Superhero Paradise tucked away in Smalltown, USA
By far one of the best part of our travels is the opportunity to take spontaneous detours and discover some of the lesser known attractions in small town USA.
Recently we drove through Oklahoma, and discovered a unique museum simply because of a billboard along the highway. Always the adventurer, we got off the freeway to explore what these humble, quaint towns have to offer.
We drove through the cobblestone streets of downtown Pauls Valley, Oklahoma in search of the Toy & Action Figure Museum. Amongst the classic turn of the century architecture we found our destination. Opened in 2005, the Action Figure Museum is the home of over 13,000 action figures, and hundreds of cartoonist drawings and other memorabilia
Most of the collection comes from the owner, Kevin Stark’s private collection. As an artist and private collector, he’s spent his entire life acquiring unique super hero memorabilia, especially the Batman series, which is his favorite.
As a skilled artist, he’s even been commissioned to work on franchises like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He graciously gave us a private tour of the museum, which made it even more interesting as we got to hear the back story to so many of the displays.
Ten minutes into our visit even I, who only went to see the action figures to please the men in my family, couldn’t help but be impressed by the breadth of items on display. From adult men sized Superhero Under-Roos, to the Stay Puff Marshmallow man in Ghostbusters, to classic GI Joe and Lone Ranger action figures, the museum covers at least 60 years of action heroes. It would’ve been fun to host one of Hayden’s childhood birthday parties here, it would’ve been a blast. 
As the mother of a boy who spent his early years in love with all things Spiderman, Power Rangers, and Star Wars, it was fun to watch my son take in the magnitude of all that’s on display. Even Dino, my husband was geeking out as the flood of memories from his own childhood washed over him each time he made a connection to a toy from the ‘80s.
Our stop over in this quaint town was only for about an hour, but it was well worth the detour. If you are driving through Oklahoma with your husband, son, or any other super hero enthusiast, I recommend you stop by and experience it in person. But if a trip to Pauls Valley isn’t in your near future, you can take an online tour from their website.
