Why Is There a Toy Store on This Remote Island?

Beaver Island — Michigan's most authentic and least flashy summertime getaway shares nothing in common with its snotty, better-known cousin down the shoreline, Mackinac Island. Mackinac was built for tourists. Beaver Island wasn't built at all. It's just there, 32 miles out into Lake Michigan, entirely unbothered.

Just the journey to get there alone isn't for the faint of heart. It's a two-hour ferry ride from Charlevoix across open water that can turn from flat calm to violent within the hour, and in the shoulder seasons, the boat doesn't always run. There are no traffic lights on the island, no drive-thru fast food, no 24-hour anything. Life moves at whatever pace the weather allows it to.

And yet, around 40,000 people still make the trip there every summer, whether it's for the beaches that look straight out of Turks and Caicos, miles of hiking trails that cut through untouched forest, or the island's fascinating history—Beaver Island has become an extremely popular vacation spot for any Michiganders looking to unplug.

But there is another, lesser-known attraction that's particularly unique to the island: The Beaver Island Toy Store.

This part-toy store, part-museum is tucked away in the trees just outside St. James, the only town on Beaver Island. On the outside, it looks like just another house belonging to one of Beaver Island's 600 residents. Step inside, though, and it's unlike anything else on the island or, honestly, anywhere else in Michigan.

From the walls to the rafters, just about every inch of this place is covered in vintage toys. Pedal cars and bicycles hang from the ceiling alongside old model ships, while tin robots line the overhead beams.

Some of the other toys you'll come across inside include candy jars, paper dolls, rubber action figures, polished stones, cowboy figurines, and toy trucks, with many of them dating all the way back to the 1930s.

And the wow factor doesn't stop inside. Head out back, and beneath a stand of cherry trees, you'll find a sculpture garden filled with carved heads, animals, dinosaurs, and even a Buddha or two.

Remember—this isn't just a museum either. Mixed in with all the untouchable antiques are games, books, and one-of-a-kind toys that are actually for sale. The whole place feels like a museum where you're actually allowed to buy the exhibits. You genuinely don't know what you're going to find around the next corner, which is exactly what makes the place so much fun to explore.

But undoubtedly the best part of the Beaver Island Toy Store is the woman who built it.

The heart and soul behind all these vintage treasures is Mary Scholl, an 84-year-old former kindergarten teacher and lifelong artist who first discovered her passion for toy-making through her son. What started with a few handmade toys and puzzles for him slowly grew into an obsession, and that obsession eventually turned into a shop in Chicago in 1980. "Mary's Toy Store" remained open in Chicago for about 10 years before Mary spent a single day visiting Beaver Island in 1990. Apparently, that was all it took, because after that she packed up both herself and the store and moved them to the island for good.

More than three decades later, she's still there. You'll find her working behind the counter almost every day.

She designed the building herself (and her home just behind it) because she wanted people walking in to feel like they'd stumbled into someone's house rather than a business. These days, you'll find her ringing people up, pointing out her favorite pieces, or watching people's faces light up when they spot something they haven't seen since childhood.

Another thing about Mary: She's also a genuinely serious and very talented artist. Showcased in an art alcove near the front of the store is a small rotating collection of her watercolors and prints. She sells them in short runs throughout the summer, and they tend to disappear fast. Those who know her say that's exactly how she likes it. She rarely gets attached to any of her own creative work, finding more excitement in seeing people enjoy her creations and figuring out what she's going to make next.

If you're headed to Beaver Island this summer, the toy store is definitely one of the reasons you should be making the crossing in the first place. It's easy to drive right past it—there's no big sign, no parking lot lit up with flags—but that's sort of the point. You'll find it tucked into the trees just off the main road in St. James, so stop in, go meet Mary, and check out some old robots.