ABILENE, Kan. – Within the grounds of the Dickinson County Heritage Center, a history museum in Abilene, is a relatively new Farm Toy Museum that opened in October 2025. A new mural by Mindy Allen helps advertise the museum on the front of the Heritage Center.

While Abilene is known for their cowboy mural trail and the biggest belt buckle, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and boyhood home, Visit Abilene wants visitors to know about this latest addition to their town. On the museum website, they share a bit about this amazing collection.

“John Gruber has donated his collection of toy tractors that he started collecting in the 1970s. John was a longtime employee at Shouse Implement. There are over 1,500 toy farm tractors, equipment and memorabilia for guests to see. Explore our agricultural history in miniature and see how it progresses through the years. Within the museum, there is a kid zone for youth to play with and learn about our agricultural history.”

Gruber was excited about donating his toys after learning that at the museum they would keep his collection together and build a brand-new museum to house the collection. “I wanted to keep my collection together and that way it will be there for a long time.”

Gruber shared how his collection began. “My collection started when my grandma Martha Johnson got my brother Jim and I started in the toy business. I was 5, and he was 3, she took us to the John Deere dealership in Salina and got us a full set of John Deere toys. We also collected guns. My brother Jim took the guns, and I took the toys That’s how I got started.”

After graduating from high school in 1965, Gruber went to vocational Technical School while beginning work at Lott Implement, a John Deere dealer in Minneapolis, Kan. He eventually ended up in 1989 at Shouse Implement in Abilene. After becoming a co-owner, he retired having worked with John Deere dealerships for 46 years.

“I retired in 2012,” he said, adding that working at a dealership helped with the toy collecting hobby. “When they came out with the limited editions like the race cars, then you’d get the limited-edition deals, so I would be able to get a head start on getting those, it kept me going.”

With his love of the hobby, Gruber even founded the Minneapolis Kansas Toy Show, an event that continues today. While most of his collection is Deere focused, he also has other brands such as International Harvester, Allis Chalmers, Ford, New Holland, White, Oliver, Case, Stieger, Versatile, Massey Harris and Minneapolis Moline. His collection includes items he found while traveling over the years, and he also has some John Deere memorabilia as well.

While working at the dealership, his farm toy collecting hobby turned into a business. “Friends and I started a toy business buying items going out of production and we’d find other toys. The farm toy business started around 1975 or 1976,” Gruber said.

Over time a few of the partners passed, then John added, “There were only about two of us left. As you get older things change for you.”

While Gruber’s wife Kathy enjoyed the collection, it was taking up valuable space in the home, and it was time for a move. “When downsizing house our house, friends Ron and Greg Wilson said if I donated my toys, they would put money up to do the museum.”

This was a win/win situation for Gruber, who wanted to share his collection with future generations, and the Dickinson County Historical Museum was the perfect place to do this. Private donors helped fund the building that opened its doors on Oct. 5, 2025. The museum, which resembles a vintage dealership, has been a big hit. When entering the building visitors will see a parts counter donated by the Grubers. Kathy said, “I know the schools have brought a lot of classes this past spring and use it for field trips. There is just a lot of stuff to look at.”

The museum is a showcase, and that accolade goes to Kathy. “I help collect but I’m just the worker bee. I and some friends set up the displays. I have a knack for it.”

While Kathy spent most of her working life in banking, she got decorating experience early on. John said, “When we got married, she worked for JCPenney doing the displays and learned a lot.”

Besides farm toys, collectors will also enjoy the antique tractor building and barn full of farm items. Located near the Eisenhower Center, the museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and 1-5 p.m. on Sunday.