Step Into Their Stories: Celebrating 40 Years of American Girl Pop-Up Museum Exhibit
A message from Blake Changnon, founder, president, and CEO of The Changnon Family Museum of Toys and Collectibles:
I’m still reflecting on the weekend at MoComCon, where we debuted our newest exhibit, “Step Into Their Stories: Celebrating 40 Years of American Girl.”
When I was asked to bring one of my pop-up exhibits to MoComCon, I created a new exhibit to celebrate American Girl’s 40th anniversary and to honor the original “Meet” books and Historical Characters who first captured our imaginations all those years ago.
Throughout the day, more than 350 visitors walked through the exhibit. I watched as children discovered these stories for the first time, pointing out details in the displays such as Kirsten’s looped braids and Molly’s glasses, while longtime fans and collectors revisited the characters who shaped their childhoods.
Returning to the “Meet” books is powerful. They introduce the characters, values, challenges and history that have defined American Girl for 40 years. Watching visitors pause and engage with those stories reminded me how lasting and important these stories are.
I am deeply grateful to everyone who attended, asked thoughtful questions and spent time with the exhibit. My collection, built over the last 20+ years, is something I care deeply about, and it means so much that I can share it in a way that brings these stories to life for others.
Because of the overwhelming response, this exhibit will eventually be added to our virtual museum so visitors can step into these stories from anywhere.
A heartfelt thank you to Montgomery County Public Libraries, the MoComCon team, our wonderful volunteers, and to my husband, Alex, whose support makes all of this possible.
This weekend was a beautiful reminder that after 40 years, these stories still matter. We have more pop-up exhibits coming soon. Stay tuned for details!