Children's Toy and Doll Museum

Name: Children's Toy and Doll Museum
Address: 206 Gilman Avenue, Marietta, OH, 45750, US
Telephone: (740) 373-5900
Price range: $

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Marietta, OH
Children's Toy and Doll Museum

Children's Toy and Doll Museum, located at 206 Gilman Ave. Marietta, OH. Free Parking, Admission: Adults $5, Children $2, and Immediate Family members $10.

We are closed for the 2025 season and will reopen in May 2026 on Saturday's & Sunday's from 1-4. The Children's Toy and Doll Museum was founded by Sally Hille when she organized the Bicentennial Woman's Club in 1976. The dollhouses, which you will find in the museum today, were once displayed first in the Campus Martius Museum in Marietta. In 1989 the museum was moved to two train cars located in

the Harmar Village section of Marietta and remained there for seven years. By 1996, more space was needed and the museum moved to 206 Gilman Avenue. The house was renovated by various organizations, families, and individuals to provide the museum with a new home. The house was built in 1889 by George Strecker, a local boilermaker. It is a lovely, old house in Eastlake/Queen Anne style. Thanks to area groups, each adopting a room to renovate, the museum is truly a hidden treasure displaying toys and collections of years ago. The museum will have several new displays for visitors this year, which include: a Disenyana Exhibit, Vintage & Antique Transportation Vehicles, Princess Diana Royal Wardrobe Collection, Wind Up Toy Collection, Presidential Pez Collection, G.I. Joe Models, Gone With The Wind Doll and Architectural Building Exhibit, RMS Queen Mary Miniature Tea Sets and Collectables, and a redecorated Christmas and Transportation Room. The museum offers nine rooms filled with hidden treasures of collectables ranging from teddy bears, Kewpie dolls, storybook dolls, and antique dolls from the mid-1800's. You will find "The Old Woman In the Shoe" as well as a Hansel & Gretel Gingerbread House. The museum's library houses a collection of The First Ladies of the White House Dolls. The International Doll Room has a spectacular collection of dolls from around the world. Visitors will be able to view displays of beautiful miniature doll houses, handmade scale models of circus wagons, replicas of city landmarks, antique toys and games of yesteryear all residing under the roof of the Children's Toy and Doll Museum in Marietta, Ohio.

06/03/2026

Children’s Toy and Doll Museum
206 Gilman Ave Marietta, OH
June 3, 2026

You can contribute to our local nonprofit either by making a donation or by attending the yard sale; both actions are beneficial for everyone.

Your support of the annual yard sale and fundraiser
provides funding for our non profit organization’s
operational expenses, maintenance fees, and special projects.

Please feel free to share our post with your families, friends and your community.
Make it a great day.

05/29/2026

Children’s Toy and Doll Museum
206 Gilman Ave Marietta, OH

Annual Yard Sale/Fundraiser

The Children's Toy and Doll Museum, located at 206 Gilman Ave in Marietta, OH, will hold its Annual Yard Sale / Fundraiser on Saturday, June 13, 2026, from 9 AM to 2 PM.
The Rain Date is set for Saturday, the 20th of June.
Household items, seasonal decorations, toys, dolls, puzzles, jewelry, and so much more will be on sale for bargain hunters!

Supporters of the local nonprofit museum are invited to donate items for the yard sale, to attend the event, or to do both!
Donations may be dropped off at the museum on the following days:
MONDAY to WEDNESDAY: JUNE 8th to JUNE 10th from 10 AM to 2 PM, THURSDAY: JUNE 11th from 10 AM to 2 PM and from 4 PM to 7 PM.

The proceeds from the sale will be used to cover the museum's yearly operational costs, maintenance fees, and support for special projects, all of which are managed by the non-profit organization.

