Tucked away in the corner of a toy store in downtown Chico is the National Yo-Yo Museum. The toy store is Bird In Hand and in the museum you’ll find the country's largest display of yo-yos and yo-yo memorabilia. It’s open daily and admission is free. Each Saturday the museum offers free yo-yo lessons to players of all skill levels.
Photo: World's Largest Wood Yo-Yo: Big Yo (National Yo-Yo Museum)
The Yo-Yo Museum features yo-yos from the 1920’s and 30’s up through today’s models used by top competitors. You’ll see yo-yos of all shapes, colors and sizes including the world’s largest wood Yo-Yo, Big-Yo. Weighing in at 256 pounds, Big-Yo is 50 inches tall, 34 inches wide and fully functional. That’s right. It really does work – when yo-yoed from a crane, that is.
Photo: Yo-Yo Collection (National Yo-Yo Museum)
The origin of the yo-yo can be traced back several centuries, but it wasn’t until 1928 or 1929 when a businessman, Donald Duncan, saw his first yo-yo while in San Francisco. He watched as an importer, Pedro Flores, drew a crowd by doing a few tricks on his wood-carved toy. Duncan recognized the potential of the toy and purchased not only the idea of the yo-yo, but the Pedro Flores Corporation itself. Yo-yos were the craze of the 1930’s, but declined in popularity after the Second World War. They regained sales in 1962 and yo-yos have been a mainstay on toy store shelves since. Today there are yo-yo leagues, contests and clubs throughout the nation. Yo-yo players gather each year at the National Yo-Yo Contest held annually in Chico on the first Saturday of October. Plan to attend on October 2, 2010 if you’d like to see the best of the best.
More Information: National Yo-Yo Museum (inside Bird In Hand)
320 Broadway, Chico, CA 95928
Phone: 530-893-0545
Hours: Monday–Saturday: 10am to 6pm, Sundays: 12pm to 5pm.
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For more "Y" themed posts, visit the ABC Wednesday home page.
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So that's how the Duncan Yo-Yo began :) Great "Y" post.
ReplyDeleteFascinating and informative. I had no idea there is a museum for yo-yo's. Its just a few hours from our home. I feel a field trip coming on!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh - I've been to that store many, many times - it's a favorite for all sorts of goodies and the museum is just fantastic! Thanks for visiting and commenting on my "y."
ReplyDeleteWhat a terrific and informative post for the day! I've heard of the yo-yo museum! Great photos! Hope your week is going well! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteSylvia
A great choice for Y, - a wonderful toy with great potential for skill at manipulation - our children loved them.
ReplyDeleteNow who would have thought there was this much fascinating information about a yo-yo! I just thought it was fun! Thanks for stopping by my place.
ReplyDeleteGayle, You make the Yo Yo museum sound like a treat. They could probably even teach this old dog a new trick! ha! I love your posts, they are well-written.
ReplyDeletethat is so wonderfully interesting and unique!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to take my son here. Come to think of it, I'm not sure he has ever tried playing with a yo yo!
ReplyDeleteI thought of Yo Yo but didn't have nearly enough information for it. SO well done!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyable post. I remember having great fun with yo yos when I was a kid.
ReplyDeletethat's great! remember the Duncan yo-yo, but never knew the tale.
ReplyDeleteROG, ABC Wednesday team
How interesting, Gayle! I used to play with a yo yo, which has the same pronunciation in Dutch but is spelled "jo jo".
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
Wow, I had no idea! I mean, I knew yo-yos had been around for a long while, and I remember they were quite popular for a while when I was young, but there's a whole museum devoted to them!
ReplyDeleteThat Duncan was a canny guy, wasn't he? I hope he paid Pedro Flores well for his idea.
How interesting ! I didn't know that there was a Yoyo museum somewhere !
ReplyDeleteThis is by far the most fun Y I've seen yet. I haven't yo-yoed in years but if I lived on the west coast, I'd be at that festival in a heart beat!
ReplyDeleteA Yo-Yo museum? Highly original both as Y-choice and museum - well done.
ReplyDeleteIsn't this cute?? never thought I would ever read about a yo-yo museum, fantastic take on the theme and great shots too.
ReplyDeleteABC Wed: Y
yo-yo museum..so cool! thank you for this informative post.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by.
Have a nice day!
I'd love to see the giant yo-yo in action! Very interesting post - a yo-yo museum - who'd have thunk it?
ReplyDeleteOh, I'd love to go there! Thanks for sharing this terrific Y.
ReplyDeleteWow, a whole museum dedicated to yo-yos! How brilliant!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great entry of yours. Indeed a Y that I did not think of. Thank you as well for the many memories. Somehow nice to learn that it is possible to create a whole museum for it, peacefull. Please have a nice Thursday.
ReplyDeletedaily athens
Thank you for visiting my Y-post and leaving your very kind words!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great Y-post! Yoyo! It never occured to me and the children have a yoyo! And the fact that it is also about a museum connects perfectly with your main theme: travel!
Since you are first commenter I am giving you an extra link to your web page.
Best wishes,
Anna
For the benefit of other readers:
Anna's Y-words
It's never occurred to me to even question how yo-yos came about - they just *are*! What a great post. :)
ReplyDeleteYo-yo museum, I never heard about it, it must be funny.
ReplyDeleteStopping by from ABC Wed. Interesting "Y" post. Enjoyed learning more about the Yo-Yo. Didn't even know that there's a Yo-Yo Museum. Would love to visit it with my family one day. Thanks for sharing!
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