American Toy Marble Museum Akron Ohio

The american toy marble museum preserves and disseminates through multimedia exhibitions and displays the history of the american toy industry in the city where it all started.

American toy marble museum akron ohio.

Dyke in 1891 in akron. It is a partner in akron after school and is working closely with the akron history exhibit the summit county historical society the university of akron archives the akron summit county public library. American toy marble museum. The original blue santa pictured here was found at lock 3 park in akron ohio during an archeological dig by the american toy marble museum.

On the very site where the first marbles were mass produced in the usa lock 3 park home of the american toy marble museum. The first mass produced toy. Most of the below jugs pots boots and other miniature items might be difficult to recognize as toys today but childhood has changed remarkably in the past 120 years in part due to the mass production of children s products including toys. In the mid 1890s.

Many of the museum s exhibits were dug out of the ground during its construction. Dyke s 1884 clay marble factory. It was manufactured on the site by the american marble toy manufacturing co. In 2005 the akron district marbles tournament had roughly 5 000 children participating in its yearly marbles tournament programs.

The museum displays a wide range of marbles and other toys and tools from the industry. The success of dyke s akron toy company spurred other entrepreneurs to start up their own marble works in the akron area. To showcase its marble industry history for many years akron was home to the american toy marble museum since 1990 closing some years and then reopening at a different location in 2002 2015 at loch 3 park. In order to keep the engineering arts and games of american marbles alive the museum promotes quality playtime activities for children of all ages.

A few years later in 1891 sam dyke founded the american marble toy manufacturing company and it was this factory that became the largest toy company to operate in the united states during the nineteenth century. The american marble and toy manufacturing company was founded by samuel c. The first five and last eight marbles are made of common clay making them known as commies also found on the former site of the american marble and. The museum enjoyed more than 40 000 visitors a year but staffing was voluntary and funding was limited.

The american toy marble museum is located in akron ohio where some of the earliest american marbles were produced.