National Farm Toy Museum

The National Farm Toy Museum is a museum dedicated to agricultural toys and displays approximately 30,000 miniature models of machines, equipment, and farm implements across two exhibition floors. The collection showcases the variety of farming machinery and technology represented in scaled-down form.

The museum was founded in 1986 when Dave Bell and Claire Scheibe collaborated to create a permanent home for the National Farm Toy Shows. This idea made it possible to preserve a growing collection of agricultural toys in a single location.

The collection depicts the evolution of American farming through handcrafted wooden models and detailed miniature scenes that represent rural life across different eras. These works tell the story of changes in farm work and the technical advances that shaped farmer life.

The museum can be accessed from different entry points and suits various types of visitors since the exhibits are spread across two levels. Plan enough time to explore the large collection without rushing and to appreciate the details of the models.

The collection houses one of the largest assemblies of cast iron farm toys, and two full-size tractors are displayed as walk-through exhibits. An original New Holland engine called the No-Freeze shows rare engine technology from early farm history.

Location: Iowa

Inception: 1986

Website: http://nationalfarmtoymuseum.com

GPS coordinates: 42.47100,-91.11000

Latest update: December 12, 2025 07:58