Family Shop Offers Homemade Toys, Entertainment

2024 - Volume #48, Issue #3, Page #09

[ Sample Stories From This Issue | List of All Stories In This Issue | Print this story | Read this issue]

LARK Toys, voted “The Best Toy Store in Minnesota,” is a toy destination in Kellogg, Minn. At 20,000 sq. ft., it’s one of the largest independent specialty toy stores in the country.
The current owners, Kathy and Ron Gray, purchased the store over 15 years ago intending to maintain it as a family business. Today, they manage the store with their daughter and son-in-law, along with their two grandchildren.
The toy store is known for its high-quality wooden toys, made right in the onsite workshop. Each heirloom toy is cut out, sanded, stained, and assembled by hand. The stains are child-safe, and many designs date back 30 years. It’s possible to look through the store’s viewing windows to watch the toy-making process in action. But beyond its homemade offerings, LARK Toys sells a wide variety of other toys, including marbles, wind-ups, blocks, puppets, and plenty of games and puzzles for screen-free entertainment.
The bookstore includes a variety of children’s board books and everything from poetry to biography and fiction, ensuring there’s a book for every age and taste. Likewise, the Curiosity Shoppe expands beyond toys to sell men’s and women’s accessories along with kitchen novelties, stationery, home décor, and LARK merchandise. A café and treat shop includes a variety of novelty candies, homemade fudge, and various ever-rotating meal options.
Another consistent highlight is Memory Lane, where visitors can stroll through antique toy collections set up as storefronts throughout the store. You’ll gaze at thousands of popular toys from previous years, including Barbie, Erector sets, pedal cars, Howdy Doody, and hundreds more. Competing with this museum in popularity is a carousel that features an array of animals hand-carved from Minnesota basswood. It runs every 30 min. and costs $3 per ride (kids under 3 are free with a paying adult).
If you’re looking for outdoor fun, Lark Toys has an 18-hole mini-golf course with a play-through mountain and plenty of waterfalls, ponds, and streams. Outside the Candy Store is an observation deck where guests come face-to-face with LARK Toy’s resident miniature llamas.
Lark Toys is open almost daily, though hours change by season. Check the website or call the store directly for the most up-to-date information.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, LARK Toys, 63604 170th Ave., Kellogg, Minn. 55945 (ph 507-767-3387; info@larktoys.com; www.larktoys.com).

Click here to download page story appeared in.

Click here to read entire issue

Family Shop Offers Homemade Toys Entertainment FARM HOME Toys/Games LARK Toys voted “The Best Toy Store in Minnesota ” is a toy destination in Kellogg Minn At 20 000 sq ft it’s one of the largest independent specialty toy stores in the country The current owners Kathy and Ron Gray purchased the store over 15 years ago intending to maintain it as a family business Today they manage the store with their daughter and son-in-law along with their two grandchildren The toy store is known for its high-quality wooden toys made right in the onsite workshop Each heirloom toy is cut out sanded stained and assembled by hand The stains are child-safe and many designs date back 30 years It’s possible to look through the store’s viewing windows to watch the toy-making process in action But beyond its homemade offerings LARK Toys sells a wide variety of other toys including marbles wind-ups blocks puppets and plenty of games and puzzles for screen-free entertainment The bookstore includes a variety of children’s board books and everything from poetry to biography and fiction ensuring there’s a book for every age and taste Likewise the Curiosity Shoppe expands beyond toys to sell men’s and women’s accessories along with kitchen novelties stationery home décor and LARK merchandise A café and treat shop includes a variety of novelty candies homemade fudge and various ever-rotating meal options Another consistent highlight is Memory Lane where visitors can stroll through antique toy collections set up as storefronts throughout the store You’ll gaze at thousands of popular toys from previous years including Barbie Erector sets pedal cars Howdy Doody and hundreds more Competing with this museum in popularity is a carousel that features an array of animals hand-carved from Minnesota basswood It runs every 30 min and costs $3 per ride kids under 3 are free with a paying adult If you’re looking for outdoor fun Lark Toys has an 18-hole mini-golf course with a play-through mountain and plenty of waterfalls ponds and streams Outside the Candy Store is an observation deck where guests come face-to-face with LARK Toy’s resident miniature llamas Lark Toys is open almost daily though hours change by season Check the website or call the store directly for the most up-to-date information Contact: FARM SHOW Followup LARK Toys 63604 170th Ave Kellogg Minn 55945 ph 507-767-3387; info@larktoys com; www larktoys com

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.

SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW NOW