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Sarasota Toy Museum induces waves of nostalgia

By Barry Wong
Published  May 8, 2025 4:35pm EDT
Sarasota
FOX 13 News
Sarasota Toy Museum induces waves of nostalgia

Sarasota Toy Museum induces waves of nostalgia

"I hope that a visitor really gets some memories stirred up from the past that they may have forgotten about," Sarasota Toy Museum Manager Richie Pierson said.

The Brief

    • The Sarasota Toy Museum has around 500,000 pieces.
    • Toys are broken down into decades and have specific categories.
    • The museum is open Tuesday-Sunday.

SARASOTA, Fla. - Entering the Sarasota Toy Museum induces waves of nostalgia, and that’s exactly what the staff want visitors to experience. 

What they're saying:

"I hope that a visitor really gets some memories stirred up from the past that they may have forgotten about," Sarasota Toy Museum Manager Richie Pierson said. 

Pierson estimates that the museum houses around 500,000 pieces. Many are transplants from the Vermont Toy Museum. The toys are broken down into decades and have specific categories like robots, G.I. Joe and Star Wars. 

"When you walk in, you're going to start off with some vintage tin toys and an introductory case that has stuff from all different areas in it, and then as you start to turn the corner, you see our display of 650 vintage lunchboxes," Pierson said. 

Richie Pierson’s father, Richard Pierson, owns the store. He was drawn back into collecting later in life. 

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"I hope they remember the great times of childhood when they were growing up, and they had these great toys, and I hope they see some things that they've always wanted and didn't have and some things they've never seen before," Richard Pierson said. 

The Piersons have added their own touch and toys to the original Vermont Toy Museum. Some of the additions have come through local donations, including a pristine toy truck collection from a Lakewood Ranch resident. 

"These were his father's salesmen samples. He was a jobber in the 1930s selling toys, and these were the samples that he had," Richard Pierson said. "So, they've come in to be in such immaculate condition. You never find them in this type of shape." 

What's next:

The Sarasota Toy Museum is open Tuesday-Sunday. Tickets are $15 and $10 for seniors and kids. 

The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13 photojournalist Barry Wong.

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