Huge Wisconsin Toy Store in 100-Year-Old Barn Even ‘Big’ Kids Will Love

I've had a very specific recurring toy store dream since I was a child growing up in Madison, Wisconsin and I think I just found the place for it to play out in real life.

A Childhood Dream Come True

When I first laid eyes on a photo of the big toy store, I felt a little twinge in my heart. I wondered if my 7-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son would walk into this place and start having the same recurring dream I'd been having for decades.

Inside this old Amish barn are two floors of incredible toys, games, puzzles, books, fun costumes, stuffed animals, and even musical instruments. There's also enough candy inside to give an entire city a great big sugar rush.

My recurring toy store dream starts with me trying out new toys near the time the store is closing and somehow all the employees didn't see me and they turned out the lights, locked up, and went home. The best part of my dream has always been what comes next.

After wandering around in the dark looking for the light switch and getting over the fear of being in the store all by myself, it starts to soak in.

I'M IN A HUGE TOY STORE BY MYSELF TO DO WHATEVER I WANT ALL NIGHT.

I believe this toy store in Delafield, Wisconsin is the perfect store for even us 'big' kids to live out a few dreams. The only problem for me now is I'm six-foot-four and I doubt I'll be able to hide well enough to get locked inside at closing time.

The Smiley Barn Toy and Candy Store

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In a town with a rich farming history, go figure that one of the most iconic buildings is a huge barn with a smiley face on it at 2420 Milwaukee Street in Delafield, just off Interstate 94.

Feel Like a Kid Again

That big infectious smile has greeted passers-by since the 1970s when it was greeting furniture buyers.

That furniture store closed and in 2018, the century-old barn was turned into The Smiley Barn Toy & Candy Store it is today.

The shop has a quirky mixture of rustic and retro charm – it’s filled with a ton of unique items you won’t find in any big box store., says onlyinyourstate.com.

Hearing that The Smiley Barn has 'demo tables' where you can try stuff out makes it the perfect setting for the 'locked in a toy store' dream. I don't see that dream fading away anytime soon.

This next toy is always in that recurring dream, trains. There's almost nothing I loved more than playing with my model trains as a child.

You can shop The Smiley Barn online if you must, but an in-person visit is a must. They're open 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sundays and Mondays.

The one thing that has never been part of my recurring dream is that the toy store is also a candy store. Yes, Smiley Barn, you're a dream come true (almost) for this 'big' kid.

How about a closer look?