Lurking behind a completely nondescript doorway in SE Portland lies the
Kidd's Toy Museum. Our homeschool group visited recently to find out what it's all about. The collection is simply mind boggling. I expected a small room, and found three large rooms filled floor to ceiling with glass display cases. The collection covers the period after the Civil War, when toys began to be made from cast metal, until before World War II. Toys are arranged roughly thematically. There are no signs of any kind to enlighten you on the stories behind any of the toys. You are left to simply marvel at their detail and charm. Mr. Kidd has been an avid collector of toy banks of endless variety. There are also a few molds that were used to cast some of the toys. The differences between these toys and the toys of today are striking. Their durability and their humor were of a different caliber. This museum is well worth a stop!
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| Look for this door! |
Lurking behind a completely nondescript doorway in SE Portland lies the Kidd's Toy Museum. Our homeschool group visited recently to find out what it's all about. The collection is simply mind boggling. I expected a small room, and found three large rooms filled floor to ceiling with glass display cases. The collection covers the period after the Civil War, when toys began to be made from cast metal, until before World War II. Toys are arranged roughly thematically. There are no signs of any kind to enlighten you on the stories behind any of the toys. You are left to simply marvel at their detail and charm. Mr. Kidd has been an avid collector of toy banks of endless variety. There are also a few molds that were used to cast some of the toys. The differences between these toys and the toys of today are striking. Their durability and their humor were of a different caliber. This museum is well worth a stop! 
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