05/26/2026

Children’s Toy and Doll Museum
206 Gilman Ave Marietta, OH

May 26, 2026

Marietta, Ohio
A tribute and a perspective of our city and why we hold Memorial Day as a day to remember, to honor, and to never forget.🇺🇸

https://fb.watch/Hlr6r5WLmY/?fs=e

05/25/2026

Memorial Day, May 25, 2026

Today is a day we pause and take a moment to Remember, Honor, and Respect.

National Mall and Memorial Parks
Honoring all the members of our armed forces who gave what President Abraham Lincoln called "the last full measure of devotion," Memorial Day is one of the most important and solemn days on the National Mall. Across 250 years of American history, starting with those who fell while fighting alongside General George Washington in the Revolutionary War to recent conflicts, we will never forget our heroes. The military memorials on the National Mall are stunning tributes to hundreds of thousands of people who laid down their lives for freedom. We lay wreaths at these special places, but every day, walking past stone walls and metal statues, we recognize the loved and lost and offer the thanks of a grateful nation.

The Unknown Soldiers represent all missing and unknown service members who served and made the ultimate sacrifice — they not only gave their lives, but also their identities to protect these freedoms.

Today, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier remains the central focus of the National Memorial Day observance. More than 150 years after the Civil War, the traditions of Decoration Day live on each time a flower or wreath is placed at the Tomb on Memorial Day.
Photo by National Park Service.

Did you know?

Memorial Day - In May of 1868 General Logan issued a proclamation calling for Cemetery "Decoration Day" to be observed annually nationwide, adopting the Memorial Day practice that had begun in the southern states two years earlier when the Civil War ended "... designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country..." Date chosen (Logan's wife noted) because it was the optimal date for flowers to bloom in the north. With the National Holiday Act of 1971, it is now observed on the last Monday in May in almost every state.
The practice of leaving flowers at graves began thousands of years ago when Greeks would honor fallen warriors, believing that flowers rooted into the ground and grew from the gravesite, offered a sign that the dead had found peace. Floral baskets are still brought to cemeteries to honor our fallen and remember the sad cost of war with flowers and herbs. Traditional funerial plants are red geranium, rosemary for remembrance, heartsease and forget-me-not, and the Flanders poppy reseeds as a blood red reminder of the costs of war.

Thank you for stopping by to read our post today.

Arlington National Cemetery Honors Fallen With Flowers of Remembrance:May 21, 2024 by Allison S. Finkelstein, Arlington National Cemetery
https://www.war.gov/News/Feature-Stories/Story/Article/3782916/arlington-national-cemetery-honors-fallen-with-flowers-of-remembrance/

Tomb of the Unknown Solider: Meaning and History:

https://www.war.gov/Multimedia/Experience/Tomb-of-the-Unknown-Soldier/

Did you know ? The History behind the Tomb of the Unknown Solider.
https://fb.watch/HkkOCJNcsO/?

05/22/2026

Children’sToys and Doll Museum
206 Gilman Ave. Marietta, Oh
May 22, 2026

Memorial Day
The meaning of Memorial Day sometimes get's lost in translation.
Memorial Day is often misunderstood, and its deeper significance sometimes gets overlooked. While it’s known for marking the unofficial start of summer with barbecues and gatherings, the history of Memorial Day holds a much more profound meaning. This day is dedicated to honoring the men and women who have given their lives in service to the U.S. military. Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Memorial Day 2025 falls on Monday, May 26.
Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season.
Memorial Day is not a day of celebrations but it is a day of remembrance.

Did you Know?
Each year on Memorial Day a national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time.

May 30th, 1868 was the first service to honor fallen soldiers at Arlington national cemetery. President Ulysses S. Grant was present and General James Garfield gave a speech.
Decoration day originally only honored the soldiers who died in the civil war. After WW1 it was changed to all soldiers who lost their lives in war.
In 1967, it was officially named Memorial Day and in 1971, it became a federal holiday.
The red poppy is the official flower of Memorial Day.
The practice of wearing poppies was inspired by the poem in Flanders fields, written in 1915 by Canadian soldier John McCrae. McCrae was a poet, physician, author, artist and soldier during World War I
People celebrate Memorial Day by placing flowers on soldiers’ graves, flying flags at half-staff, attending parades, and remembering soldiers who lost their lives.
Schools, post offices, most banks, and other businesses are closed on Memorial Day.
In 1966 congress along with President Lyndon B. Johnson declared Waterloo New York the birthplace of Memorial Day.
Even though summer does not officially begin until June 21st, many people associate Memorial Day with the start of summer because of the outdoor activities that people do to celebrate.

