Toy and Action Figure Museum in Pauls Valley to close after 20 years
The Toy and Action Figure Museum in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, is closing on Aug. 30 after two decades, citing budget issues, but its collection will remain intact for future possibilities.
The Toy and Action Figure Museum in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, is closing its doors on Aug. 30 after 20 years, citing funding disputes as the reason for its closure.
Toy & Action Figure Museum in Pauls Valley closing at the end of August
Kevin Stark, executive director of the museum, reflected on its significance, saying, “A lot of people, local politicians and all, think, well, that’s just a building full of toys. No, this is a building full of memories, and the nostalgia that people feel here, it’s palpable.”
The museum began as a joke 25 years ago to put Pauls Valley on the map but evolved into a unique tourist attraction. It started with around 7,000 action figures and now houses 25,000 figures collected from around the world. Each year, approximately 15,000 visitors of all ages come to see toys from their childhood and discover ones they’ve never seen before.
“People can come in here, and they may be kind of in a bad mood or whatever, but boy, they don’t leave in a bad mood,” Stark said.
After two decades of filling its walls with toys and nostalgia, the museum is preparing to close, but Stark emphasized that the collection, which includes figures from Batman, Star Wars, The Simpsons, and more, will not be auctioned off.
“Well, we’re not happy about moving. It’s not something we want to do. It’s not something we’ve planned to do,” Stark said. “We may become a traveling museum. We’ve talked about that in the past. We may become a virtual museum, but we will maintain the collection and keep the collection together.”
The museum also features some of Stark’s own work, and he shared that the project has been deeply personal to him.
“I personally, this is my community project. I’ve never been paid here. I have donated 25 years of my time, my talent, and even my money to this place,” he said.
As the museum prepares to close, Stark hopes the memories created within its walls will live on, wherever the collection may go next.
“It’s done — 20 years was a good run,” Stark said.
