A new exhibit at our local museum promises to showcase toys and more…without playing around!

Brace yourself! The ultimate showdown of good vs. evil, muscle vs. monster, and hero vs. havoc is storming into town with America’s Monsters, Superheroes, and Villains: Our Culture at Play! This mind-blowing exhibition catapults you into the heart of America’s greatest obsessions—from caped crusaders to radioactive beasts, from sinister villains to legendary outlaws—through a treasure trove of toys, comic books, games, posters, packaging, TV spots, movie trailers, and more from the electrifying decades of the 1950s to the early 2000s!
SEE: Original collectibles that sparked playground wars and blockbuster dreams!
HEAR: Vintage film trailers and TV commercials that defined a generation!
PLAY: Recall the iconic toys, games and more that shaped your childhood—and still haunt your imagination today!
- 80 years of pop culture mayhem packed into our galleries!
- A once-in-a-lifetime explosion of nostalgia, imagination, and high-octane fun!
Hundreds of vintage and original toys, games, posters and more that feature Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, The Black Panther, Storm, Frankenstein, Dracula, Star Trek, Star Wars, and so many more!
“All of this started because my parents loved pop culture and spoiled me rotten,” laughs David Barnhill, mega-collector and co-founder of SuperMonster市City!, whose unmatched collection of over 200,000 pieces powers this exhibition juggernaut. “I lived through the Monster Kid revolution and Marvel Mania. I collected it ALL—monsters, spies, superheroes. And now you get to see it!”
But this isn’t just a toy box trip down memory lane—it’s a cultural X-ray of America’s psyche! From Cold War paranoia to Atomic Age optimism, for over 80 years, these iconic pop culture characters have reflected our deepest fears, lived out our wildest dreams, and wrestled with the biggest questions about power, identity, and hope in American history.
Curated by Stephen Rueff, co-founder of SuperMonster市City!, the exhibit unpacks how these fantastical figures became symbols of America’s place in the world—and mirrors of who we thought we were.
FIVE POWERFUL THEMES EXPLODE ONTO THE SCENE:
- Unintended Consequences: The Atomic Age & America’s Identity Crisis
- Truth, Justice, and the American Way: The Superheroes Who United a Nation
- Innocent Monsters: Our Empathy for Outsiders
- With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: The Hero as Martyr
- Myths & Legends: How Star Wars Saved America