Exhibits | Collections - America 250: Celebrating America's 250th Birthday - TOYTOPIA - Peoria Riverfront Museum
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TOYTOPIA
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Exhibits | Collections
America 250 Celebrating Americas 250th Birthday
Toytopia
Exhibits | Collections
EXHIBITION SCHEDULE
Virtual Collections
Viewing Room | Virtual Tours
Exquisite Creatures
Exquisite Creatures: Patterns Alive
America 250: Celebrating America's 250th Birthday
The Promise of Liberty
Ken Burns: Guest Curator for America 250
America Forward: Jeanne Gang
Tour of The Promise of Liberty with Seth Kaller
Joyful Resistance
Athletes: A Peoria Plays America Exhibition
Deep Rivers / Long Roads | The Journey of America
A Peoria Plays America Exhibition: Fogelberg
TOYTOPIA
Louis XV Plate
Amethyst Gallery of Minerals
DURYEA: America's First Car Company
The Center for American Decoys
American Decoy | The Book
Bronzeville to Harlem | An American Story
Peoria Holocaust Memorial
Yom HaShoah | Holocaust Remembrance Day
Hallway Exhibitions
Forbes Biological Station: Celebrating 130 Years
Museum Green Tours
Donate an artifact or artwork
PERMANENT COLLECTION
Duryea Motor Trap
Sculpture Garden
Virtual Exhibitions
EXHIBITS
TOYTOPIA
TOYTOPIA
Open May 9, 2026 - September 7, 2026
Big games, bigger fun!
What was your childhood passion? Jumping rope until sunset? Building adventures with Star Wars® figures? Baking tiny treats in an Easy-Bake Oven®? Whatever sparked your imagination, you will rediscover it in
TOYTOPIA
This immersive, hands-on exhibition invites visitors of all ages to explore the world of toys from the early 1900s to today. Spanning more than 5,000 square feet,
TOYTOPI
A brings beloved classics like Atari®, Erector Set®, and vintage board games to life through interactive displays, video, and play.
Step into a retro 80s arcade filled with full-size games, build your own creations in the LEGO® play area, or test your skills with giant versions of Battleship® and Connect 4®. Marvel at the world’s largest Etch-A-Sketch®, stretch your creativity with Keva Planks® and Lincoln Logs®, and explore the science of motion in the “Kinetic Toys” zone.
Along the way, discover how toys are made, why some become timeless favorites, and what makes them meaningful across generations.
TOYTOPIA
is more than an exhibition—it is a joyful journey through the power of play, memory, and imagination.
TOYTOPIA
highlights include:
The World’s Largest Etch-A-Sketch®
A retro 80s arcade with full-size cabinet video games
LEGO® Play Area/LEGO® Wall
A Giant Road Play Surface
A ‘Kinetic Toys’ area for exploring the science of toys
Schylling® Tin Toys – See how tin toys are created out of simple sheets of tin
Keva Planks®, Lincoln Logs® and brain teasers
Large-scale versions of vintage games such as Battleship® and Connect 4®.
Video game music quiz
Giant electronic floor piano
Part of the Peoria Riverfront Museum's celebration of America 250
The Peoria Riverfront Museum is celebrating the 250th anniversary of our nation in 2026. Join us all year long for exhibitions on American art, science, history and achievement, including
The Promise of Liberty
, an exhibition guest curated by documentarian Ken Burns. Featuring a 1776 copy of the Declaration of Independence, a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech and more, this exhibition will be the largest collection of some of the most important documents in American history on display during America 250.
TOYTOPIA
is sponsored by PNC, Ruby K. Warner Charitable Trust, OSF Healthcare Children's Hospital of Illinois, America 250 donors, Visionary Society, Family Fun Club