Your PopCulteer is back from The Kruger Street Toy & Train Museum, where I attended the official opening of a huge collection of Peanuts memorabilia. The display features part of a massive collection of Peanuts-related memorabilia accululated by Wheeling, West Virginia physician Dr. William Mercer over forty years of practicing pediatric medicine.

Dr. Mercer’s collection was largely assembled with patient’s gifts, beginning in 1987 after he designed a Snoopy-themed pediatric room at his practice. Over the years Dr. Mercer began doing outreach programs in schools, telling kids to be “Too Cool To Smoke” (and later vape).

Mel and I shot video, but it’s taking a bit longer than expected to edit, so today I’m going to bring you a collection of photos. The plan is to have the video ready and posted within the next week.

When we do have the video done, it’ll show off the collection, but also include highlights of Dr. Mercer’s tour of his collection.

The crew at Kruger Street put together an amazing exhibit, with over 5,000 Peanuts items perfectly arranged and displayed all over the lower level of the Museum.

Here’s our first look at Dr. Mercer’s Peanuts collection, at The Kruger Street Toy& Train Museum. The exhibit is open now and will be a permanent part of Kruger Street going forward…

For the opening, we were directed to the side door.

Dr. Mercer (in the orange shirt) begins the tour.

Counting the neckties hanging over head, there may be a thousand Peanuts items just in this photo.

It’s really a massive collection. I should’ve brought a wide-angle lens.

Displays focus on the different Peanuts characters, with much of the emphasis on Snoopy.

They don’t leave out Charlie Brown, though.

There is so much to delve into here.

A whole wall is devoted to the “Joe Too Cool To Smoke Campaign,” including this woodcut sign, made by a former Marx Toys design artist.

A permanent wall of Christmas Peanuts items.

More Snoopy items, in a side hall.

A small Peanuts train layout includes a bubble so that kids can pop up from under the table and see what it’s like inside.

Another look at that Great Pumpkin train set.

The event last weekend also included free T Shirts and sunglasses. A bonus we did not know about in advance.

We leave you with the Charlie Brown bowling ball (guaranteed to go in the gutter every time, maybe?).

Keep checking PopCult. In the next week or so we’ll have more photos and video of the opening weekend.