STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Visitors to the W. K. Gordon Museum can learn about the origins and colorful past of Crayolas, board games, toy trains, Tinkertoys and more at a new exhibit, “Looking Back at Toys,” that opens today and continues through May 31.
Several toys on display are still played with and have been adapted from ancient versions; many others were developed in the United States beginning in the late 1800s. Visitors can learn about the famous board game producers Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers and have some hands-on fun experimenting with Tinkertoys and solving a jigsaw puzzle.
Sign up at the museum to win a Beginner YoYo Collector Kit donated by Dr. Lucky Meisenheimer, proud owner of the world’s largest yoyo stash. The kit includes his book, Lucky’s Collectors Guide to 20th Century YoYos (with history and values), and a large poster of Lucky’s Periodic Table of YoYos.
The winner also will take away 10 yoyos, a Duncan Championship patch, a Duncan Tricks booklet, a 5-cent vintage glassine string packet and a decal with YouTube channel Lucky’s YoYo Talk logo.
For more information about the museum and the “Looking Back at Toys” exhibit, call 254-968-1886 or visit [email protected].
The W. K. Gordon Museum and Research Center, a facility of Tarleton State University, is at 65258 Interstate 20, Exit 367 in Mingus and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and 1-4 p.m. Sundays. The combined museum and special collections library are located at the site of the Thurber ghost town. Visitors enjoy interactive exhibits that explore the birth, operations and slow fade of the town owned by the Texas and Pacific Coal Co.
A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State University is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of approximately 18,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. For 125 years, Tarleton State has been committed to accessible higher education opportunities for all while helping students grow academically, socially and professionally through programs that emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.