Now that you know, below we offer you several links to explore and delve further into the meaning and history of Memorial Day.
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*The WWI Origins of the Poppy as a Remembrance Symbol by Sara Pruitt
The Remembrance Day symbolism of the poppy started with a poem written by a World War I brigade surgeon who was struck by the sight of the red flowers growing on a ravaged battlefield.Memorial Day Traditions and Rituals
https://www.history.com/articles/world-war-i-poppy-remembrance-symbol-veterans-day
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Flags Are to be Flown at Half-Mast Until Noon
You might think that the American flag should be flown at half-mast all day, but the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs states that the flag should be flown at half-staff "from sunrise until noon only, then raised briskly to the top of the staff until sunset, in honor of the nation's battle heroes." This goes for all flags on government buildings, grounds, and naval vessels and flags flown by private citizens.
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The National Memorial Day Concert honors our country’s veterans, servicemen and women and military families. The concert unites the country in remembrance and appreciation of those who gave their lives for our country.
The 37th annual broadcast of the National Memorial Day Concert airs live on Sunday, May 24, 2026, from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. E.T. on PBS, and is seen by our service members around the world on American Forces Network. The concert will also be streaming on YouTube and www.pbs.org/national-memorial-day-concert and available as Video on Demand, May 24 to June 7, 2026.
https://news.va.gov/146806/2026-national-memorial-day-concert-pbs/
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TAPS ACROSS AMERICA: CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BMgKbyA8z/?mibextid=wwXIfr
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Explore the true history of Memorial Day and everything
else you need to know about the meaning of Memorial Day and how it came to be.
View a Video:3:12 mins and read the article using the following link:
https://www.history.com/articles/memorial-day-history
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Memorial Day Traditions: 7 Facts Every American Should Know
This honorable holiday is about much more than a three-day weekend.
By Emily Williams Updated on May 5, 2023
Short video with article
https://www.bhg.com/holidays/july-4th/traditions/history-of-memorial-day/
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History of Memorial Day
Take a closer look at the origin of Memorial Day,
a day dedicated to honoring the memory of fallen troops.
YouTube U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs. 2:15 min. August 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US-JtMAkLaQ
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Memorial Day 2026
Preserved, Shared, Never Lost to Time
YouTube 1:09 mins U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs
https://youtu.be/ZLldQIhgDYM?si=LSYYR_lIlHxUl4iP
______________________________________
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Arlington National Cemetery
https://www.defense.gov/serve-from-netstorage/Multimedia/Experience/Tomb-of-the-Unknown-Soldier/index.html
_________________________________________

Finally, we are ever mindful that freedom is never free, it comes at a cost that many gave for their country. We will never forget. We extend our deepest gratitude to families, relatives, and friends who had someone in their lives who served and gave their all for our country’s freedom. We honor them and thank them.
We invite you to share our page and post with your community.
Have a safe and wonderful holiday weekend everyone.
Take a moment to click on our final link and listen to Taps

TAPS For Memorial Day
YouTube 2:39 mins by Brian Brink Music
This is an original arrangement by Brian Brink of the Military trumpet piece "Taps" along with some photos for Memorial day. Thanks to our fallen soldiers for all of the freedoms we enjoy today!
https://youtu.be/afO3rEtup1o?si=iCmqjMuTFXdn0804

Address

206 Gilman Avenue
Marietta, OH
45750

Telephone

(740) 373-5900

Website

https://mariettaohio.org/member/toy-doll-museum/

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