Family Vacations: Barker Character Comic Cartoon Museum

This nostalgic museum located in Cheshire tips its cap to beloved childhood icons such as Mickey and Minnie, the Flintstones, Charlie McCarthy, L’il Abner, and, more recently, the Rugrats. The Connecticut museum houses the toys that founders Herb and Gloria Barker have accumulated over the years. They now have more than 80,000 items in their collection.You’ll see hundreds of Pez dispensers, 1,000 themed lunch boxes, 600 Disney and Ty Beanie Babies, several pieces of Pokemon memorabilia, and Lone Ranger and Roy Rogers toys of all types. It’s a place meant for reminiscing – Dennis the Menace’s “Mischief Kit”? It’s here. Popeye collectibles? Sure! More than 3,000 Barbies? Present and accounted for. Rare tin toys? A whole case! Each exhibit displays the current market value of a collectible, but the toys are not for sale.

A theater shows short animated films from the 1930s and ’40s featuring some of the beloved characters found in the museum. Large cartoon character cutouts are popular backdrops for photographs. An animation and sculpture gallery is located next door.

Barker Character, Comic & Cartoon Museum Information

Address: 1188 Highland Ave., Cheshire, CT

Telephone: 203/699-3822

Hours of Operation: Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Admission: Free

To learn more about family vacation destinations, see:

Laura Sutherland is a widely acknowledged authority on family travel and has published several books on the topic, including Best Family Ski Vacations In North America and Tropical Family Vacations.

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