Oakland Museum at the Oakland International Airport

Come Play With Me

November 19 - January 10, 2000

Come Play With Me opened at Oakland International Airport just prior to the busy Thanksgiving holiday and—if the hand and nose prints on the cases are any indication—travelers seem delighted with the displays of games and toys currently on view in Terminal One and in the connecting walkway between the two terminals. Both areas are newly renovated with state-of-the-art artifact cases and exhibition quality lighting, greatly increasing the types of art and artifacts that can be properly displayed in the airport environment.

With the holiday season upon us, it seemed appropriate to exhibit something that everyone can relate to. What better than toys? On display in Terminal One are games from the 1930s to the 1960s, such as Vox Pop, Fibber McGee, Chinese Checkers, Eddie Cantor's Tell It to the Judge, and What Shall I Wear.

The larger exhibition area, in the connecting walkway, is designed with a child's fantasy play life in mind. In several of the larger cases, objects were selected and displayed much like a child would play with his or her toys. You'll see a Schoenhut Humpty Dumpty circus set from 1910 and 1920 that includes a Ring Master, clowns, chairs, ladders, lots of animals, and even a trapeze artist high above the circus tent.

There's also a kitchen display with a cast iron and enamel stove from 1915, table and chairs, cooking utensils, dolls, and doll clothes laundry to catch the fancy of young and old. In another case, fire engines, a hook and ladder company, Los Angles blimp, and a passing airplane come to the rescue of a burning Victorian house in a re-creation of a scene that has no doubt occupied the imagination of countless would-be firefighters.

Perhaps the most popular display is made up of over forty dolls representing many different cultures brought to California from all over the world. There are also dress-up clothes, Barbie dolls, puzzles, blocks, fashion dolls, and historic photo murals to enjoy throughout.