All Aboard! for the largest exhibition of antique toy trains, and other metal toys the Museum of American Heritage has ever mounted. Opening on Friday December 9th at MOAH, Antique Toys, 1870-1930 showcases exquisite and rare toys from local collectors. In addition to early American toys, the exhibit also features turn-of-the-century toy trains and their accessories from fine European toymakers such as Marklin and Bing. Visitors young and old will delight in discovering playthings from an earlier age.

The Victorian Age was one of the most prolific periods of invention and technological development. At the beginning of the era, there was no toy industry and few distribution channels for toys: it required the development of mass production, industrial molding and stamping, reliable heavy duty sewing machines, improved packaging and tinplate lithography to become the industry we recognize today. Most early Victorian-age children played with home-made toys: Rag or peg dolls, hoops, wooden tops, tin or wood whistles, stick horses, or whatever came to hand. By the end of the era, children had access to manufactured toys, many of very high quality, representing most aspects of contemporary society. Many of these toys or their derivatives were available well into the 20th century.

MOAH continues its exploration of American innovation with Inventing the 20th Century, 1901 - 1941. Following in the footsteps of the highly successful exhibit, Victorian America: Invention and Technology, our new exhibit continues to examine America's role in the process of technological innovation from the turn of the century to the beginning of the Second World War. Many of the concepts and ideas from the technologies of the Victorian Era were further developed to create the essential inventions of the early 20th century: many remain in use today.

Inventing the 20th Century is an opportunity to view an abundance of artifacts from MOAH's permanent collection. Everyday items, from the electric vacuum cleaner to the blender, first appeared in the early part of the 20th century. Come revisit the adolescence of the modern age and its creations. You might even find one you remember.