Toy and Action Figure Museum to Stay in Pauls Valley

By Gan Matthews, NEWS 9

PAULS VALLEY, Oklahoma -- After weeks of weighing the options, board members have decided to keep the popular Toy and Action Figure Museum in Pauls Valley instead of moving north to Oklahoma City.

"Due to the numerous responses from local citizens, the city and area merchants and businesses, the Toy and Action Figure Museum is staying in Pauls Valley," said museum chairman Kahn Nirschl.

The museum has been a major tourist attraction in Pauls Valley for five years. Recently, representatives from Oklahoma City approached the museum about a possible move to Bricktown.

But a local fund-raising drive increased donations so much, board members decided the museum should stay put.

"The amount of donations is 20-fold what we had before. Thirty-fold what we had before. So, tremendous amounts of support," said Curator Kevin Stark.

So far this year, 14,000 people have visited the museum. Those visitors spend valuable dollars in Pauls Valley.

"Forty percent of the people that come here purchase gas. Sixty percent of the people that come here to the museum actually go into our local restaurants and eat," said museum director Lisa Driskill.

The Toy and Action Figure Museum will celebrate the decision and its fifth anniversary in Pauls Valley on October 23.