SARASOTA, Fla. — All aboard for a trip back to your childhood at the Sarasota Toy Museum.

What You Need To Know

  • The Sarasota Toy Museum takes you on a trip to your childhood

  • The museum, at 3580 17th St in Sarasota, is open Tuesday - Sunday

  • Saturday, Dec. 14, is the inaugural Toys for Tots Celebration

  • The event is from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., featuring food, drinks, toy makers, artists and raffles 

“It’s amazing. It doesn’t feel like work,” said museum manager Richie Pierson.

His family is really into collecting.

“We got cap guns going back to 1800s,” said Pierson. “A big Star Trek case, a western case.”

That’s next to a case of vintage metal banks, a Barbie case, a G.I. Joe scene and the list goes on.

Pierson never knows for sure what he’s getting in the mail — from distributors, traders and sellers.

Some items can go to the retail shop, but some are preserved for the masses in their museum.

Near the entrance is the lunchbox selection — 600 strong — with Superman making the biggest impression on fans.

“So we’re actively right now searching to pick up another large collection of lunch boxes, so that we could put some in the case that maybe we don’t have or a little better condition. And then also have a good availability in the store,” said Pierson.

They opened in August, inviting the community to come along for the ride.

The members of the Sarasota Bay Model Railroad Society brought a four-season Green Mountain tableau to life for visitors to enjoy.

“This would not have been put back together. It came out in hundreds of pieces from Vermont where we moved the museum,” said Pierson. “And we were fortunate enough to team up with them.”

Interactive guest controls are in the works next — as they move toward 2025.

“Brings back a lot of good memories walking through here,” said Pierson.

As First Gen Optimus Prime says: “We are here. We are waiting.”