| Regardless of age or background, inside of each of us lives a child. And in Austin, Texas, there is a place where that child is released. For nearly 20 years, Toy Joy, located at 2900 Guadalupe St, has been delighting children, big and small, with wall to wall toys, gifts, and candy.
In 2001, Child Magazine named Toy Joy as one of the Top 10 Toy Stores in the country. The Top 10 Toy Stores in the country is not the only honor Toy Joy has received over the years. It has also been featured in the United Airlines in-flight magazine as a "great shopping destination" in Central Texas.
The toys that saturate the walls and shelves (so thickly that one trip to the store is not enough to see everything) vary from the classics; yo-yo's, Slinkys, and kaleidoscopes; to the newest trends; Sponge Bob Squarepants, Beanie Babies and the latest board games on the market. But these toys don't just sit on the shelves and look fun, the way they do in most toy stores. Customers of Toy Joy are encouraged to play with the toys, primarily led by the example of the staff, who are also playing with the toys.
Toys aren't the only things available at Toy Joy. There is also a candy rack, loaded just as heavily as the shelves of toys, with new and old confections. Most I haven't seen in years or can only find in specialty stores. Other flavors, dated back to my parents' youths, I had never seen. About the only thing you can't find on the Toy Joy candy rack is a plain Hershey Bar.
Toy Joy, located at the corner of 29th St and Guadalupe, is a must-stop shopping location near the University of Texas Austin campus. Open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, there is more than enough time to enjoy the fun that covers nearly every inch of the store. But be sure to clear a couple of hours in your schedule. There is a lot to see.
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