Unbeknownst to many, Norwood is home to a unique museum unlike anything else you’ll find anywhere else in the world.
The American Construction Toy (ACT) Museum celebrates the rich and complex history of building toys across all 250 years of U.S. history—from building blocks made in the 1800s to the LEGO sets we see on store shelves today.
For Paul Wellington, the museum’s owner, curator, and executive director, he’s always had a fascination with the history of toys. But what he likes even more is sharing that knowledge with others.
“It’s really nice to see visitors be like, ‘oh, I played with these toys as a kid,’ and then I give them information about how ‘this toy was invented by so and so’ and I see their face light up,” Wellington said. “It’s really a place for all ages. A lot of people enjoy the nostalgia of seeing the toys they enjoyed in their youth and then seeing their kids or grandkids playing with the exact same toys.”
If you’ve turned on FOX at any point in the last few years, you may have seen Wellington on TV. While his day job is at the Cincinnati Public Library, in his free time, he builds incredibly detailed LEGO projects and posts them on social media, ranging from expansive city recreations to extremely minuscule versions of popular buildings.
It wasn’t long until the producers of Will Arnett’s reality-building competition “LEGO Masters” came calling. In 2023, he competed on season four of the series with his sister, Nealita, and made it all the way to the finale.
“She actually hadn’t touched LEGOs in about 15 years prior to the show, so it was definitely a learning curve for her. It was really fun and challenging, and we ended up placing third. Because of that finish, we competed on a later season in Australia that aired last year. We didn’t do as well. Actually, we went home first. But hey, free trip to Australia,” he said, laughing.
After his time on the series, he became an ambassador for international nonprofit Pass the Bricks, which collects used LEGOs, cleans them and then distributes small sets to children and classrooms in need. During his work, he kept coming across older, non-LEGO toys that interested him, and began learning their history. Eventually, he decided to open the museum to spread his knowledge around.
At the ACT Museum, guests can interact with 28 different types of construction toys, adding up to more than 230 total—some of which are over 200 years old. It’s not just LEGOs: there’s plenty of brands like Lincoln Logs, TinkerToys, K’NEX and toys that were created before the concept of ‘brands’ even existed.
“The oldest thing we have is the ‘Log Cabin Playset,'” he said. “It’s from the 1800s. And then Frank Lloyd Wright’s son, John, played with this toy as a kid and got the idea for Lincoln Logs, which are still around today.”
The museum has plenty of classes for prospective builders, too. The museum hosts recurring STEAM classes on Tuesdays, adult build nights on the fourth Friday of each month and more. There are also special events themed around major holidays, like Easter. And Wellington ventures out to schools all across Ohio, not just in Cincinnati, to teach students about the joy of construction toys.
Additionally, there’s a toy store inside the museum itself. Primarily, the shop side of the museum focuses on new and retired LEGO sets, with a ‘dump table’ that guests can use to stock up on as many LEGOs as they can fit in a quart or gallon-sized bag. There’s also their ‘brick box’ program, which includes one minifigure and 60 pieces to construct your very own original LEGO scene for just $5.
“It’s all about just showcasing to everyone how important it is to be creative,” Wellington said. “Keeping a sense of creativity is really essential to being a well-rounded person, both for kids and adults … But also, it’s about having an affordable space for families in the area. It’s been nice to just have a space people can walk to and enjoy themselves in a new way, and it’s really nice to be a part of the community.”
