If you’re looking for a hearty dose of nostalgia, in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, imagine what you might find at the Austin Toy Museum. The museum houses a number of vintage toys – some antiques, some not quite as old – including classic arcade cabinets as well as video game consoles, such as the classic Nintendo, that are available to play.
Lifestyle
Time Travel Back to Your Childhood at the Austin Toy Museum
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The Brainchild of a Lifelong Toy Collector and Autism Advocate
Photo: Facebook/austintoymuseum
The Austin Toy Museum is a non-profit organization and brainchild of Caleb Zammit, a lifelong toy collector and retired special needs teacher. The museum houses approximately 20,000 different toys and is a safe space for special needs students to develop social and job skills.
For Zammit, the Austin Toy Museum has been a lifetime labor of love. During his childhood, he was blessed with parents who kept all of his toys for a rainy day. In adulthood, he has continued collecting, but more from the perspective of a serious collector and educator. Caleb is an Autism specialist for the Austin Independent School District, and several of his toys have been used in lessons and activities. He even had one of his classes build a life-size R2D2 droid, which was a huge hit with the children while promoting an environment of cooperation and responsibility.
The museum was recently awarded a grant by the City of Austin Cultural Arts Division to increase the scope and capacity of the classes that they offer, such as silk screening, casting/toy making, and making replica movie props.
Got Some Old Toys Sitting Around at Home?
Photo: Facebook/austintoymuseum
Consider donating your old toys to the Austin Toy Museum. The folks at the museum love taking in toys, giving them a good cleaning, doing restoration work, and giving them a home where everyone can enjoy your childhood friends. Also, don’t forget that your donations are tax deductible.
To plan your visit the to Austin Toy Museum, visit their website or follow them on Facebook.
