Montana’s Incredible Old-School Toy Shop is a Must See

Like it or not, the holidays are fast approaching. We're now less than 12 weeks away from Christmas, and a lot of parents are probably thinking about toy shopping. If you're in the Billings area, or next time you're passing through the Magic City, there is one toy shop that you should absolutely check out: Action Toys.

I've driven past this store every day on I-90 on my commute from Laurel to Billings for years, and almost every day, I wonder what exactly Action Toys is all about. It's the red building tucked at the end of a bumpy lane behind the new Costco, just west of Pierce RV. Canyon Creek meanders through the back of the property.

Today, my curiosity was satisfied when I finally made a point to visit Action Toys, and WOW. What a cool store. 4,400 square feet of retail is maximized with rows and rows of toys on shelves stacked nearly to the ceiling. And the fun part is that a vast majority of the toys are farm & ranch and construction toys.

What started as a small window display of toys in the family's former downtown Billings print shop (nearly 40 years ago) soon took on a life of its own. I was grateful to get a chance to talk to the owner and his daughter while I browsed the aisles. A personal toy-collecting hobby expanded to what is now Action Toys.

Visitors from across the world have signed the guest book at Action Toys. I noticed many were from the Midwest and my home state of Iowa, where John Deere green is the unofficial state color. Guests are wowed by a huge collection of vintage farm toys (not for sale) as well as the 4,000+ toys on the shelves that are for sale.

Sure, you might find a few toy tractors and other farm implements at stores like Shipton's Big R or Western Ranch Supply (particularly around the holidays), but the selection at Action Toys is overwhelming.

From Breyer toy horses to realistic farm, ranch, and construction toys, toy lovers, young and old, will love browsing this store. Check it out next time you're in the neighborhood. My photo gallery below is a condensed roundup of some of the cool toys you'll find at Action Toys.