Manhattan Museum Exhibit: Classic Toys from the 20th Century

Barbie & Ken and Lionel Trains, Lincoln Logs and Strawberry Shortcake, Atari Electronic Games and Cabbage Patch Dolls… what were their origins and what are their stories? The Manhattan Township Historical Society Museum will be featuring their free special winter exhibit, “Classic Toys from the 20th Century” on Saturday, January 21, 2017. The museum, located at 255 S. State Street in Manhattan, Illinois will be open from 10 am until 2 pm. Visit our Toy Gallery and learn the histories of some of our beloved vintage toys

Did you know that: Barbie was ‘born’ in Wisconsin? Lincoln Logs were created by the son of a famous American architect, who was inspired by his father’s design for an earthquake-proof hotel in China? Legal and social controversies swirled around the innocent Cabbage Patch Dolls? A famous 1970s musician and songwriter is a major shareholder in Lionel Trains and had discreetly visited local train clubs? These stories and more will be presented.

Interactive displays will be featured including a vintage Atari Computer Game console where you can actually play some of your favorite games. Dozens of 20th century classic toys will be on display to stir your memories. Spend a relaxing afternoon in Manhattan at our museum gallery visiting with our volunteers.

Society membership is open to all who have an interest in local history and preservation. Many levels of membership are offered to suit individual needs. Meetings are the third Wednesday of the month at 6:30 pm at the Museum, which the Village of Manhattan has provided. The Society also sponsors a Memory Clippers group, which meets the second and fourth Wednesdays from 9 am to noon to help organize and manage its collections.

Contact us at ManhattanHistorical@yahoo.com or Facebook.com/ManhattanHistoricalSociety.