World's Largest Toy Museum

marolinesdad · March 29, 2011, 11:53:28 AM

Has anyone been there. I was thinking about taking my kids there this weekend. Would they like it? Is any of it hands on?

sanddunerider · March 29, 2011, 03:48:28 PM

okla. started to go last weekend. my ticket connection shows tickets are 10.00, but when i walked in the man wanted like 17 or 18 bucks per adult.. struck me as a little high. Elected not to go in. Hope you have better results than I did. here is a link to ticket prices. but they should be the same at the door.

http://allaccessbranson.com/search.cfm

thelarsonsix · March 29, 2011, 07:19:39 PM

I have been there. It's neat to look at, but keep in mind it's a museum. IE, no touching, just looking. Sometimes not always the easiest thing to explain to younger kids. As a side note, the Harold Bell Wright museum is located inside there. Don't remember if it's a separate charge or not, as it's been several years since we were there.

Junior · March 30, 2011, 04:58:51 PM

I wondered about the Harold Bell Wright Museum location still being there. I visited the HBW Museum when it was in Mutton Hollow. Anyone remember that place? (Current site of the defunct Celebration City.) At the time, HBW's son owned and operated the place. He actually gave the tours himself. Cannot remember which son, but I remember the fellow had a long career in Hollywood making films for Disney. He was in his 70's or 80's at the time, and this would have been in the late 1980's or early 1990's. HBW's son was upset that a deal could not be struck with Shepherd of the Hills Homestead owners to put the museum there. I understand that later the museum was allegedly at Shepherd of the Hills for a year or two before moving to the present location. The material in the HBW museum was the stuff that HBW himself and that his children and grandchildren had owned and collected. Having his son give the tour to the place was pretty awesome! I remember that the museum was not busy when I visited and that I had a nice chat with HBW's son. I actually remember him telling me so much family info, that my eyes were rolling in the sockets, and I had to think of an excuse to get out of there!

sanddunerider · March 30, 2011, 05:20:53 PM

YES. the HBW museum is tied into the toy museum.. Toy museum is up froint as they say, and the museum in either in the back, or connected in the next building. I elected not to do it at the time.

thelarsonsix · March 30, 2011, 07:54:27 PM

Quote from: Junior on March 30, 2011, 04:58:51 PM
I wondered about the Harold Bell Wright Museum location still being there. I visited the HBW Museum when it was in Mutton Hollow. Anyone remember that place? (Current site of the defunct Celebration City.) At the time, HBW's son owned and operated the place. He actually gave the tours himself. Cannot remember which son, but I remember the fellow had a long career in Hollywood making films for Disney. He was in his 70's or 80's at the time, and this would have been in the late 1980's or early 1990's. HBW's son was upset that a deal could not be struck with Shepherd of the Hills Homestead owners to put the museum there. I understand that later the museum was allegedly at Shepherd of the Hills for a year or two before moving to the present location. The material in the HBW museum was the stuff that HBW himself and that his children and grandchildren had owned and collected. Having his son give the tour to the place was pretty awesome! I remember that the museum was not busy when I visited and that I had a nice chat with HBW's son. I actually remember him telling me so much family info, that my eyes were rolling in the sockets, and I had to think of an excuse to get out of there!

Seems like SOTH homestead would be a pretty logical place for the museum to me. That's so cool that you got to meet and visit with his son. Are there any grandkids around or do you know?

Junior · March 30, 2011, 07:58:14 PM

There are grandchildren, and I think, great grandchildren. All the grandkids are adults, and probably most of the great grandkids, too. Type Harold Bell Wright in your search engine and it will take you to a website full of HBW info that some guy has collected over the years. Tons of info and lots and lots of photos...many of early Branson from the 1910-1930s era. Plus if you go to the "Find a Grave" website and type in HBW's name, you will see his gravesite and have a nice little bio about him. Pretty interesting guy.