Marx Toy Museum in Moundsville, WV

Well that figures. I planned to stop by the museum during the first week of July. I guess I can cancel that plan, darn it.

Jeff

Didn't know that it existed. Not an original point, but we here in the RR hobby tend, I think, to remember Marx as a "train brand", and not as a more general "toy brand". I did not see any RR references on the website, at least at a glance. Not criticism, just observation.

====== Rambling:

One of the things that make it difficult to live in the US and have truly niche interests is simply the size of the blasted place. I would "drop by" this Marx Museum, if it were closer - I mean even a day trip, actually, not just an hour or two. But WV is a journey of 750 miles - one way - for me. It's essentially 1000 miles to York from here. Been there once; would go every so often if it were, say, 500 miles - but a 2000 mile round trip is a...journey. A bit too off the reservation. Do-able, but not often. One more time, maybe...

Small interests require a small country, or a private plane, to be "easy". Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales, N. Ireland, to state the obvious) is about the same area as Alabama and Georgia combined, I think, but has a population or 61 million. That's dense - easy to find your peeps. In the US? It's often "Hello? Anybody there?"

Yes, but don't some of our large cities have populations of, but less square mileage in area, of some countries.....groups of countries?  What are comparative populations of New York, Chicago, and L.A. metropolitan areas vs. GB, Italy, or ?   I took a few flying lessons with the crazy idea that I could attend farther shows cheaper!! (yeah, right) and faster, than driving to Wheaton or wherever....weather is a biggie, and a plane with the equipt. to fly in any weather was not going to be a Piper Cub.  They seem to be pretty good at screwing Leer Jets into the ground in bad weather.  Yellowstone is not close for many....but many get there.  I am sorry to hear this museum is closing...didn't they have a break-in?  I did visit once a few years ago, and should again.  I always think of this location as "Wheeling", and it is right off I-70 if you are headed home from York today to Indy or St. Louis, so stop off.  When I was there it was in an old church building.

such a shame on a landmark year, too.  August 11th will be Louis Marx's 120th birthday.  i already suggested a Google Doodle for that day and i'm sure it could use all the support he deserves as "The World's Greatest Toymaker" to make that happen.  for someone with artistic talent, there is even a submission form which would probably give it a greater chance of being displayed.  even i can see an 0-4-0 easily made out of the Google name.

cheers...gary

Here are a few pictures of my visit to the Marx Toy Museum on my trip there 3-3-2006.

As you see they have a neat train layout and show a good selection of Marx toys of all kinds.

Little did I know I would collect 3 Green Machines from thrifts and the garbage to be enjoyed by my 7 grand kids when the come to visit.

Sorry to hear about the Marx Museum closing.  Surely someone will save all these great toys for future generations to enjoy.

Charlie

I hope that Bunny Train pictured above escaped the burglary......this is another "rare" thing there seem to be a lot of...

Thanks for the alert, I will make plans to go there. It is about 1 hr 30 mins away.

This is not the museum that had the burglary. That one has a lot of trains, but it's in Wheeling.

The board of directors is hoping to have the traveling exhibit reach a lot more people than the museum now does. When we were there Saturday, Francis Turner said they've had inquiries from three large museums about the 100-toy traveling display they're planning.

They're also going to expand the website to over 100 pages to cover what they have in more detail. 

So are they closing permanently? I was there for the TCA 50th convention and I was amazed at all the stuff Marx produced. It was a great trip with lots of displays. If it is closing this is indeed a sad day as that was a wonderful place that just brought back so many memories for me and I'm sure for most in my age bracket (mid 50s). The museum was well thought out and seemed kept up very well.  I never realized how many Marx toys I had growing up till I made that trip heck I never realized how many toys the Marx Corp produced till that visit.. 

I would assume that this would have no bearing on the Marx Convention in June as that is held at Wheeling  . Correct.

dang hadn't heard that. I'll have to get down there asap.

I noticed that in one of the photo's there was an image of a round house.  Did they actually produce a tin version?  If so when?