DFW Car and Toy Museum Wins Fort Worth Magazine's 2025 'Best Family Outing' Award

The DFW Car and Toy Museum has been named Fort Worth Magazine's 2025 'Best of Fort Worth' Reader Pick Winner in the Family Outing subcategory, a remarkable achievement for an institution that opened just seven months ago in April 2025. This recognition from the local community underscores the museum's immediate impact on Fort Worth's cultural and family entertainment landscape. Ron Sturgeon, founder and owner of the museum, expressed his gratitude for the outpouring of votes, stating that it's genuinely an honor to be chosen by the people of Fort Worth for such a prestigious award.

The museum represents the culmination of Sturgeon's more than 40-year passion for collecting, which began with toy Mercedes cars and expanded to include rare and vintage automobile-themed items, race cars, scale models, vintage toys, unique signs, automotive memorabilia, and other historic collectibles. As his collection grew, Sturgeon developed the vision to create a space where visitors could immerse themselves in automotive culture and relive childhood memories through an extensive toy collection. The museum now occupies more than 150,000 square feet of dynamic display space, featuring what Sturgeon describes as more than just a classic car collection but rather a comprehensive experience that leaves visitors inspired.

Visitors to the museum discover a veritable treasure trove of more than 3,000 vintage collectible toys and an extraordinary multi-million-dollar collection of more than 200 classic and unique cars. The automotive area showcases rare exotic cars, European masterpieces, celebrity-owned vehicles, unique oddities, and historic race cars, each with fascinating stories representing decades of automotive innovation and craftsmanship. The museum features an impressive collection of modern supercars, including a 647 hp 2017 Ford GT and a 986 hp 2022 Ferrari SF90, alongside a row of 1 million rare classic cars.

Among the most popular attractions is the carefully curated collection of space toys from the mid-1900s, including rare 1950s and 1960s robots such as Gumbo, Electroman, and Big Loo. Gumbo the Robot Dispenser stands nearly five feet tall as a rare Italian coin-operated gumball vending machine from the late 1950s, featuring polished metal construction with orange illuminated eyes and mouth. Electroman, known as the holy grail of robot collectors, features stunning lithograph detailing and automated mouth movement when powered by 2 D-cell batteries. Big Loo, manufactured by Louis Marx and Company for the 1963 holiday season with a limited production of about 5,000, stands more than 38 inches tall and can perform multiple functions including turning his head, rolling forward, taking a bow, launching balls and darts, squirting water, and grasping objects.

The museum's recognition as Fort Worth's best family outing highlights its success in creating an accessible cultural destination that appeals to multiple generations. With free admission and plenty of free parking available for visitors at https://www.dfwelitetoymuseum.com, the dog-friendly facility has quickly become a popular destination for families, collectors, and car enthusiasts alike. The museum's ability to combine automotive history with nostalgic toy collections in an immersive environment has established it as a significant addition to Fort Worth's entertainment offerings, earning it the top spot in Fort Worth Magazine's annual competition that brings out the passion of local readers voting for their favorites across multiple categories.