American Doll & Toy Museum finds a home in Rock Island

The American Doll and Toy Museum is Rock Island will amaze and impress visitors of all ages. You’ll find much more than toys and dolls, you’ll learn interesting local, national and international history, and discover new treasurers. Perhaps you’ll be amazed by the arrowheads and fossils or delighted by Dr. Roald Tweet’s dozens of airplanes. Almost certainly, you’ll be more impressed than you expected at first glance of the unassuming building on the corner of 30th Street and 31st Avenue in Rock Island.

Visit the American Doll and Toy Museum
3059 30th Street
Rock Island, IL 61201
Open Saturday 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. or by appointment or special event.

The majority of the items in the museum are from the personal collection of Ellen Tsagaris, the museum’s executive director. She and her husband curate the items they have as well as those that are donated. There are a variety of impressive items from doll collectors both locally and nationally known. “Created to educate the general public about the history and use of dolls, the oldest cultural artifacts, the long-term goal of Dr. Ellen’s American Doll and Toy Museum is to provide educational and recreational opportunities for the community through the display and study of dolls. The museum displays the evolution of dolls and toys from prehistoric times to the present. There is also an extensive library of materials about dolls, toys, crafts, collecting, and related topics.”

My goodness are there a lot of dolls to look at!
I could spend hours winding my way through the overflowing shelves admiring the variety. Many are grouped such as a Raggedy Anne section (with a one signed by the creator’s descendant!), a Barbie section, Kewpie dolls, action figures, Shirley Temple dolls (and even a doll owned by Shirley Temple!), Gone with the Wind characters, Bobbleheads, and so many more.

I was intrigued by the collections from around the globe and across time.
There are items from ancient times including some of the earliest examples of doll toys, real Voo-doo dolls, items from Medieval times and the Renaissance, and a doll from King George III’s court. We even get to see a doll made by slaves. So many important time periods are represented. I’ve never before considered that dolls are present across so many of our most historically significant moments and cultures.You’ll even find toy soldiers among the items showcased.



Visitors may learn a lot about the types of dolls described by the curators.
From rubber dolls made by Goodyear (some as old as 1860) to metal head dolls produced mostly in Germany to French antique and fashion dolls, you’ll be educated on the variety of time periods and companies that produced certain kinds of dolls.

Curator Ellen Tsagaris is well known in the doll world.
An Augustana graduate, she developed skills and embraced her love of dolls to become an impressive expert on the subject and has been published. She is a delightful docent and spent quite a bit of time showing me the impressive displays. While not officially certified, Ms. Tsagaris will also offer doll evaluations for a fee that goes to the museum's upkeep.

One Rock Island legacy the American Doll and Toy Museum is keeping alive is the showcase that has been housed at the Rock Island Library since 1939: Story Mountain.
Donated originally by Catherine & George McDonald, the Fairy Land display was later built into Story Mountain in 1986. The many items and dolls in the case all have a connection to literature. Most are characters but some of the displays are authors or have other connections to the stories children find most dear. 

The American Doll and Toy Museum has other items you may find of interest such as the Rock Island Law Library, a collection of comics, and arrowheads and other fossils. To be honest, each shelf hosts a surprising and intriguing display of various items. It’s hard to know where to feast your eyes as there is so much to look at. Don’t forget to look up as there are even items hanging from the ceiling.

I found myself reminiscing about some of my favorite toys as I discovered them tucked among the dolls: a Fisher Price train, a Barbie wardrobe, and fun Pez dispensers. You may find your own memories as you look around.

You will certainly find a small but delightful gift shop and soon there will likely be an activity room available for events and presentations. Follow the American Doll Museum and Toy Museum on Facebook for a variety of events. You’ll also want to follow the blog where there are even more pictures.

The museum hosts events that are open to the public.
General events are open to the public throughout the year. Follow the museum Facebook page for details. The museum welcomes groups and will develop presentations to serve particular interests. 

They will also host toy collection drives with the purpose of collecting toys, dolls, and clothing to be donated to various shelters and children’s charities. All proceeds and donations will feed back to the museum itself in order to maintain it and to preserve and enhance the collections. 

Donations are welcome.
The Museum is a non-profit that survives on donations. You’ll be inspired to contribute to this Rock Island gem can stay open for years to come. 

Written by Meghan Cooley

Meghan Cooley moved to the Quad Cities from St. Charles, IL, as an Augustana College student over 20 years ago. She left briefly after graduation and then returned to work in admissions and then marketing at Augustana College for 18 years. She now works as a consultant for admissions marketing and social media. She also does copy editing and writes for the Quad City Moms Blog. Now a true Quad Cities transplant, Meghan lives in Rock Island with her husband, Luke (R.O.W.V.A. and Augustana grad and Modern Woodmen employee) and four boys. She loves living in the Quad Cities and finds it the perfect place to raise a family, plan a date night, and go on adventures.