Stephen Gardner, owner and operator of The Best Little Toy Museum in Texas, stands in his St. Paul museum which holds his 20,000-piece collection of toys and memorabilia. Allison LaBrot/The Wylie News

For some, the magic of toys does not fade when Santa stops coming. At The Best Little Toy Museum in Texas, childhood wonder continues for kids of all ages.

Located in St. Paul on a residential property, the museum is home to more than 20,000 toys and collectibles.

“(The museum) is probably 98% my personal collection,” said owner and operator Stephen Gardner, adding that his two sons might argue that their contributions deserve more credit. 

The museum’s superhero room owes much to their input, and neighbors have donated pieces of their own collections to fill in the decades of entertainment represented in the museum. Three rooms of display cases hold action figures, posters, lunch boxes and more from the 1920s and every decade leading to the present. 

Gardner describes his collection as a history of “pop culture” with memorabilia from TV shows, movies and well-known musicians.

The collection began modestly — just a few “Star Wars” figures on a shelf in Gardner’s barracks during his first duty station 30 years ago.

To read the full story and stay informed about your community, support your local newspaper by subscribing to The Wylie News today!

By Allison LaBrot | [email protected]