Barker Character Comic and Cartoon Museum

Hours: The Barker Character Comic and Cartoon Museum is a very cool experience and an amazing place to check out. It is a wild stash and a madhouse of memory, offering a touch of childhood nostalgia for adults and a frenzy for children who enjoy cartoons, both the oldest characters and the newest. The museum houses an incredible collection of over 80,000 items. Visitors will see old playthings, trinkets, tin lunch pails, rubber-faced dolls, beat-up toys, Disney figures, cowboy heroes, games, and lunchboxes for every known cartoon. It is a walk down memory lane where every piece is a story, a laugh, or a tear. There is so much to see across two levels, filled with toys and memorabilia that spark reminiscing, making grown-up kids wonder. The wooden signs outside are cute for pictures, though they show age. A gift shop sells paintings of various cartoons. The space can be tight for strollers and ADA compliance is uncertain. While the cost is generally a unbeatable five dollars, it is also part of the CT free summer museum program. Staff experiences vary; the ladies at the main entrance are nice, but sometimes a staff member can be rude. All in all, it is a cool place where everyone is really nice ninety-nine percent of the time, making for an enjoyable and recommended visit for the family.

1. Cheshire, Connecticut