History Toys with Us

My favorite Twin Cities museum is the History Museum in St.Paul. It is well-built, well-planned, SO kid-friendly, free for kids under 7, reasonable for the rest of us, and has on-site parking for only $5. I love it. During our Christmas school break, we went to see the new display -- Toys of the 50's, 60's, and 70's.

I watched this one with my mom on NIckolodean?

They loved these phones with cords.

Speak and Spell -- My cousins had one...We thought it was so neat.

But we did have one of these...

And one of these...

I loved this crazy picture.

And the textiles in the display were incredible. I want this chair.

I loved Holly Hobbie.

Gold crushed velveteen. Yes.

Our church nursery had one of these guys.

My brother had most of these...

...Including this Millennium Falcon.

The kid can hoola.

Right next to this tank was an exhibit where you sat inside a Korean War Fighter plane that had been shot down over the Atlantic ocean. A sound, image, and movement repeating display made it feel like you were part of the attack. The only survivor of that particular shoot-down lives in Minneapolis and was manning the exhibit to tell his own story of the experience. He had just left for lunch break when we arrived. Bummer. But neat!

The mine exhibit is one of the kids' favorites. They can try out sledge hammers and try detonating a tunnel with pretend dynamite and try tamping a roof with simulated rock fall-ins. I think the historical part of the mining industry is lost on the kids so far, but the interactive experience is tantalizing for them.

This grain elevator has a three-story maze running through it. We usually end at this part because they will play in it as long as I let them. (There are benches around the wall, so I usually bring a book.)