

Pretty Much any Kind of Figure You Can Imagine

Pretty Much any Kind of Figure You Can Imagine

Don't Know the Make or Model but Really Pretty

Don’t Know the Make or Model but Really Pretty

Dolls:

A Few Dolls in the Doll Room

A Few Dolls in the Doll Room

Doll Houses Anyone?

Doll Houses Anyone?

Puzzles:

The Puzzle Room Included the World's Largest Jigsaw with 40,320 Pieces

The Puzzle Room Included the World’s Largest Jigsaw with 40,320 Pieces

Mickey Mouse:

Mickey and Minnie Anyone?

Mickey and Minnie Anyone?

K’nex:

These Working Rides were Built Using K’nex

These Working Rides were Built Using K’nex

Trains:

American Flyer Gauge was What My Family Had

American Flyer Gauge was What My Family Had

HO Gage Railroaders Made the Best Modeled Layouts

HO Gage Railroaders Made the Best Modeled Layouts

Wall of HO Gauge Model Steam Engines

Wall of HO Gauge Model Steam Engines

This 2-10-10-2 Steam Engine is the Largest Ive Ever Seen

This 2-10-10-2 Steam Engine is the Largest Ive Ever Seen

Snoppy:

Part of the Snoopy Display in the Basement

Part of the Snoopy Display in the Basement

More Snoopy Stuff than I Ever Imagined Existed

More Snoopy Stuff than I Ever Imagined Existed