Toys are displayed in three era-specific living rooms as well as a garage. Each space serves as a time capsule containing some of the most memorable toys from each decade. Among the hundreds of items on display are Hot Wheels®, Barbie®, Easy-Bake Oven®, LEGO®, and other childhood artifacts. Further reinforcing the historical background, classic toy commercials air in each room, and a trivia game hosted (virtually) by the original Brady Bunch’s Maureen McCormick (aka Marcia Brady). Around every corner are interactive zones where visitors can immerse themselves in hands-on play.
At the core of the exhibit are reflections on the significance and silliness of childhood passions, taken from published sources and firsthand personal accounts. Learn about the inventor of the popular Cootie toy and where he took inspiration for his “bug”; hear from brothers who wished for Star Wars toys but because of the popularity of the movie got an “I.O.U.” instead; and read a memory from a woman raised in a predominantly white suburb whose parents bought her a Julia doll because it “offered at least a hint that the world is a diverse place.”
Generous support for Toys of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s is provided by Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Top Ten Toys, and the Hanauer Family. Media sponsors are The Seattle Times and Seattle Metropolitan Magazine. The promotional partner is Visit Seattle.
This exhibit has closed.
Exhibit Details
On View Dates
Location
Cost
Recommended Audiences
Educators
Kids
Accessibility
Automated Facility Entry
Elevator Available
From the Exhibit
Get the Book
Toys of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s was created by the Minnesota History Center and is accompanied by an illustrated book from the Minnesota Historical Society Press.
Gumby. Barbie. Slinky. Mr. Potato Head. Wham-O. Spirograph. Hot Wheels. The names of these popular toys capture the craziness, the joy, the sheer fun of being a kid. But beneath those nutty names are rich veins of nostalgia, memory and history. These toys—and the stories of the kids, parents, child-rearing experts, inventors, manufacturers, and advertisers they affected—reflect the dynamism of American life.
Developed in conjunction with the exhibit, the book spotlights 45 memorable toys, placing them in historical context and presenting firsthand stories by adults who revered these toys as kids. The book is written by exhibit developer and best-selling author Kate Roberts and Minnesota Historical Society curator Adam Scher.
Generous Support Provided By
The Hanauer Family
Media Support Provided By
Promotional Partner
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