Entry No. 20 — the Sacramento file — filed under: yo-yo
National Yo-Yo Museum
Wedged inside a downtown Chico toy shop is a self-declared National Yo-Yo Museum: a free, wall-to-wall spread of vintage yo-yos and contest trophies anchored by the world's largest functioning wooden yo-yo, built by Tom Kuhn and hung right there in the store.
The story
Drive 90 miles north of Sacramento into downtown Chico and head inside Bird in Hand, a store that looks from the street like any standard downtown toy shop. Navigate past the board games toward the back, and you hit a 400-square-foot footprint housing the self-declared National Yo-Yo Museum—a tightly packed shrine to string-and-axle obsession containing the world's largest public display of vintage yo-yos, historical memorabilia, and contest awards.
The centerpiece doesn't fit inside a display case; it hangs directly overhead. That giant wooden disk suspended from the ceiling frame is "Big Yo," a fully functioning wooden yo-yo engineered by Tom Kuhn. Wall-to-wall glass cases below trace decades of design evolution, from simple mid-century wood and plastic playthings to precision-engineered metal gear used in modern competitive string tricks.
This isn't a static archive of dead plastic, either. The museum maintains a hands-on demo wall stocked with working yo-yos so you can test your trick memory right on the floor. If you time your trip right, you might bump into the monthly Chico Yo-Yo Club meetup or catch the national contest held in town most Octobers.
What it's like
Expect a quick, dense visit rather than a sprawling institute—it occupies roughly 400 square feet of floor space inside an active retail store, so you'll be weaving around regular shoppers. Admission is completely free. Head straight for the demo wall to try out a working model, remember to look up to inspect Tom Kuhn's mega yo-yo overhead, and verify current store hours before driving up from Sacramento.
The move: Browse decades of yo-yo memorabilia and contest awards, try a few working models off the shop's demo wall, and time it for the monthly Chico Yo-Yo Club meetup or the national contest most Octobers.
- 📍 Chico
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 320 Broadway, Chico, CA 95928 (inside Bird in Hand)
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Ken Fox's Great Statues of Auburn — Pair two obsessive labor-of-love projects by following up Chico's vintage toy shrine with Auburn's lot of hand-poured concrete giants.
- Griffith Quarry Museum — Double down on micro-museums by coupling this 400-square-foot yo-yo exhibit with Penryn's one-room stone quarry history office.
- Giant Coke Cup with Straw — Build an itinerary around oversized objects by pairing Tom Kuhn's overhead mega yo-yo with Natomas's three-story fast-food cup on your drive along I-5.
Good to know
Is there an entry fee for the museum?
No, viewing the museum displays inside the toy store is completely free.
Where exactly is it inside the building?
It occupies a 400-square-foot section toward the back of Bird in Hand at 320 Broadway in downtown Chico.
What is the massive yo-yo hanging from the ceiling?
That's "Big Yo," a fully functioning giant wooden yo-yo engineered by Tom Kuhn.
Can you actually play with yo-yos while you are there?
Yes, there is a dedicated demo wall with working models available for visitors to try out.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: birdinhand.com · Atlas Obscura · Official site · sactownmag.com · abc10.com
last checked: 2026-07-20